HAFX build, gpu suggestions needed.

[Teggy]

Hey guys, I'm new here. I just wanted to share, and post a couple of photos of what I'm currently doing to my rig.

The current specs are...
Cooler Master HAFX
Asus p8-z68-v pro/gen3
Intel i7 2700k cpu
Noctua NH-d14 CPU Cooler
Sapphire hd6870
Intel 520 120bg SSD
2tb WD black HDD
Corsair TX650 PSU
G.Skill Ripjaws x 8gig ram

I plan on upgrading my gpu, psu, braided cables for a more clean look, and upgrading to a xspc watercooling kit.

I'm wanting to get a 7970, but I need some advice on which 7970 card to get since its going to be water cooled. I would think any 7970 would be ok, but I'm not sure. I don't want to pay $50 extra for a card that comes with 3 fans, when I won't be using them if you know what I mean.

Here are a few pictures of what I've been doing

Here I'm taking everything apart, so I can install some new bitfenix fans, and remove the hard drive cage. If you do this, I would advise you to remove your mother board, and possibly the psu (which I forgot lol) as there will be metal shavings falling down into your case from drilling.

The hard drive cage that will be drilled out.

The rivets that we'll be drilling. There's 4 on top, as pictured below. And 4 rivets on the bottom of the case aswell.

Drilling out the rivets.. I didn't have the right size drill bit.. The one I had was to small, so I had to angle it a bit to get the rivet all the way out.

Take caution when drilling these out, you'll see a bunch of metal shavings falling to the bottom of your case. It's always a good idea to barrow your girlfriends bright pink vacuum cleaner.

And finally, the hard drive cage is out.

And now for the fans, which are pretty straight forward.. Pictured below is 1 230mm, and 2 200mm Bitfenix Spectre Pro fans. They perform excellent, the only downside was when I used the hafx fan filters, I couldn't feel any air coming from the fans. I just removed the filters, and plan on cleaning my rig regularly.

Here are the fans installed, and testing.. Man my girlfriend was pissed when she came home and seen all the stuff scattered on the floor lol. She liked the led fans though. I'm not so sure if I like them, it seems like to much bling bling for me

And there you have it, I hope everyone likes it. By the way, when I switch over to watercooling I'll be using 3 Scythe Gentle Typhoons, and using the 200mm fans in a different build.

Stephen

 

[alpenwasser]

Can't really comment on the 7970s since I'm not up to speed at all regarding AMD's GPUs.

Usually I don't really like LED fans (prefer dedicated lighting) but I think it actually looks pretty nice here. Although while you're at it you might mod the side panel for a full window and take out that mesh ^_^

I have 140 Spectre Pros and I really like them as well.

I'm not sure if I'd go for the Gentle Typhoons. They're not bad fans at all, in fact for a long time they really were the best thing available, but I recommend going through some reviews before purchasing. A lot of new stuff has come out since they entered the market. If you've already done your reading and decided that the GT's best suit your needs, of course go for it!

Love the vacuum cleaner! :lol:

EDIT: Welcome to the forums! /EDIT

 

[Mgutierrez33]

pretty positive that almost no matter which 7970 you go for it'll be a sure thing, given that you're planning on watercooling. I personally like PowerColor/Club3D though.

 

[Teggy]

Can't really comment on the 7970s since I'm not up to speed at all regarding AMD's GPUs.

Usually I don't really like LED fans (prefer dedicated lighting) but I think it actually looks pretty nice here. Although while you're at it you might mod the side panel for a full window and take out that mesh ^_^

I have 140 Spectre Pros and I really like them as well.

I'm not sure if I'd go for the Gentle Typhoons. They're not bad fans at all, in fact for a long time they really were the best thing available, but I recommend going through some reviews before purchasing. A lot of new stuff has come out since they entered the market. If you've already done your reading and decided that the GT's best suit your needs, of course go for it!

Love the vacuum cleaner! :lol:

EDIT: Welcome to the forums! /EDIT

Thanks for your reply.. I have indeed read through a lot of reviews, and watched some fan comparison videos on youtube. And the GT's seemed like the best ones. But if you have recommendations, I'm all ears.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post youtube videos here, so its against the rules, please forgive me.

But this video is really what got me wanting the gt's, and what actually caught me by surprise was the xspc fans coming out on top. I'm not sure how to embed videos, so here is the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KL8Et8vk8o

Stephen

 

[alpenwasser]

Thanks for your reply.. I have indeed read through a lot of reviews, and watched some fan comparison videos on youtube. And the GT's seemed like the best ones. But if you have recommendations, I'm all ears.

When I wrote I wasn't sure if I'd go for them I actually really meant I wasn't sure . Sorry if my skepticism seemed a bit stronger than it actually was.
I don't think at all that they're bad fans (I think they're pretty damn good), it's just that I've seen one or two people going for them (or an ill-suited rpm version of them since there are several) based merely on hearsay. If you have done your research and have arrived at the conclusion that these are best suited for your needs that's completely alright, I just wanted to make sure you're well-informed.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post youtube videos here, so its against the rules, please forgive me.

So long as it's not objectionable content I think it's ok.

But this video is really what got me wanting the gt's, and what actually caught me by surprise was the xspc fans coming out on top. I'm not sure how to embed videos, so here is the link.

As you can see, the forum system does everything for you .

Ron's a great guy (I've been a subscriber to his channel for quite a while) and I actually watched his fan vids as well when I picked out the fans for my upcoming build. Although that build will be using 140 fans (namely 140 Spectre Pro's which have quite a bit more pressure than the 120's and 2 x Hardware Labs SR-1 rads which are very well suited for low rpm's).

I am currently running three SP120's Quiet on an Alphacool 60 mm rad, and I have to admit that on 12 V they actually make a fair bit of noise while not seeming to push all that much air. I have recently purchased three Bitfenix Spectre Pro's 120 which make a lot less noise and intend to do a comparison in the coming few weeks (sometime in April).

The thing is of course that both the SP120 Quiet and the Spectre Pro run at rpm's which are quite a bit lower than the GT1850 (I'm presuming you'd go for that version since you mentioned Ron's video). They are certainly not high performance fans, but the Spectre Pro is pretty quiet.

One possible alternative to the GT's I have seen mentioned here and there are Cougar fans. There seem to be several version of them and I'm not quite sure which one you'd want to pick:link
But proper reviews for them seem to be very scarce

The tricky thing about picking and recommending fans is that there are so many variables. The fans best suited for my needs (very low noise with still decent performance on low fpi radiators) might not at all be what you need, and as you seem to be well aware, proper research can take up an almost hilarious amount of time.

The most important thing is being very aware of what your needs precisely are and then picking out a product based on that information.

 

[Teggy]

When I wrote I wasn't sure if I'd go for them I actually really meant I wasn't sure . Sorry if my skepticism seemed a bit stronger than it actually was.
I don't think at all that they're bad fans (I think they're pretty damn good), it's just that I've seen one or two people going for them (or an ill-suited rpm version of them since there are several) based merely on hearsay. If you have done your research and have arrived at the conclusion that these are best suited for your needs that's completely alright, I just wanted to make sure you're well-informed.

Yes, I was thinking about getting the 1850 ap-15's. I didn't think your skepticism was strong at all lol. I'm actually really interested in what your take is on fans. It is becoming very hard for me to make a decision. But it's got to be done, I'm sure no one wants to make the decision for me

I am ok with a little noise, as long as it doesn't sound like a high rpm delta, or ap-31's.

 

[alpenwasser]

I'm sure no one wants to make the decision for me

No, we do not. That's way too much responsibility .

Anyway, since most of my research for my next build was focused on 140 fans (and I probably skew towards lower rpm fans than you do), I don't have an all-encompassing overview of the 120 market at the moment (does anyone? :lol, but a few more fans that might be worth looking at:

• Noiseblockers. All of their lines come in several speed variants (including some higher rpm ones), and some also have PWM versions. The NB-BlackSilentPRO is a pretty great fan from everything I've heard, seen and read. They also recently brought out the e-Loop fans, which seem to be pretty spectacular, and are also available as rebranded units with a different color scheme from Phobya. The one trouble about the e-Loops is their ridiculous price. There's also the Multiframe, which might be less suited for radiators since it does not have a clean rectangular frame. Also, Noiseblocker provides detailed spec sheets on their homepage which should make it easier to decide which version to go for.
• Noctua. If you can tolerate the color (or dye them), they offer if not extreme performance then at least very good performance/noise ratio.
• as already mentioned, the Cougars and the GT's

If I was looking for 120 radiator fans, I would most likely go either for the Noiseblocker BlackSilentPro or e-Loop (if I can spare the money). The criteria I'm looking for are not necessarily high performance per se but good performance/noise ratio and good bearings that don't start making noise when undervolting the fans.

I would also rather go for push/pull with lower rpm fans than just one side of higher rpm ones (if there's enough space for 2 x fan sides and one 80 mm thick rad, 60 mm thick rads don't profit all that much from push/pull if they're low fpi ones afaik. I wouldn't recommend push/pull with a thinner rad unless it's a very high fpi one. But I'm drifting towards an entirely new discussion here which might take up as much room as the one we're having now ).

The Bitfenix Spectre Pro 140 version actually does have a fair bit more punch than its 120 counterpart, so the 120 version of the Spectre Pro really is only suited for very silent systems imho (but it does have an excellent bearing; no bearing noises at all from lowest voltage at which it will run up to 12 V, same goes for the 140 version, and this I have actually tested myself).

I think I recall reading that the Gentle Typhoons have phenomenal bearings which are very well suited for undervolting, so even if they turn out to be a bit loud at 1850 you should still be able to undervolt them with ease. I don't remember where that was though and it's been a while, so take this fragment of my memory with a grain of salt .

EDIT: I seem incapable of not producing walls of text :lol: /EDIT

EDIT2: One thing I actually did for my upcoming build is buy a sample fan of the desired model first to get an idea of its noise and undervolting characteristics. Hard to test (let alone compare) performance this way, but it gives a little added security to my decision. If you are not happy with it you haven't spent too much money on something you don't like (unless it's an e-Loop :lol. Of course if you have to try five models before finding one you like this can get expensive anyway, but in that case you're either very unlucky or did not do proper research I'd say. /EDIT2

 

[Teggy]

Wow thanks for all the great information man. I'm going to order the Scythe gentle typhoons. Now I'm going to move on to deciding which graphics card to get.

Mgutierrez33 mentioned the powercolor, and club3d cards. I watched tinytomlogan's videos and have to decided to get one, but I can't find a USA vendor that sells the club3d cards. And I can't find a vendor that sells the powercolor reference cards. I seen 3 powercolor cards on newegg, do you know if they are basically the same card with different coolers?

These are the cards I've been looking at.

SAPPHIRE 7970
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202008

PowerColor 7970
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131468

Are these cards voltage locked? If anyone knows anything about these cards, or has other recommendations, please please comment.

Also, I'll be ordering my water cooling kit next week, as well as the graphics card if I can decide which card I want.

I have decided to mod my side panel. I'll be cutting out the mesh, and adding a larger window. I might add slight interior lighting, but I'm not sure yet. I don't want to be able to see it from space. Not that I go to space often I had a vision of drilling small holes into the side of the window to fit a couple of red leds. I'm not sure how it will look. I'm thinking it would make the entire window glow red, I'm not sure if I will like that, we'll see.

It's time to experiment

Stephen

 

[seumasbeathan]

7970 is the best card to go for, I always like powercolor cards

 

[alpenwasser]

Wow thanks for all the great information man. I'm going to order the Scythe gentle typhoons.

Happy to help, and good choice.

Now I'm going to move on to deciding which graphics card to get.

Have fun with that, I am definitely not qualified to give advice on current AMD cards

Also, I'll be ordering my water cooling kit next week

That I could help with, if desired

I have decided to mod my side panel. I'll be cutting out the mesh, and adding a larger window.

Excellent idea, my friend!

I'm thinking it would make the entire window glow red, I'm not sure if I will like that, we'll see.

If the plexi is clean inside (should be if quality control did their job) then it actually shouldn't if I recall correctly (maybe a very slight hint of light, not sure); the light should just pass through it.

What can be done is partially roughing up the surface (sandblasting, for example), and that part will then glow brightly if you insert LEDs into the plexi (I've seen it done with the LEDs inserted into the edges, but can't find any pictures of this atm).
This would allow you to etch a logo into the window that would glow, for instance.

I've never actually done this myself though; only read about it a few times over the years, so if anyone more knowledgeable sees any mistakes I've made here feel free to correct my errors.

And experimenting is always best

 

[Teggy]

7970 is the best card to go for, I always like powercolor cards

Looks like that's a +1 for the powercolor..

I've got to say, this forum is so much better than the others I have visited.. I really like it here. I'm getting motivated, and I can't wait to share my progress.

 

[alpenwasser]

I've got to say, this forum is so much better than the others I have visited.. I really like it here. I'm getting motivated, and I can't wait to share my progress.

Well we do our best (I'm one to talk, I've only been here a month longer than you :lol.

Looking forward to your updates.

 

[JayCobs]

Since you plan on water cooling I would purchase the MSI R7950 Twin Frozr 3GB DDR5 OC Edition and overclock to 7970 specs. That's what I did. I have two running in Crossfire. I also lucked out and got the V2 [Version 2] that utilize the 7970 PCB, which broadened my choice of GPU water blocks substantially. This, of course, is the cheaper route. The MSI R7970 Lightning HD 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 is awesome too.

 

[Teggy]

Since you plan on water cooling I would purchase the MSI R7950 Twin Frozr 3GB DDR5 OC Edition and overclock to 7970 specs. That's what I did. I have two running in Crossfire. I also lucked out and got the V2 [Version 2] that utilize the 7970 PCB, which broadened my choice of GPU water blocks substantially. This, of course, is the cheaper route. The MSI R7970 Lightning HD 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 is awesome too.

Thanks for your reply
I have thought about going with a 7950, but I'm just not sure yet. Deciding on a video card is getting quite frustrating lol. I'm about to bring them up on my screen, close my eyes, and buy whatever my finger lands on lol.

 

[Teggy]

Here is a quick update,
I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want to do. I have decided on doing my own custom loop, instead of going with an xspc kit.

Here are the parts
Swiftech MCP655
EK D5 X-Res top
Koolance drain valve
XSPC RX360 Radiator
XSPC waterblocks
Primochill 1/2 x 3/4 tubing
Scythe GT AP-15's of course

I might get a second 120 radiator, but I'm not sure yet.. I don't think it's needed, I just think the tube routing will look a bit better.

Also, I just placed a big order with mdpc-x.com, so I'm going to be braiding all the wires myself.

This build will probably take me a long time to complete, as I had to pay bills this week, please be patience.

 

[alpenwasser]

Swiftech MCP655
EK D5 X-Res top
Koolance drain valve
XSPC RX360 Radiator
XSPC waterblocks
Primochill 1/2 x 3/4 tubing
Scythe GT AP-15's of course

Looks good.

I might get a second 120 radiator, but I'm not sure yet.. I don't think it's needed, I just think the tube routing will look a bit better.

I've been running a 2600k @ 1.38 V on one 360, and temps are pretty good. If you add GPU(s) to the loop, an additional rad might come in handy though, depending on voltages for CPU and GPU(s) as well as fan speeds and desired temps.

Also, I just placed a big order with mdpc-x.com, so I'm going to be braiding all the wires myself.

Have fun with that. I'm currently doing two of my PSUs, and it can be quite a pain. The result is worth it imho though (or else I wouldn't be doing it, naturally ).

This build will probably take me a long time to complete, as I had to pay bills this week, please be patience.

Don't I know that story

EDIT:
Just FYI: Somewhere in the forum rules there's a rule against double posts. I'd recommend editing your first one instead of doubling. Not that this one time will cause a major riot, but just for future reference
/EDIT

 

[Teggy]

Today I took the my side panel to work and cut out the fan mesh. I kind of stole some one else's carbon fiber idea. I liked that way it looked, and I had some laying around, so I figured I would just add it in. Plus using a cutting wheel on the side panel wasn't the brightest idea, so the vinyl helps cover up my mess ups

When I get time, I'll go to Home Depot to get some acrylic sheet. Or I could just get it online., does anyone know of a US website that sells it?

Sorry the pictures aren't the best, they were taken from an Iphone. I don't have a camera so these will have to do for now.

 

[alpenwasser]

so the vinyl helps cover up my mess ups

Sneaky bugger, you are! ^_^

I usually order my acrylic over eBay.

Just don't overdo it with the Carbon vinyl, some people have a tendency to go overboard (you haven't imho).

 

[Teggy]

Alright, alpenwasser.. Lol since your the only one following my build. Heres an update.

I ordered all my water cooling parts, and I decided to go with a Sapphire 7970 which can be found here. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202008 It's the cheapest one I could find that had pretty good reviews.

Could a mod please be so kind and edit the name of this thread to "Teggy's HAFX build", since I've decided on a gpu.

Here is a list of parts that I ordered. I did some last minute changes.
Bitspower Dual / Single D5 Top Upgrade Kit 150
Performance-PCs Über 655 Fully Modded (D5)
Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Rotary 90° Angle 1/2" Stubby Fitting
Bitspower G 1/4" Thread 45 Degree Rotary 1/2" Barb Fitting
Bitspower Matte Black Diamond G1/4" Barb Fitting - 1/2" ID
PrimoChill PrimoFlex Advanced LRT Tubing 1/2ID 3/4OD - Clear
XSPC RX360 Triple 120mm Radiator Rev 2.
XSPC RX120 120mm Radiator
EK Supremacy Universal CPU Liquid Cooling Block - Plexi (EK-Supremacy)
Koolance G1/4" Brass Inline Drain Valve Fitting
Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm x 25mm Fan - 1850 RPM
IandH Silver KillCoils - Antimicrobial .999 Fine Silver Tubing / Reservoir Strip

I still need to get a few more things, I just ran out of money. I wanted to get some compression fittings, but those damn things add up, I just can't afford them. I saved like $100 without them.

I'll update with pictures when everything arrives.

EDIT: Well I told Newegg to hold off on my order. I'm contacting Sapphire to make sure this card can be used with the reference designed water cooling blocks.

Stephen

 

[alpenwasser]

Alright, alpenwasser.. Lol since your the only one following my build. Heres an update.

Well judging from the views the thread has gotten, there are quite a few more people following, I'm just more talkative (or writative? probably not a real word) :lol:. On every forum I've been there are generally a lot more lurkers than followers (nothing against lurkers, I'm one of them on other forums).

I still need to get a few more things, I just ran out of money.

Don't I know that story

I wanted to get some compression fittings, but those damn things add up, I just can't afford them. I saved like $100 without them.

Compression fittings and fans are both very sneaky in that regard. Cheap on their own, but once you start buying enough for an entire project your wallet will scream and squirm in agony :whipping: