mITX Watercooled (280mm+240mm rad)

[Korreborg]

Hey Guys

I initially just thought that I would make a Gallery thread when the build was done, but it’s become more than just a normal build, and over time I might do some mods, so I have decided to make a project log I’m actually quite a long way in the build, so I will make a lot of updates to start with, as most of the things is already done, so I will try to make the updates as I remember the project has been moving along It’s not a massive project, and I’m new at modding, so the quality might not be top notch, but I will give it my best go
My current build will be moved to a new case and custom watercooled. The parts have been acquired over the past 3-4 years. My builds are always under continuous upgrading



My current build (I might take a lot of pictures and add it to the gallery when I tear it apart )
Corsair 250D
Intel i7-4790k
Asus Z87I-Pro mITX
Kingston HyperX 16GB 2400MHz
EVGA 1080ti FE
Corsair AX860i
Corsair H100i v 2x ML120PRO
Samsung 850 PRO 128GB
Crusial MX100 512GB
WD 2TB Green

The MB does not really fit the color theme, but the finance isn’t there to both watercool and upgrade the system, it will have to wait. I might do a mATX mod in the future, as the number of ITX boards isn’t that great.
The initial plan was to watercool my PC in the current case. It has room for a slim 240mm rad and a 140mm rad, so I had already ordered a ML140PRO for the front radiator.

I ran through a million thoughts and decided that I wanted at least 2x 240mm rads, as I’m all for silence. I considered the Fractal Nano S, but it has strict limitations on MB and ram size, so my MB will not fit. The NZXT Manta is too big, and I’m not a fan of the curved exterior. Next up where the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX. After vacuuming the internet for pictures of the Evolv ITX with watercooling, and disusing with a friend weather or not there will be room for both a EK CE280 and a SE240 in the case, I convinced myself, that with a bit of light modding, I should be doable, so I went on and ordered the case and the 2 rads, to take a closer look, and decide the way forward.

 

[Korreborg]

So, I received my new stuff, and installed the rads, and did A LOT of measuring.

The front rad needs to be lowered to make room for the fans.

And the fans aren’t the only problem. The fittings are going to be a problem. Even with a lowered radiator, the distance to the fans on the top rad is a couple of mm short :-/

Luckily, I found a picture online, were I saw that is possible to remove the G1/4” extenders on the front rad, so there should be enough room
I need to remove this front mounting bracket to move the front radiator down.

 

[Korreborg]

After a lot of thinking I settled on parts for the system. I’m a huge fan of the EK look of rads and blocks, but I don’t like their pump and res look. So, I picked me a Watercool Tupe Res, and a Aquacomputer pump, as I also ordered a Aquaero 6LT. For fittings, I picked a blend of EK and Bitspower. In a blend of looks/size/price reasons. As the res will be placed hanging over the GFX, the in/out on the GFX has to be in the bottom = not a lot of room. The Bitspower 90 bends is smaller than the EK, but the EK compression fittings is smaller than the Bitspower, so I’m using a blend. And the drain system is EK due to price. I picked up 1 EK 90 fitting, to look at quality.

And by magic, it arrived.

Barbed Bitspower fittings, again due to look. And Bitspower premium plugs for the GFX as its going to be visible, and the EK stop plugs look like crap.





I wanted to control the fanspeed by water temp, so I went for the Aquero.
I love fitteling with that kind of software.

 

[Korreborg]

With the new parts, new problems rose. Mounting the res like the problem is not an option, the anti-vibration mounts made the whole thing move a lot around. And I needed to move the drain system to the bottom of the case due to uneven weight. This mean that I needed 2 compression fittings extra, I ordered that along with a PWM splitter, a new mouse pad and a Lego Porsche 911

It was also clear that I needed to remove the front top 140mm mount, to be able to slide the 280mm rad/fans/res in place.


I believe it’s going to look quite okay


I searched the web for 140/280mm mounting brackets, but nothing fits my need, so I’m having one made.

 

[Korreborg]

Looking closer the change in drain system has made a few bends too narrow, so I needed some extra 90 fittings. By pure luck, a friend had some laying around


I also flushed the rads with warm water, and then with demi water.

 

[Korreborg]

Well time for “modding”, maybe modding is a big word. It’s more small adjustments.
Top bracket removed


Bottom bracket removed


The rad fits


The holes on the front 240mm rad had to be made bigger to make room for the fittings, but I think it’s going to work perfect


Also made a small mod in the top in both sides, to make the mounting of the top rad easier.


And yes, it need some brush-up paint, and removal of glue from the masking tape.

 

[Korreborg]

For liquid, I have ordered Mayhems X1 - UV Green

And a Cablemod hybrid LED kit + an extra hybrid strip. Don’t actual know how I will find room for the strips, but we will just have to wait and see.

I have also ordered Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut for the GPU and a CPU delid. Haven’t decided if I’ll also use it between IHS and waterblock.

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I think it was that for now. Everything up until this point have been going on for the past 2-3 weeks. I’ll test fit the system on Friday or Sunday, but I’m still waiting for the liquid, and I need the mounting bracket for the res. But i'm getting quite impatient to get it done

 

[AlienALX]

Looks fantastic so far but god I hated that case. I absolutely hated it.

It was quite big for what it was (small for the time it released though) but it was awkward and hard to fit a decent WC rig into. It wasted space, is what I mean.

Looking forward to what you make of it though dude

 

[Bartacus]

Holy crap dude, that is a lot of stuff in an awfully small space! Reminds me of the time I tried to do an ITX build, and hated every bloody second of it.

 

[Korreborg]

Looks fantastic so far but god I hated that case. I absolutely hated it.

It was quite big for what it was (small for the time it released though) but it was awkward and hard to fit a decent WC rig into. It wasted space, is what I mean.

Looking forward to what you make of it though dude

The 250D or the Evolv ITX?

I really liked the 250D to begin with, now not so much
The Evolv ITX and mATX on the other hand. I love them, but i would like to go smaller.
But building in the current case, i dont think its possible. Its pretty much on its limits

 

[Korreborg]

Holy crap dude, that is a lot of stuff in an awfully small space! Reminds me of the time I tried to do an ITX build, and hated every bloody second of it.

It hate the building. I'm a big man with big hands. Not a good ITX combo But i'm often going to a bodys farm for gaming weekends, and a couple of LANs a year, so i got tired of Full ATX, and i'm not going back to SLI, so i just think cases look empty.

 

[Korreborg]

Well test fitted the system today/moved it entirely.
Positive side, the RAM fits. Not by much, but it fits Its hard to see, but there is 1mm or something. 1mm is a lot in the ITX world


Next problem, HDD/SSD/Aquaero mounting + the cable mess :mellow:


Also tested the look of the Bitspower plugs




And i chickend out on my delid Havend decided what to do. Just don't, or get a tool.
Hopefully the RES bracket can be done sometime next week, and then it's building time

 

[Korreborg]

Well the project is at a halt. The RES bracket is delayed due to vacation of the guy who is making the metal pieces.
And to save shipping cost, the Mayhems coolant was shipped to a friend in Norwich, but the clown haven't shipped it to DK yet

But the Cablemod Hybrid kit have arrived It looks a 100times better IRL, but the S7 camera can't pick it up.

 

[AlienALX]

Sorry for the belated reply. Yes, I mean the 250D. It just seemed to waste so much space, and if you tried to get water cooling into it it just fought you all the way. Obviously it needs modding, but a case that size should be ready IMO. Mind you, it's not exactly like it launched last week, and it looks a million times better than the Prodigy.

 

[Korreborg]

Looked at a ton of 250D watercooled pictures, and i decided It was not worth it.

Actually, i also just bought 2 Samsung 850 evo's 250Gb of a guy at a discount.
Going in raid 0 just to get a 500gb game disk. Then my current 500Gb MX100 goes as storage, and my 2TB Green goes to an old Synology.

I have had a old i3 3225 running a XPEnology server for the last many years.
My best friend had a really old PC running HTPC, and his younger brother had a i5-3570 gamer rig. They both died within 14 days, so a couple of weeks ago we looked into it.
The HTPC was just the HDD, the brothers where the MB.

We have build a Ryzen 1600/GTX 1060 for his brother, and decided to build a server together. My server + the i5-3570 have been build into a server case, then installed Unraid. A lot of moving data around to get the data of my SHR raid, and added a 10TB disk to use as parity. We are waiting on a HBA card from china, to have 8 extra sata ports, as we are limited to 6 on the current MB.
Then his old 2-bay synology goes to may place, so i have some local storage, and to backup important data from the server.

And i'm receiving parts tomorrow to build a 1500x build for the in-laws So even though my gaming rig is at a stand still, i'm still having fun building

 

[Korreborg]

Well an update is WAAAAAY overdue on this one.

The build went very well, and it looked awesome. Was very happy with the looks, but it couldn't keep the temps down without going mental with the fans.

Tried different fan directions, and without the side window, but wasn't happy with the sound level. Working on a finished loop is not a fun job, especially doing it by yourself. Needed a third hand once and a while (And it was a cable nightmare)

As mentioned, really liked the looks. But ended up buying a Meshify C, and then the ITX MB started to irritate me.
So i will make a new thread about my i9 adventure

 

[AlienALX]

Pics don't work dude.

 

[Bartacus]

Pics don't work dude.

This x2!

 

[Dawelio]

Pics don't work dude.

This x2!

^ This x 3!

 

[Korreborg]

Omg a nightmare. They should be working now.
I needed to add "-tmp.jpg" to the photos. They showed up fine in my chrome browser, but not in edge.