Fitting issue (RAM, Case, CPU Cooler, Motherboard)

[soyo]

Hey guys. I'm looking for some info about no clearance problem with the following configuration:

- Fractal Design R3 Case
- ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3
- Thermalright Macho HR-02
- G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage

Will there be some clearance issues, like RAM not having enough space under Thermalright Macho, or Thermalright Macho not fitting into Fractal Design R3 case?

I would appriciate some info about it.

cheers
Lucas

 

[grumperfish]

I just measured my Thermalright HR-02 (original version) and it extends approx. 7 3/4" from the opposite case side with fan and motherboard included.

You shouldn't have any clearance issues with the RAM. Mine fit under the HR-02 with a 38mm fan strapped on (note: I used zipties rather than the clips). You'll probably need to install the RAM before installing the Macho or attaching the fan depending on your mounting orientation.

If you haven't bought the parts yet, I'd suggest going with 2x kits of these instead:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

The low voltage models won't add anything to performance, and 9-9-9-24 at 1600mhz is more than fast enough for Sandybridge chips. Plus the 1.5V version's on sale (right now, this could change very soon).

 

[soyo]

I just measured my Thermalright HR-02 (original version) and it extends approx. 7 3/4" from the opposite case side with fan and motherboard included.

You shouldn't have any clearance issues with the RAM. Mine fit under the HR-02 with a 38mm fan strapped on (note: I used zipties rather than the clips). You'll probably need to install the RAM before installing the Macho or attaching the fan depending on your mounting orientation.

Awsome!

However, first time hearing about zipties. You mean something like this?
http://www.overclock.net/air-cooling/715128-how-use-zip-ties-fan-clips.html

And where did you put your zipties? Would it be possible for you to take couple pictures of it, so I can see how you did it so I can replicate it?

If you haven't bought the parts yet, I'd suggest going with 2x kits of these instead:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

The low voltage models won't add anything to performance, and 9-9-9-24 at 1600mhz is more than fast enough for Sandybridge chips. Plus the 1.5V version's on sale (right now, this could change very soon).

Seems deal is over, I will be looking around though. Thanks for the suggestion!

cheers

 

[grumperfish]

Awsome!

However, first time hearing about zipties. You mean something like this?
http://www.overclock.net/air-cooling/715128-how-use-zip-ties-fan-clips.html

And where did you put your zipties? Would it be possible for you to take couple pictures of it, so I can see how you did it so I can replicate it?


Seems deal is over, I will be looking around though. Thanks for the suggestion!

cheers

I've attached 4 of them in series around the fan and cooler. It looks kinda messy to be honest, you're better off using the clips with the Macho.

 

[soyo]

I've attached 4 of them in series around the fan and cooler. It looks kinda messy to be honest, you're better off using the clips with the Macho.

Well I hope they won't be stuck in a way

 

[soyo]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...45&cm_sp=Cat_Memory-_-Daily_Deal-_-20-145-345

Worth the hassle guys?

 

[grumperfish]

Not really. The G-Skills will perform the same and they won't interfere with heatsink clearance.

The Vengeance heatspreaders WILL interfere with an HR-02/Macho. Found that out the hard way.

 

[soyo]

Thanks a lot!

 

[soyo]

This post is kinda a thank you post to all the people who helped me over the web on many forums(including this one) to mount the machine that will idealy match my requirenments, that I hope will serve me for 5+ years(I'm not a serious gamer). Before that I knew very little about hardware, what to get, which companies to look into for certain components, but thanks to all of you I could put together great PC with as little money as possible(considering).

Also, couple people asked me some time ago, to do some pictures when I'm done with my setup, I thought it was kinda cool and to be honest I liked to do pictures of my progress , and so I did.

Anyways, as I'm not a welthy guy I had to spread the mounting of my PC over many months. I started back in October, it took hell lot of a time on research, ordering and then putting this all together, but now I can safely say I'm done

The case is very queit considering it has air cooling, and 5 fans inside the case + CPU cooling + graphic card cooling and PSU! I can easily set the fans to 30% with SpeedFan in Windows(the lowest speed possible), and still the temps are great + keep things quiet!

That is what I was looking for and I'm glad it's just that.

So again, big thanks to everybody who spend some time in helping me out with some advices and suggestions. I appriciate any post you guys made!


Whole setup:

Fractal Design R3 Black Pearl (USB3.0 port PAnel edition)
AsRock Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard
Intel i5-2500k CPU + Thermalright Chill Factor III Compound
Thermalright HR-02 MAcho CPU Cooling on ZipTies
4x4GB G.Skill Ripjaws Low Voltage
XFX 550W PSU
Gigabyte GTX 460 OC
Asus Xonar D1 Sound Card
Samsung SSD 830 128GB - System
Seagate 500GB - Inside Storage
Unitek USB3.0 PCI-E Card with 2 external USB3.0 Ports, 1 Internal USB3.0 Port(for Fractal Front Panel's USB3.0 Port) and 1 Molex connector for stable power input
TpLink TL-WN781ND PCI-E + Connectify Software (Access Point for smartfone & Notebooks)
Piooner 212 SATA DVD Reader/Writer
3 Intaking fans: AC 120mm PWM Front1, Fractal 120mm Front2 and Thermalright TR-TY140 140mm PWM Bottom
2 Exhausting fans: Fractal 120mm Rear, Thermalright TR-TY140 140mm PWM Top

External:
24" Iiyama ProLite E2409HDS + 19" Iiyama ProLite E1900S
Thermaltake Black X Duet 5G - USB3.0 Dual docking station for two 2TB Seagate Green external Storage
Logitech k800 Illuminated keyboard
Logitech Performance MX Mouse
Corsair Flash Voyager USB3.0 32GB (wouldn't be a point of having usb3.0 card without it )

And this is how it looked over those months:

First shipment

Second shipment

Third Shipment

Fourth, Fifth and Sixth shipments

Final Setup

 

[ehume]

Excellent choices. Great looking rig.

. . . except for the RAM. Like you, I used to buy G.Skill Ripjaws. No more. Next time get low profile stuff. G.Skill makes great low profile RAM. You have low Voltage RAM. It doesn't need the high heatsink. You might even get by with no heatsinks on the RAM. Lucky for you the cpu heatsink you chose gives you clearance. But maybe you designed it that way. If so, bravo.

What I really appreciate is your choice of case fan. The TY-140 is the best 140mm fan. Some time you may wish to move the top TY-140 forward, and make it an intake. You can even set it up so it gets its pwm control from the cpu fan header. Then the top fan will idle when the system is idle, and spin up when the system loads up. Actually, Akasa makes a pair of pwm harnesses that allow you to hook up three or five pwm fans so they all get their power from the psu via Molex, and their control signal from the motherboard. Those TY-140's really work sweetly like that.

 

[soyo]

Lucky for you the cpu heatsink you chose gives you clearance.

Actually it doesn't

The cpu heatsink does not give clearence, but I already knew that before I decided to buy this cooling. As you see I used zip ties, and not without a reason. Without it, the metal brackets to gold the fan block the first memory bank. If I used zip ties over the front bottom hole that wouldn't work either. But through the bottom back hole it worked briliantly.

If so, bravo.

What I really appreciate is your choice of case fan. The TY-140 is the best 140mm fan. Some time you may wish to move the top TY-140 forward, and make it an intake.

4 fans intaking and just 1 exhausting. Is that a good idea?

You can even set it up so it gets its pwm control from the cpu fan header. Then the top fan will idle when the system is idle, and spin up when the system loads up.

I have something to that degree. I have CPU fan connected with the Fractal 120mm intaking fan, and 120mm outtaking fan thanks to a nice feature of this motherboard. Even though those 2 fans are not PWM, I can connect them with one connector that motherboards controlls through the voltage, and it connects it with the speed of CPU PWM connector. So depending on the CPU load those 2 fans will act accordingly.

Actually, Akasa makes a pair of pwm harnesses that allow you to hook up three or five pwm fans so they all get their power from the psu via Molex, and their control signal from the motherboard. Those TY-140's really work sweetly like that.

Got you covered

I have a set of akasa PWM splitter, another PWM splitter from my AC fan, and a Akasa extention as one cable wasn't long enough. So I have the bottom intaking Thermalright fan, the top exhausing thermalright fan, and the intaking AC fan controlled with the single pwm connector so when there is a need and the temp in the case would rise, it gets the extra incoming air, and extra exhaustion.

ps. Thanks a lot man for encouraging words!

 

[grumperfish]

Nice work! Pics look great. How's it running?

 

[soyo]

Nice work! Pics look great.

Thanks a lot man, and thanks a lot for letting me know there will be no clearance problem with cpu cooling and the case!

How's it running?

Should I even say anything?

It works like magic.

To be honest, when I put the first basic set of this setup, so the case, motherboard, cpu, ram, and parts of my old PC(graphics, hard drives, and so on) I took couple deep breaths as dozens of things could go wrong, not to mention it was first time I was putting things together myself. Bbut it worked from the spot

Works great. Very quiet, which was my priority, and also keeps incredibly cool even when all fans are set to 30%.

If nothing will get broken I expect this pc to serve me for many years to come

 

[Diggrr]

Zoiks Scoob, he's got a truck radiator in there!

Hope you like your new toys!

 

[ehume]

Missed those ziptie screws. They look fine.

You clearly have the pwm idea down.

Personally, I like a totally empty rear position. No grill, no fan. I also removed what I call the rear slot pillars -- the sheet metal between the backplane shots. Like this:

I recommend this tool, for cutting sheet metal.

 

[grumperfish]

Thanks a lot man, and thanks a lot for letting me know there will be no clearance problem with cpu cooling and the case!


Should I even say anything?

It works like magic.

To be honest, when I put the first basic set of this setup, so the case, motherboard, cpu, ram, and parts of my old PC(graphics, hard drives, and so on) I took couple deep breaths as dozens of things could go wrong, not to mention it was first time I was putting things together myself. Bbut it worked from the spot

Works great. Very quiet, which was my priority, and also keeps incredibly cool even when all fans are set to 30%.

If nothing will get broken I expect this pc to serve me for many years to come

I'm sure it will rock for quite awhile, especially with some overclocking in the mix

Quiet-running was one of the key things I was looking for when I did this last PC rebuild. I love the HR-02 coolers. Absolutely brilliant for high-performance cooling at a low noise level. They don't really excel with fast fans, compared to say a Silver Arrow or Noctua, but that's hardly the point. I run a single 38mm fan on mine at 7V, and I couldn't be happier with the (lack of) noise.

 

[soyo]

Hope you like your new toys!

Honestly? I have to say I'm pretty proud of the config I could gather. Once you ask many people on the web, and get all the right information, it takes time, but at least after you're done you have this satisfaction of gathering best components available out there. Feels great

You clearly have the pwm idea down.

Personally, I like a totally empty rear position. No grill, no fan. I also removed what I call the rear slot pillars -- the sheet metal between the backplane shots. Like this:

Awsome look!

I recommend this tool, for cutting sheet metal.

Thanks a lot. I will look into it sometime in the future.

I'm sure it will rock for quite awhile, especially with some overclocking in the mix

Hehe, I'm sure

So far I don't see a need to overclock it, and I'm not a person who kinda feels an urge to do it. But truth to be told, it would be a shame to not try and OC this config. Definetly I will try it someway down the line and once I do, you guys will be first ones that I will nag about how to do it and where to start

Quiet-running was one of the key things I was looking for when I did this last PC rebuild. I love the HR-02 coolers. Absolutely brilliant for high-performance cooling at a low noise level. They don't really excel with fast fans, compared to say a Silver Arrow or Noctua, but that's hardly the point. I run a single 38mm fan on mine at 7V, and I couldn't be happier with the (lack of) noise.

Indeed, they are great, and I'm very happy with mine. It is MASSIVE, but worth it. Great cooling for great performance. That is what people told me and I'm glad I listened!

As for the noise level, it's great too. It's obviously ain't silent. After all it's air cooling, and there IS NINE fans in total inside the case, but considering that it's more quiet than my older PC Case that had just 5 fans, and mostly very small ones

You can hear it, but you really have to focus your ears on the noise coming from the PC case to hear it. Otherwise you might not even notice PC is running.

I add to it, a Logitech K800 keyboard which is very quiet and delight to type on, and I have a good set of work tools that serve me most of the day