New Build in planning - water cooled + overclocked dual loop + case mods!

[Monkey8EA5T]

Hi all,

I've been building PCs for a couple of decades now, but have never done a custom water cooled set up. I'm planning on building a dual loop, hard-lined setup, into a modified Thermaltake Core X71 case! Well that's the plan! I''ve set up a GoFundMe page to hopefully get some funds towards it, but any advice or tips are welcome! I want to try to get the most "bang-for-my-buck" that I can, but all for as little as I can. My main limiting factor is the amount of money available; hence the GoFundMe page!

I'm posting in this folder, as what I've got planned covers multiple areas. Apologies if it's in the wrong area!

After a bit of research, I've decided to go for PETG hardline tubing, as I understand it's easier to work with than acrylic. I've looked about and spoken with a few people so going for EK water blocks kit where I can. The X71 has loads of room for Rads, so I might have to play around with alternative radiators, as the EK ones might be a little small in there!

I'm plannning on modifying the Thermaltake X71 case as there are a few things I don't like. Firstly, the colour; it's only available in Black, and I sort of want to go for a white/blue/black colour scheme, so I'm thinking of stripping it down and painting it. Whilst I'm doing that, it has a number of grommets on the back for "backpack" radiators, which I don't like. I'm actually toying with the idea of plating the holes, and welding (yes, welding!) them up!

I'm also looking at running dual video cards in SLI; specifically dual EVGA GTX 1080 Ti Founders Editions.

Below is a rough idea of the basic hardware in the PC. I'm reusing some bits from my old system (hard-drives mainly). This list is of course subject to change!

- Intel Pentium Core i7 6850k Processor
- Asus X99 Deluxe II Motherboard
- 16GB Corsair DDR4 RAM
- Crucial 525GB M.2 SSD
- 2 x EVGA GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition Graphics Cards
- Thermaltake Core X71 Full Tower Case
- Corsair HX750i PSU

Thanks all, and please be kind!

MB

 

[trents]

What will the system be used for? If is a gaming rig as opposed to a rendering workstation then you could save some money and go with a 7700k CPU and socket 1151 motherboard.

Are you going with a 4k monitor or monitors? You don't mention displays. Wondering why two 1080Ti video cards?

 

[Monkey8EA5T]

Yeah, it'll be mostly used for gaming. I also want to build something that will have a decent life in it. I also use some CAD software, but I know gaming graphics cards aren't ideal for CAD, but will suffice. Although I don't have 4k now, I will in the future. Again, it's about trying to get longevity in the life of the parts I choose. My current rig is a 3 year old i5, and was obsolete practically as soon as I bought it (unplanned purchase when my previous motherboard failed, and I needed something to replace it quickly!). My current processor and motherboard have proven to be a bottle neck with Occulus rift; one of the reasons for the upgrade. Plus the overkill potential on the hardware side is always appealing. Ideally, i want to spend as much as I can now (within reason), so that the parts last at least 5 years before I have to think about major upgrades again.

You mentioned about socket 1151. This is something I was considering. My theorising was that LGA 2011-v3, although a little older in the tooth, might be a bit more stable. Of course, now I think about it, it could mean that it is not necessarily going to be around for much longer, so upgrade-ability in the future might be limited... Hmmm... definitely something to think about.

 

[trents]

Help me understand the GoFundMe thing. What is the need here? Seems like some pretty lofty expectations for a charity build. It's a rig that seems way beyond what someone would need to go to school or get a job.

 

[Nebulous]

Um.......I dunno what to say here....

 

[Monkey8EA5T]

GoFundMe was chosen as it's a good way for friends and family to put money forward for something tangible. It's being done not for work or school, but because I want to. No other reason.
Yes it's a lot of money. Yes there are other ways of doing it, but I chose that way.

So much for my "be kind" comment...

 

[trents]

I was attempting to probe that issue in a kind way. That's why I employed the phraseology, "Help me understand." It was not an accusation or even necessarily an insinuation. I was only hoping to open your eyes to the possibility that your expectations might not be in line with reality and that maybe you should set your goals a little lower. Perhaps you have family and friends who struggle to come up with ideas for gifts and that is a creative way of helping them, especially those who might be tech aware and cannot relate to your project.