Spring build...

[Scu84St3v3420]

Hi guys,

So I am planning on a custom loop for tax season this year. Will be cooling both CPU and GPU, all my gear is listed in my sig with the exception of the fact that I will be switching cases to the Fractal Design Define S2 (Blackout). I know there are some obvious things missing from my list like 90 degree adapters that I will most likely need and thermal pads for the GPU. I know the setup I'm choosing is probably overkill, though that is kinda the plan. Also I know I'm choosing an expensive route to go about this, this is tax returns and thusly the money means nothing to my day to day life. So if there are any suggestions of additions please let me here them.

Here is my planned equipment, input is always appreciated...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Thermal Compound: Thermal Grizzly - Hydronaut 3.9 g Thermal Paste ($14.29 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design - Define S2 Black – TG ATX Mid Tower Case ($152.98 @ Newegg)
Other: CableMod WideBeam Magnetic Hybrid LED Kit - 30cm ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Other: CableMod WideBeam Magnetic Hybrid LED Kit - 30cm ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Other: Thermaltake Pacific Temperature Sensor G 1/4 Digital Display with Alarm CL-W151-CU00BL-A ($39.98 @ Amazon)
Other: Thermaltake Pacific Temperature Sensor G 1/4 Digital Display with Alarm CL-W151-CU00BL-A ($39.98 @ Amazon)
Other: uxcell Computer PC Case M3x7mm Aluminum Alloy Knurled Thumb Screws Green 10pcs ($10.55 @ Amazon)
Other: EK-XRES 140 Revo D5 RGB PWM (incl. sl. pump) ($219.58)
Other: EK-FC1080 GTX Strix - Nickel ($192.75)
Other: EK-FC1080 GTX Strix Backplate - Black ($52.45)
Other: EK-HD Tube 10/12mm 500mm (2 pcs) ($29.24)
Other: EK-ATX Bridging Plug (24 pin) ($3.04)
Other: EK-HD Tube D.I.Y. Kit 10&12mm ($24.38)
Other: EK-Velocity RGB - AMD Nickel + Plexi ($121.99)
Other: EK-CryoFuel Solid Electric Purple (Conc. 250mL) (x4) ($73.15)
Other: EK-Vardar EVO 120ER RGB (500-2200 rpm) (x6) ($182.93)
Other: EK-HDC Fitting 12mm G1/4 - Green (x10) ($97.48)
Other: EK-CoolStream XE 360 (Triple) (x2) ($268.38)
Other: EK-Cable Y-Splitter 3-Fan PWM (10cm) (x2) ($9.73)
Other: EK-AF Ball Valve (10mm) G1/4 - Black ($20.73)
Other: EK-HD Tube Reamer ($14.62)
Other: Filling Bottle (1000mL) ($9.75)
Total: $1647.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-13 13:31 EST-0500

It should be a fun spring time project.

 

[Zerileous]

nice rig! I'm pretty new to this (planning my first setup myself), but I think you can do better than EK for slim rads. AlphaCool and Hardware Labs Black Ice were both highly recommended and supported by my research. Also I don't know that the S2 will support a 480, at least not without modification. Here is a nice detailed watercooling oriented review of the case.

 

[maxfly]

yep(could just be a typo.), according to the specs it will accomodate a 360 in front and a 420 on top. both rads being the largest you can fit for each location. thickness plus fans may be an issue. the top is offset so it will accommodate a thick rad(50-60mm) but it will make it look like it covers a good portion of the mb. when will manufacturers learn to leave a couple of inches at the top for rads! the front looks gtg with any thickness. ek actually makes really good rads but like most it depends on the specific rad and the application. some of them are excellent and others are just meh.
i would go with a 280 or ideally a 360mm in front and a 420 up top(may as well maximize capacity).
front 280mm- i would go with something with really low fpi to help airflow. something like the hwlabs sr2 or alphacool xt45/60. 360mm same suggestions. the added 120mm fan with the 360 will help airflow but not by a lot due to it being in front of the psu shroud. the front of the define s2 doesnt allow very good airflow(none of the solid front cases do). to overcome that you want a rad that will allow as much airflow as possible. that way you will be able to run your fans at low speeds and still get solid cooling.
for the top i would go with an ek ce or se 420, hwlabs gtx or alphacool xt45/60. the idea being that your recycled air is going to be cooling it so you want the best of the best rad here. the ce is top notch @ 420mm but a little on the thick side @45mm. the se is 28mm and is still a solid choice but i would go with the ce for the added cooling capacity.
theres a new pump called the d5 next that has temp display along with a ton of other features. you may like that vs the thermaltake temp displays. our man Jack thinks highly of it. altho actually finding one may be a challenge.
https://www.aquatuning.us/water-coo...MI8I7MhbrP3gIVh-NkCh2bqwcdEAYYASABEgK_JPD_BwE
you would need a different res to go with it as well.

haha wall o text...

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

Great feedback, highly appreciated. I am reconsidering doing a 360mm up front, however from what I can tell of the Define S2 that means I will be forced down from the 420mm up top to another 360mm... Which is fine and will great better overall airflow. Thickness of Rads is something I definitely considered and still keep going back and forth on weather or not I want to go thicker or not. I prefer the 2 Thermaltake sensors, purely because I can monitor the temp in two locations throughout the loop with ease. Again I really appreciate the information, I don't know much about custom loop cooling solutions, so this is definitely a learning process for me and something I will be doing more research on throughout the winter.

 

[Zerileous]

Performance to thickness is not linear, so a 60mm rad does not have the same cooling capacity of 2x30mm rads located in different parts of the case. However a thicker rad could definitely help offset the loss of the 120.4 (480) in your desired cooling capacity. Also take a look at fpi or fins per inch. 10 or under is what you want if you want to run low fan speeds. Here it looks like you can do both a 420 on top and a 360 in front. These are both 60mm I believe. At first it looked to me like there was no way to put fans, but then I noticed they do have the white fans in front of the rad so it all fits (barely). I would be concerned with clearance (esp ram) as the top radiator does overlap the motherboard significantly, however he appears to be using trident in the video without problems.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

Performance to thickness is not linear, so a 60mm rad does not have the same cooling capacity of 2x30mm rads located in different parts of the case. However a thicker rad could definitely help offset the loss of the 120.4 (480) in your desired cooling capacity. Also take a look at fpi or fins per inch. 10 or under is what you want if you want to run low fan speeds. Here it looks like you can do both a 420 on top and a 360 in front. These are both 60mm I believe. At first it looked to me like there was no way to put fans, but then I noticed they do have the white fans in front of the rad so it all fits (barely). I would be concerned with clearance (esp ram) as the top radiator does overlap the motherboard significantly, however he appears to be using trident in the video without problems.

I saw that video earlier in the day, he says he has 2x 260mm rads and that is how tight the fit is. Thus I've already decided 2x 360mm rads is a better solution and will create better air balance inside the case during operation. Also quite operation is a part of my goals, thus the thicker XE rads will be selected for the lower FPI count. Thanks again for the input man, it helps.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

https://www.swiftech.com/maelstrom-d5.aspx?list-product=396779&variation=741


Trying to find a shop online where I can purchase this.

 

[maxfly]

hmm, i cant find it anywhere either. it was OOS at amazon so they have to have started making them. there is a heatkiller res that looks alot like that one. the d5 one is oos tho.
http://www.performance-pcs.com/watercool-heatkillerr-tube-200.html
theres also monsoons customizable they are sweet looking but can get really expensive.
http://www.performance-pcs.com/monsoon-mmrs-fully-assembled-and-customizable-reservoir-style-5.html
ek also has a couple rgb res/d5 res i believe. yep but its only 140mm
https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xres-140-revo-d5-rgb-pwm-incl-sl-pump
thats all i can think of right now.

 

[GTXJackBauer]

I'd stick 120mm format rads otherwise you're playing with 140mm fans for rads which can be meh at best. 120mm rad fans are revered as some of the best in the business, just need to find which ones are top performers or you're looking for middle ground on a decent one with RGBs.

Regardless, BlackIce SR2s or Alphacools would be recommended. Going as high as 16 FPI on low speed fans is fine as well as I'm willing to take BlackIce's word for it. It's when you get to the 20-30 FPI range that you really need to start pushing things.

Just steer away from color fluids from anyone since that stuff can stain your stuff and clog your stuff up when the stuff starts to break down. Just grab RGB lighting and color tubing if you want some contrast to the build.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

Alright so I finalized the list I think and managed to come in under my $1800 Budget for this project. Some changed were made from my initial list, such as replacing the EK Rads with Black Ice SR2 360mm Rads (Thanks Jack for the suggestion) and replacing the EK Res/Pump with a Swiftech Maelstrom D5 X200 Res/Pump combo for examples.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Thermal Compound: Thermal Grizzly - Hydronaut 3.9 g Thermal Paste ($14.29 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design - Define S2 Blackout – TG ATX Mid Tower Case ($165.94 @ Newegg)
Other: XSPC PETG Easy Cut & Bend Toolkit ($17.59 @ Amazon)
Other: PORTER-CABLE PC1500HG 1500-Watt Heat Gun ($25.00 @ Amazon)
Other: EK Water Blocks EK-AF Ball Valve (10mm) G14 - Black ($21.99 @ Amazon)
Other: EK Water Blocks ek-af T-Splitter 3*F G1/4 ($13.99 @ Amazon)
Other: Thermaltake Pacific Temperature Sensor G 1/4 Digital Display with Alarm CL-W151-CU00BL-A ($39.98 @ Amazon)
Other: PrimoChill Liquid Filling Bottle - 1000mL ($9.99)
Other: EKWB EK-CSQ G1/4" Plug with EK Logo, Black, 4-pack ($24.99 @ Amazon)
Other: EKWB EK-AF G1/4" 90° Angled Fitting, Black, 4-pack ($40.99 @ Amazon)
Other: XSPC RGB Series 120mm Fan - PWM 800-2200RPM - 5V Addressable RGB (3 Pack) ($59.95 @ Amazon)
Other: XSPC RGB Series 120mm Fan - PWM 800-2200RPM - 5V Addressable RGB (3 Pack) ($59.95 @ Amazon)
Other: EKWB EK-HD PETG Tube, 10/12mm, 500mm, Clear, 8-pack ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Other: EKWB EK-AF G1/4" FillPort, Black ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Other: XSPC 8 Way 3 pin 5V Addressable RGB Splitter HUB - Black ($16.26 @ Amazon)
Other: Bitspower G1/4" Hexagon Flow Indicator ($37.99 @ Amazon)
Other: EKWB EK-Velocity CPU Waterblock, AMD CPU, Nickel/Plexi ($93.95 @ Amazon)
Other: EKWB EK-CryoFuel Solid Premix Coolant, 1000mL, Electric Purple ($27.99)
Other: EKWB EK-CryoFuel Solid Premix Coolant, 1000mL, Electric Purple ($27.99)
Other: EKWB EK-CryoFuel Solid Premix Coolant, 1000mL, Electric Purple ($27.99)
Other: EKWB EK-CryoFuel Solid Premix Coolant, 1000mL, Electric Purple ($27.99)
Other: EKWB EK-HDC Compression Fitting for EK Rigid Tubing, 12mm OD, Green, 4-Pack ($36.99 @ Amazon)
Other: EKWB EK-HDC Compression Fitting for EK Rigid Tubing, 12mm OD, Green, 4-Pack ($36.99 @ Amazon)
Other: EKWB EK-HDC Compression Fitting for EK Rigid Tubing, 12mm OD, Green, 4-Pack ($36.99 @ Amazon)
Other: Hardware Labs Black Ice SR2 Multiport Black Carbon Radiator - 360mm (x2) ($348.72)
Other: Swiftech Maelstrom D5 Reservoir Pump Combo - 200mm ($159.95)
Other: EK-FC1080 GTX Strix Backplate - Black ($52.44)
Other: EK-FC1080 GTX Strix - Nickel ($192.75)
Total: $1689.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-14 14:02 EST-0500

Some items I will buy between now and tax season, but most of it will be a bulk purchase this spring.

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Still got room for more or want to stay where you're at? If so, I'd venture in looking to see if you can go with the Corsair 120mm LL addressable RGB fans that come with the included RGB hub and you'll want to grab their newest Corsair Link Commander Pro to control fans, RGBs, add air and water temp probes, etc. I would recommend on this since they have a pretty big lineup of great RGB based products as you'll be able to sync it all together instead of buying different RGBs from different companies that can be proprietary to them only.

For a better understanding check these couple of videos below.





You could get rid of those water temp sensors and use something like these and add a flow meter + display like this to the loop so you can have both of best worlds, just verify your hard tubing is compatible with that flow meter. Those temp sensors I linked should be compatible with the Corsair Link.

If all the above isn't your thing, have a look at the all in one Aquacomputer D5 NEXT pump. It's basically a built in controller with a builtin temp sensor, flow and can control up to 25w worth of PWM fans all on that one single unit.



If you're still sticking with everything prior to this post, I'd probably recommend on sticking with the EK-PWM D5 res/pump combo and just buy an extra bigger Cylinder res of your liking based on the room of your case if you'd like.

Last but not least, try getting this stuff during Black Friday week/Cyber Monday for some deals.

Hope this helps.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

Still got room for more or want to stay where you're at? If so, I'd venture in looking to see if you can go with the Corsair 120mm LL addressable RGB fans that come with the included RGB hub and you'll want to grab their newest Corsair Link Commander Pro to control fans, RGBs, add air and water temp probes, etc. I would recommend on this since they have a pretty big lineup of great RGB based products as you'll be able to sync it all together instead of buying different RGBs from different companies that can be proprietary to them only.

For a better understanding check these couple of videos below.





You could get rid of those water temp sensors and use something like these and add a flow meter + display like this to the loop so you can have both of best worlds, just verify your hard tubing is compatible with that flow meter. Those temp sensors I linked should be compatible with the Corsair Link.

If all the above isn't your thing, have a look at the all in one Aquacomputer D5 NEXT pump. It's basically a built in controller with a builtin temp sensor, flow and can control up to 25w worth of PWM fans all on that one single unit.



If you're still sticking with everything prior to this post, I'd probably recommend on sticking with the EK-PWM D5 res/pump combo and just buy an extra bigger Cylinder res of your liking based on the room of your case if you'd like.

Last but not least, try getting this stuff during Black Friday week/Cyber Monday for some deals.

Hope this helps.

To the first part, I decided against heavy RGB for this upgrade, only the MB and RAM will be lit any color. I've already decided to go with plain black EKWB fans, instead of the ones listed. The rest of the theme for my build will rely color accenting via Case Mods and Coolant and will have a mixture of UV and True White LED lighting. You can see my full plan for my build here: https://www.overclockers.com/forums...Ryzen-Nvidia?p=8094676&viewfull=1#post8094676

To the second part:

I do like the idea, however my budget is tight as it is now with the changes I've made and the current listed solution is cheaper overall and still does the job.

To the third part:

I do like that a lot, though again RGB isn't the point of this build idea and also out of my budget range given a few changes made to the list (fans).

To you final point:

I think I am pretty set on my list aside for the unforeseen angled adapter. I am curious however, I've read many good reviews on the Swiftech Maelstrom D5 X200 Res/Pump Combo listed, but you recommend just stick with the EK-PWM D5 res/pump combo. Can I ask why? I compared both and they were roughly the same overall capacity, both meet my needs and both cost about the same give or take. So the X200 was made as an appearance choice at that point. And I wish I could, but this is going to be all purchased at tax season in the spring... I unfortunately have Christmas shopping for others to do

 

[GTXJackBauer]

To you final point:

I think I am pretty set on my list aside for the unforeseen angled adapter. I am curious however, I've read many good reviews on the Swiftech Maelstrom D5 X200 Res/Pump Combo listed, but you recommend just stick with the EK-PWM D5 res/pump combo. Can I ask why? I compared both and they were roughly the same overall capacity, both meet my needs and both cost about the same give or take. So the X200 was made as an appearance choice at that point. And I wish I could, but this is going to be all purchased at tax season in the spring... I unfortunately have Christmas shopping for others to do

You're fine with the Swiftech as well. Just thought maybe you didn't like the size of the cylinder with the EK as you can change it but if you're fine with what you're set, all is good. Keep us up to date when the time comes.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

You're fine with the Swiftech as well. Just thought maybe you didn't like the size of the cylinder with the EK as you can change it but if you're fine with what you're set, all is good. Keep us up to date when the time comes.

Cool man, thanks for the input! I was concerned I missed something negative about those Res/Pump Combos, as I really prefer the squared look over the cylinder. It just standout in a good way to me and isn't as common place as the cylinder reservoirs. I will be adding process to my build log that I linked when the time comes and perhaps a smaller strictly cooling based log in this forum.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

Well waiting until tax season is apparently just too much for me to handle, lmfao. I have decided I can get a head start between now and then by making purchases of around $300-$400 at a time each month. I came to this decision last night when I started thinking about the additional money I am going to be spending on case mods and tools for that on top of the cost of the loop. Also when I considered that I will most likely be replacing my MB and CPU when Zen 2 launches, it made shopping the sales as I can an easy choice. So I purchased (2) EK 360mm XE Rads and an EK Velocity AMD CPU Waterblock (non-RGB).

I know my original plan was to purchase the Black Ice SR2 rads, but I learned last night that I would have to jump through hoops with my bank to allow me to make the purchase on Performance-PCs and I am just not interested in dealing with that. The EK rads were decently priced on amazon and included free shipping, which saved me money anyways.

The next hurdle will be trying to find the needed EK GPU Waterblock without having to purchase directly from EKWB, as they cause me the same issues as trying to order from PPCS. I prefer the Waterblock option for my GPU from Phanteks, but it is unavailable everywhere I look and from any other retailer besides EKWB for that matter.

 

[GTXJackBauer]

At least give it a few days for the Black Friday sales to officially kick in just in case.

Also PPCS has 12% off for $50+ orders and they'll possibly continue it for Cyber Monday with either the same or maybe 15% off but can't recall what it was in the past if it's worth figuring out what's going on with your bank.

 

[maxfly]

thats tough, ppcs is the best place to buy ek gear right now. they have a free shipping over $99 deal going on as well as the 12% off.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

At least give it a few days for the Black Friday sales to officially kick in just in case.

Also PPCS has 12% off for $50+ orders and they'll possibly continue it for Cyber Monday with either the same or maybe 15% off but can't recall what it was in the past if it's worth figuring out what's going on with your bank.

View attachment 202266

I hear you there, amazon has already started their sales for black friday, which is where I made my first purchase, but I have about another $300 I can spend this month. But as I stated I tried ordering from PPCS last night and it declined my card, guaranteed my bank was like we don't recognize that site, so no go. Which means I'd have to jump through hoops with my bank to make it happen and I am purely uninterested in do such to save $30-$40 this month only. If I were bulk purchasing everything this month, then it would be worth it to me to deal with.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

I got a killer deal on my back plate for my GPU Block on amazon, like 1/2 priced... Ordering my GPU Block on Monday when I can deposit some cash and that will do it for November's spendable funds. Not to bad, will have covered 1/3 of the build for under $600... I am hoping the Res/Pump combo I am searching for will pop up next month.