- Joined
- Jun 13, 2003
- Location
- Lebanon, PA
At the urging of Earthdog, I'm going to be posting my build log about the Thermaltake Core X9 build I am in the process of.
Nothing fancy and pictures will follow after I clean up the wiring.
Some history. I'm not a computer "expert" and don't work in the computer field. However, like many of you, my hobby, passion, or as my wife of 41 yrs is prone to say "obsession" is computers and building them.
I delved into custom water cooling within the last 2 years and it fascinates me. I prefer function over form and admittedly have gotten obsessed from time to time with radiator capacity. I had been through a bevy of AIO coolers and before that air coolers. However, when custom water cooling is your fascination, look out.
My previous high end computer was a water cooled 3930k with the same 2 Sapphire Tri-X OC R9 290s water cooled with EK blocks. I was using a CM HAF 932 Advanced case which effectively limited my internal radiator capacity to a 360 rad at the top. You can "squeeze" another radiator in there especially if you mod the case but I decided to go external also. It first started with an EK EX360 mounted vertically to the rear but when the rad bug bit I found a new Watercool MO RA3-420 Pro and I leaped.
I was searching for a bigger case that would fit in my space below my built-in table (26") clearance and other than Caselabs and Mountain mod cases the mainline vendors were somewhat lacking. At the same time, I was ready to leap into the X99 chipset and decided I would put the $$$ into the mb/cpu and ram instead of a higher end case (my function over form mentality!)
Thermaltake "saved the day" by announcing their new Core series of cases with the "big daddy" being the Core X9. It measures 15" wide by 18.5" high (exclusive of feet) by 25.25" deep and most importantly can hold 3 (THREE) 480 rads. Best of all I snagged one at MicroCenter in Philly for @$170.00 tax included.
Needless to say, the quest for a new build was on. I already had a EK Coolstream 480 PE rad from another build so I had to decide what I was going to build and how many rads.
As mentioned above I decided to go EXTREME on cpu/ mb so I bought the 5960x/Asus ROG Rampage Extreme V mb/ Corsair DDR4-16g combo from Newegg.
I had cooled my 3930k with a Swiftech ApogeeHD cpu block and it performed well but decided to go with a new EK Supremacy EVO acetal/copper block as it received some of the best reviews recently as a cooler. My gpus ( 2 Sapphire Tri-X OC R9 290s in CF) were already custom watercooled by EK full acetal/copper blocks so they were going into the build. I re-used my Bay/Res, an XSPC Twin D5 model with 2 D5 Swiftech 655 variable speed pumps in series. For tubing I stayed with XSPC basic black 1/2" ID; 3/4" OD since I already had fittings. Most fittings are barb and clamp but there are a few compression fittings. To finish the rad system, I decided on a pair of new XSPC RX480 V3 rads. I previously had a RX360 rad in the 3930k build and though simple it was a cooling BRUTE.
Fans were an interesting question. There are "tons" of fans but one of the Cadillacs was (and if you can find them new still are) the Scythe Gentle Typhoons AP15 GT. They are 1820rpms max BUT excellent radiator fans with incredible stactic pressure from top to bottom of the rpm chain. I was lucky enough to snag a set of 10 used ones from one seller and 2 from another for a fair price (these fans are not cheap but when you own them you know why, double ball bearing and fairly quiet for the amount of static pressure)
Well enough for now. Got to get to work. I'll post more later about the build.
Thanks for listening.
Nothing fancy and pictures will follow after I clean up the wiring.
Some history. I'm not a computer "expert" and don't work in the computer field. However, like many of you, my hobby, passion, or as my wife of 41 yrs is prone to say "obsession" is computers and building them.
I delved into custom water cooling within the last 2 years and it fascinates me. I prefer function over form and admittedly have gotten obsessed from time to time with radiator capacity. I had been through a bevy of AIO coolers and before that air coolers. However, when custom water cooling is your fascination, look out.
My previous high end computer was a water cooled 3930k with the same 2 Sapphire Tri-X OC R9 290s water cooled with EK blocks. I was using a CM HAF 932 Advanced case which effectively limited my internal radiator capacity to a 360 rad at the top. You can "squeeze" another radiator in there especially if you mod the case but I decided to go external also. It first started with an EK EX360 mounted vertically to the rear but when the rad bug bit I found a new Watercool MO RA3-420 Pro and I leaped.
I was searching for a bigger case that would fit in my space below my built-in table (26") clearance and other than Caselabs and Mountain mod cases the mainline vendors were somewhat lacking. At the same time, I was ready to leap into the X99 chipset and decided I would put the $$$ into the mb/cpu and ram instead of a higher end case (my function over form mentality!)
Thermaltake "saved the day" by announcing their new Core series of cases with the "big daddy" being the Core X9. It measures 15" wide by 18.5" high (exclusive of feet) by 25.25" deep and most importantly can hold 3 (THREE) 480 rads. Best of all I snagged one at MicroCenter in Philly for @$170.00 tax included.
Needless to say, the quest for a new build was on. I already had a EK Coolstream 480 PE rad from another build so I had to decide what I was going to build and how many rads.
As mentioned above I decided to go EXTREME on cpu/ mb so I bought the 5960x/Asus ROG Rampage Extreme V mb/ Corsair DDR4-16g combo from Newegg.
I had cooled my 3930k with a Swiftech ApogeeHD cpu block and it performed well but decided to go with a new EK Supremacy EVO acetal/copper block as it received some of the best reviews recently as a cooler. My gpus ( 2 Sapphire Tri-X OC R9 290s in CF) were already custom watercooled by EK full acetal/copper blocks so they were going into the build. I re-used my Bay/Res, an XSPC Twin D5 model with 2 D5 Swiftech 655 variable speed pumps in series. For tubing I stayed with XSPC basic black 1/2" ID; 3/4" OD since I already had fittings. Most fittings are barb and clamp but there are a few compression fittings. To finish the rad system, I decided on a pair of new XSPC RX480 V3 rads. I previously had a RX360 rad in the 3930k build and though simple it was a cooling BRUTE.
Fans were an interesting question. There are "tons" of fans but one of the Cadillacs was (and if you can find them new still are) the Scythe Gentle Typhoons AP15 GT. They are 1820rpms max BUT excellent radiator fans with incredible stactic pressure from top to bottom of the rpm chain. I was lucky enough to snag a set of 10 used ones from one seller and 2 from another for a fair price (these fans are not cheap but when you own them you know why, double ball bearing and fairly quiet for the amount of static pressure)
Well enough for now. Got to get to work. I'll post more later about the build.
Thanks for listening.
