Getting Started
I really did not expect this installation to be a simple task, and I paced myself accordingly. If you expect to have the Vapochill LS installed properly within 30 minutes, you are mistaken. It really is not difficult to mock-install the chill control board, slap on the clamshell, and freeze your CPU, but if you want your system to operate properly in the long run and look aesthetically pleasing, some care and patience will be required. Condensation is one of the biggest problems that sub-ambient cooling brings to the table. Thankfully, Asetek provides many countermeasures to combat this threat. Improper installation will inevitably result in condensation that leads to CPU ‘pin-rot’ and other related disasters. Trust me, do not rush this installation–use all of Asetek’s condensation preventing tools.
The System Configuration:
- Asetek Vapochill LS [AC] in Black (115V) with 754/939/940/478 mounting kit.
- DFI Lanparty NF4 Ultra-D mainboard.
- AMD Opteron 148 (Socket 939): CABYE 0543FPMW
- 2x512MB OCZ Platinum Rev.2 (TCCD ICs)
- ATI Radeon X850XT
- PC Power and Cooling 510 Express
- Lian-Li PC65B Case
Preparation
Fighting the urge to start freezing action figures and pocket calculators, I decided that I should begin the uninteresting task of tearing down my system. Since there is going to be some case-modding and cutting required, it is not advisable to leave anything in the case, not even the PSU.
Above you can see the massive Thermalright XP-90 mounted. It did an admirable job, but this toasty E4 revision Opteron just couldn’t stay cool enough when pushing the vcore above 1.5V. At 1.55V, I had load temps approaching 60’C.
Slowly but surely, I got everything out of the case. Once I had the optical drive and miscellaneous components out of the case, I pulled the PSU and top blow-hole fan out. The top fan was sure to get some metal shavings in it’s motor assembly, so I did not hesitate to remove it.
Rather than trying to pull out the integrated fan controller PCB and two frontal fans, I decided to tape some scrap paper over them to keep aluminum shavings from entering their motor assemblies. I also put scotch tape over any exposed cable connectors. Those little aluminum particles really go all over the place, and, suffice to say, metal shavings and electronics do not mix well.
Next, I used the included paper template to mark the drill and cut points on the bottom of the Lian-Li. Rather than destroy the template after first use, I used a pin to scratch little marks into the aluminum through the paper. The template does not appear to be perfect. It does overhang the case by a few millimeters, and I had a hard time determining where it was centered. I used a tape-measure to assist and the center line as a guide. Front to back centering was a little more difficult.
Once I scratched the marks into the aluminum, I used a dry-erase marker to mark the cutting points.
My skills with a Dremmel are limited, but I must say that the aluminum cases are much easier to cut than the thick steel cases I’ve worked on previously. I had the evaporator entrance cut out in about 20 minutes. I took some of the Lian-Li scratch guard plastic from the other side of the case and used it to protect the new opening.
I had a really frustrating time when drilling the holes and test fitting the case onto the Vapochill. The evaporator entrance was almost perfect, but the four support screws are very thick and the case sat slightly lopsided on the Vapochill base unit. It is difficult to drill thick holes like that with precision. Some people may have considered it “good enough” but, being the picky guy that I am, I ran the case to the garage six times for minor drilling adjustments. In the end, I found that it was much easier to simply drill the holes a millimeter or two wider than called for. This allows you to shift the case around slightly and tighten down the large thumb screws when it appears centered. I wound up only drilling two alternating holes, which seemed sufficient to hold the case in place. I was pleased with the final test fitting, and I tightened the unit down.
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