Corsair 800D Liquid Cooling Mod Dual Loop System

Sledgehammer70

So like many others I have seen many systems online that have been liquid cooled for the purpose of getting the best performance out of the parts we buy. Most people either shy away from water cooling altogether as it forces more upkeep on a system or the entire process seems a bit overwhelming for the non enthusiast.

My goal is to show you that with a little bit of help from others online and some basic questions asked you can water cool your entire system. This thread will be a work in progress thread as I would like to keep an overall log on the overall process. I know I have used threads just like this one to get me motivated to finally go full water so here it goes.

PC Setup:
CPU: Intel Core i7 920 - Stock clock 2.66Ghz
Motherboard: EVGA X58 E760 Classified 3-Way SLI + PhysX
Graphics: EVGA GTX 295 & EVGA 9800GTX+ for PhysX
Memory: Corsair XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB)
PSU: Corsair CMPSU-1000HX
Case: Corsair Obsidian 800D
Hard Drives: OCZ Vertex 60GB & OCZ Vertex 30GB - 2x WD 150GB Raptors + WD 500GB HD
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit

Right off the bat I am going to have to compromise on Hard Drive space. In that I will need remove a few drives from the system due to the mod I will be doing to mount & place the 2nd radiator. You can see the mod I will be doing thanks to Mr_Armageddon over at Hard Forums & Corsair Forums - 800D Bottom Radiator Mod - Visual Guide

I have currently ordered all of the below items from many different sites. it looks like liquid cooling is picking up and most items were out of stock. but I did use that great tool Google to find other retail outlets to purchase the parts. In some cases I had to compromise on price vs. availability. The below links are just the top searches I found on Google. I encourage you to use Google or other search engines to find the best prices from other retailers.

CPU & Chipset Loop #1
CPU Block: Swiftech Apogee XT Extreme
Chipset Block: EK EVGA 3x SLI X58 Classified Full Board Cooling Block Kit
Radiator: Black Ice GT Stealth 360 X-Flow Radiator
Pump: Swiftech MCP350
Reservoir: XSPC 5.25" Bay Reservoir
Tubing: PrimoChill PrimoFlex PRO LRT Tubing 3/8"ID 5/8" OD
Fittings:
- 2x Bitspower Chrome G1/4" Barb Fitting - 3/8" ID
- 2x Bitspower Ultimate G 1/4 Thread 3/8" ID x 5/8" OD Compression Fitting
- 4x Bitspower G1/4 Dual Rotary 45-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 3/8" OD 5/8"
- 1x Bitspower Acrylic T-Block
- 1x Bitspower Temp Sensor
- 1x Bitspower Male to Male G 1/4 Fitting
Cooling Fans: 3x COOLER MASTER R4-L2R-20AC-GP
Fan & Temp Controller: Scythe KS01-BK "KAZE SERVER" Advanced Fan Controller
Radiator Mounting Bolts: #6-32 x 3/8" Black Socket Head Cap Screws
Liquid: PrimoChill ICE Non-Conductive Liquid Cooling Fluid (32 oz.) - UV Blue

Loop #1 Cost: $533 + Shipping (this includes tax)

GPU Loop #2
GPU Block: HEATKILLER® GPU-X² GTX295
Radiator: Black Ice® GTX Gen Two Xtreme 240
Pump: Swiftech MCP665 12 VDC Pump
Reservoir: XSPC 5.25" Bay Reservoir
Tubing: PrimoChill PrimoFlex PRO LRT Tubing 1/2"ID 3/4" OD
Fittings:
- 2x Bitspower Chrome G1/4" Barb Fitting - 1/2" ID
- 2x Bitspower Ultimate G 1/4 Thread 1/2" ID x 3/4" OD Compression Fitting
- 2x Bitspower G1/4 Dual Rotary 45-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 1/2" OD 3/4"
Cooling Fans: 2x COOLER MASTER R4-L2R-20AC-GP
Liquid: PrimoChill ICE Non-Conductive Liquid Cooling Fluid (32 oz.) - UV Blue

Loop #2 Cost: $396 + Shipping (this includes tax)

Overall this is not a cheap route to go, but I did not expect it to be. Most of the time we try to cut corners or make things cheaper than they need to be & that is fine, but when working with parts like these you can't skimp as you might just end up with a fried PC. Honest opinion... do it right the first time.

As of now I have a few fittings on back order which will slow up the build overall for the GPU loop, but in general that will not stop me from moving forward with loop #1. Stay tuned for images & other goodies during this build.

Before Shots:

Sledgehammer70

I started today by breaking down the lower part of the case to make room for my 2nd Radiator. While doing this mod strips this case down by 2 hard drives, it was necessary for the clean look I would like to accomplish with this water cooling build. I grabbed a quick screenshot of what the case looked like before I started taking things apart & hacking away at Rivets & of course after photos.

Case untouched showing the bay we removed highlighted with a red outline.



Here is an image of the 4 leftover rivet holes in the case that will be covered by the front bezel along with the 2 6-32 x 3/8" socket cap head screws I used to mount the upper drive bay back to the front panel of the case.



The last 2 images will give you a look of what the case now looks like with the bottom drive bays removed. Overall the mod took about 20 minutes to do and about 20 minutes to clean up.





I started to receive some of the water cooling parts in the mail today, but not enough to really do anything. Looks like most items will start arriving on Thursday & Friday with the last pieces of the 2nd loop coming in on the 23rd.

I have also created a small chart to show how I plan to cool my case. While the bulk of the system is fully water cooled proper airflow is still needed to keep the radiators cool. I am utilizing a good fan controller that will allow me to low the RPM's of my fans to be whisper silent along with utilizing radiators that are designed to work well with low airflow. The system is able to push a ton of air but the goal is for cold & quite operation while pushing the hardware above standard specs.

Sledgehammer70

Tonight I have broken down the EVGA GTX 295 & cleaned her up to allow the new water block to be installed along with taking off the cooling devices on the EVGA X58 E760 Classified 3-Way SLI to allow the install of the full piece chip set cooler. I took a few snap shots so you can see how fun this really was.

EVGA GTX 295 Naked!



And this is the beast that kept her cold.




The overall process of taking the cooler off the GPU's was interesting. I found myself triple checking to see if I took out all the right screws as that heat sink felt like it was welded to the GPU. But in the end slow wiggle movements got the 3 pieces to pull apart.


EVGA X58 is so hot!

Now taking the cooler off this beast was simple. In general most of the contacts used Thermal pads instead of thermal paste making the clean up simple. Both heat sinks I am getting come with new pre-cut thermal pads, so i just left them on the heat sink and put them in a baggie just in case I ever have to do an RMA.

mirage

Looking at your cooling chart, I would modify it a little bit by adding an air duct to blow the hot air out of the case, maybe from an opening on the left side. So, the radiators will take cool air from the bottom and blow the hot air back to outside from left. IMHO, if you are also cooling the VRM and chipset on the motherboard with water cooling, you don't need that much air circulation in the case anymore. By sending the hot air outside the case, you will reduce the case temperature and you will need fewer exhaust fans. That can minimize the dust accumulation inside the case as well.

mirage

You seem to have some free space on top of the case. I thought you could use that space for the radiator instead of sacrificing the disks at the bottom. I have attached a rough drawing below. You will need to open an air window on the side panel and build a simple air duct to connect the radiator inlet to this window. Just an idea.

Sledgehammer70

The system will be venting all the air out the top of the system. The case is elevated so that cool air is sucked in from the bottom & is than blown up to the top. The back fan will also port in cool air from the back side of the case which will be drawn in by a 140MM fan that will help cool down the already starting to get warm air from the bottom.

Overall the top side of the case will have 3 fans venting all the hot air out of the case. The 360 Radiator will occupy all 3 fan slots in the top of the case.

mirage

I was trying to isolate the air loop of radiators from the air circulation in the case since blowing the hot air into the case did not make sense to me. I will be following your build with great interest.

Sledgehammer70

The air from the bottom of the case will still be mostly cool. If its not, the mixed air from the 140mm should cool down the air enough to keep the radiator up top cool enough for the chipset & CPU.

Case Mod Day #2

I finished the case mod this morning. It was actually much easier than I thought it would be & overall turned out looking pretty good. I'll let you be the judges of that . I also found the way i modded the case to turn out better overall than the link I provided above as it allows much more airflow into the case.

I started by finding the center of my case and temp mounted 2 120mm fans to the bottom to give me my outline. I cut just inside the lines to allow a pretty precise fit, but I was not worried about being perfect as I plan to line the bottom of the radiator with weather stripping to provide an air tight seal.



After I made my cuts I took a quick snap shot of the metal piece I will be removing. The metal at this point is still rough and needs a good sanding. As you can see the cutting made a bit of a mess hence why I lined the case with plastic trash bags so I wouldn't have to do to much cleaning after the cutting. The overall cutting took 3 Dremel cutting wheels, I had purchased 5 just in case.



I than used the sanding tools that came with my Dremel tool to sand down the sharp edges. I than touched up the rough metal with black paint. (Still wet int his image) I had also drilled the 6 holes i would need to mount the radiator to the bottom of the case.



It is hard to understand what I am actually doing here without the radiator to show you what is going on. So I went ahead and jerry-rigged a few 120MM fans to just show you what area the radiator will cover. In the actual build the fans will sit on top of the radiator sucking in the air.



I might try a Push/Pull setup in the lower area, but I think it will constrict the overall airflow and the space will than be completely filled up.

To address the issue of dust and other crap getting sucked in I purchased 2 DEMCiflex 140mm Magnetic Fan Dust Filters which do not restrict airflow and catch the smallest of particles.

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***EDIT***

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Just after I made the above post UPS arrived with a few items.

I got the 3 Cooler Master fans for the 360 radiator, our fan controller, the Arctic Silver Ceramique thermal compound & the Swiftech pump for our first loop.

Sledgehammer70

I was able to move forward and install the fan/temp controller along with run the proper cables to their rough spots. Overall from the inside its a nice clean look. Don't mind the blue tape as it is holding the motherboard wiring to the case so it doesn't get in the way.

Scythe KS01-BK "KAZE SERVER"


The untamed wiring on the back side.


Case from the inside with fan controller installed.


Now with the addition of the 2 140mm fans.

Sledgehammer70

I have to say I have never been this tired in my life. Okay maybe not in my life, but man assembling fittings and getting things mounted takes a lot out of a person.

Today was a huge day as I received all the items needed to complete the CPU loop, and most of the items for the GPU loop. In general I will start today's update with what I remembered to take pictures of.

I started the day off by Dying all the misc cables that will be seen with vinyl black. Vinyl black absorbs into the cabling allowing a nice sleek black color to stay. This stuff leaves the cable flexible and the color non-flakable. The overall look to me is better than basic cable covers and it applies like normal paint.



Here you can see where I taped off the cables to paint only what would be seen in the case. I left the hidden stuff alone.



After that I installed the 360 radiator along with the 3 fans that will keep it cool. I mounted the fans with weather stripping on the inside of the fans which you can't really see in images and also a nice tight seal on top of the radiator which you can see a little bit.

In this image the gray looking stuff in the weather stripping. It is actually black, but with the flash it turned gray.


In this next image you can see the socket head screws I used along with the rubber spacers to make sure the screws didn't go to far into the radiator and of course to leave the top of the case unscratched.



I than got myself to the fun stuff. I mounted the radiator with its proper fitting and started to measure out the tubing. Overall this process went fast as I had preplanned how I wanted everything routed in the case.

I than moved my focus to getting the water block on the CPU & Chipset. This process again was easy as I had already prepped the motherboard for this.



Once that was complete it was time to mount the motherboard in the case so I can get ready to test all the connections in the system & prime her up for leak testing. You should always do this with just the loop powered only. I have no power connected to the motherboard or other components outside of the pump, fans & fan controller. I am using a PSU tester to allow me to turn on the PSU without it being hooked up to the motherboard.



I have yet to add liquid to the system but it is the next step i will be taking tonight. So hopefully by the end of the night I will have a full loop primed and ready to go.

Sledgehammer70

I made a huge Rookie mistake by installing the top radiator fans upside down. While it was an easy fix... It is a reminder to triple check everything in the system to make sure you have it all installed properly.

Sledgehammer70

So last night was the big night for completing the first loop in the system. I have to say I am pretty proud of myself on just how clean this design turned out to be. I did about 2 hours of leak testing & now I am onto just the flat out break in of the system.


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Serp

Grats man! That's looking pretty smecksy:thumbup

The blue looks awesome and it looks so clean with the silver compression fittings;)

I would love to know what your load temps are for the CPU since you also have the full board block for the mobo. I was tempted to watercool my motherboard too but was worried about the cpu temps getting too high.

Sledgehammer70

I am in the midst of letting the thermal compound go through its curing cycle. But last night I did a small OC of 3.8Ghz and with Intelburn running temps evened off at 56c after 35 minutes of burn. According to artic silver, temps should drop a few C after the break in point. I am also playing with fan speeds and other settings.

Serp

What was the vcore?

Sledgehammer70

The overall temp break down at 3.8Ghz was the following at 35 minutes of IntelBurn V2.

CPU: 56c
NB: 38c
VREGs: 43c

CPU settings:
VCore 1.235

I just did a quick jump to 4GHz and the temps seemed to hold pretty well.

Leonardo

Thanks Sledge, I really enjoyed your mini-article and the very good photos and graphics.

Sledgehammer70

Thanks Leo... But I am only 1/2 way done. next week the GPU radiator & heat sink arrive. So I will have more updates at that time.

Sledgehammer70

So I was able to install the GPU loops reservoir along with pump & tubing that is over-sized for now. The CPU/Chipset loop is now running at a nice 4.0Ghz without any issues and shall be getting pushed to 4.2GHz sooner than later.

I know the tubing doesn't look so pretty just yet. I have a ton of excess currently to make sure I didn't cut any length to short. I am also a bit bummed as the pump location for the GPU loop is not in a desirable place. But their isn't much I can do about that. I wanted to make sure I had a hefty pump along with 1/2" ID tubing so that the GPU's have a chance to stay cool. Especially with the desire to go Fermi. I wanted to make sure the loop was ready for a hot, hot, hot, card.

But in general I just want to get the GTX 295 going so I can start benching this build.







Got her going at 4.22GHz & memory clocking at 1694MHz.. With temps in Prime95 sitting around 62c under full load.

Snarkasm

Damn. 4.2 at 60C is nice, Sledge. Well done.

Sledgehammer70

Yeah overall the temps seem to be settling in. I should be able to finish the GPU loop tonight. So maybe we will have some benchmark numbers coming soon.

Sledgehammer70

Finally! I have the GPU loop completed and things are finally wrapping up.

Here is the 240 Radiator I used in the lower section of the case. This radiator is double the thickness of my 360 radiator up top and so far is proving to be able to cool my GTX 295 by shaving off 20c from air cooling.



Here is a few final images of the build with the way I arranged my final GPU loop. In the end I had to compromise on a few things that left me with a few extra parts. I had originally planned to use compression fittings on the GPU, but the card and block will only allow 3/8" fittings and not 1/2". I could have used some 45 degree angles but in the long run I think using barbs worked out.

I did end up using the compression fittings down on the radiator as the below bay was a tighter squeeze than I thought it would be. But let me know what you think as this was my first dual loop water cooling system I have created ion my own no kit crap here!





Once I am able to benchmark the system I will start posting some scores.

Just a quick benchmark... My GPU at 90% load would run at 78-81c per core... did a 80% load test int he same benchmark & check out these temps.

Sledgehammer70

I guess I was to late to edit my last post. But I wanted to post some of the videos I did during the build.

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Leonardo

Your workmanship is very good.

Sledgehammer70

I have a couple scores to post. I did 2 tests one with GPU OC, and the other with & without PPU.

4.0GHz with no GPU OC
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=2026915
Without PPU - http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=2027097

4.0GHz with 17% & 21% OC
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=2026955
Without PPU - http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=2027152

_k

This really makes me want to water cool. I just never took the plunge after a few months of research and waiting on stock.

Sledgehammer70

The fact I can get a 20% OC on my GPU while the cores run at 50c is amazing to me. I figured maybe 15-18c drop in temps but never did I imagine a 30c drop under full load. This loop I built tells me it can handle Fermi with ease

The CPU temps are the only thing that I am bummed about. While overall I am seeing a 20c drop under full load over my H50 and Noctua setups I did figure It would be running cooler overall. I am starting to wonder what 3 more fans will do in a push pull setup on the 360 radiator? Maybe another 5-6c drop in temps?

_k

Move the fans to the top of the rad, between the case and the rad. Draw straight from outside of the case and push into the rad and I bet you will pick up a few degrees.

And bro you forgot the water cooled ram.

Sledgehammer70

I did swap the fans around & overall the temps did not drop much. i got a 2C drop. But I wonder what 3 more fans pull air could do.

meh.. no need to WC the ram. To be honest its a pointless waste of money as the ram runs stable and fairly cool at 1702MHz with just the fans.

Now if I was running 2000MHz rated memory and was OC'ing it than yes maybe attaching a loop to the ram would be good.

Serp

Instead of a push/pull config try using a shroud

You have to remember that these core i7s run hot. Especially after 4ghz these little beasts really crank up the heat. If your load temps are 60c after that 20c drop then you still have some headroom to OC with.

I could overclock my 920 to 4.2ghz on air but the load temps were getting close to 80c. With water cooling I managed to drop that to just under 60c.

Was it worth it? Yes and No.

With water cooling I was able to get the load temps lower which helped put my mind at ease. 80c at load just seemed too high for my tastes.

Unfortunately, even with water cooling I couldn't get a much higher overclock that what I had on air. That said it was more down to the chip needing more and more voltage to get it stable past 4.2

Oh and don't forget to WC your hard drives:p

Sledgehammer70

WC my hard drives... LOL! They run at 32c. Although I see people WC their PSU's... wtf?

But in general my goal was to get my system on water and run 4.2GHz under 100% load with temps not exceeding 70c. I beyond hit that goal.

I also wanted to chop down the temps of my GPU by 15c, overall it dropped 30c.

Was it worth it to me? Yes
Would I do it again? Yes

Being my first dual loop water cooling system I had some concerns if I could do it on my own. If anything it was mainly being able to break down the GPU and get the block on it without breaking something. (I still hate Dual PCB designs) Overall the entire process was super easy and the results I got were above my expectations.