Case Mod - In Progress ZdMods | Project 720 | Started on the top - Oct 17

This just keeps getting better and better Great job!

 

Thanks for the great comments guys



Progress is a bit slow lately because I didn't have as much modding time as I wanted and I was waiting for some of the parts I ordered to arrive.

First up is the controller panel, it now fits below the midplates and I've made the second panel from 1mm aluminium sheet which will sit in front of the controller panel. In between the alu panels will be a 3mm plexi sheet. from the inside I'll put in some leds, so the edge of the plexi will glow.







The packages I've been waiting for contained the gpu blocks and some of the fittings I'll need for the loop. For the gpu's I chose the EK- FC R9 280X DCII Nickel Acetal blocks, with a pair of matching backplates.











This thing is heavy












The first batch of fittings


I love these new 90degree corners, finally a nice single fitting for 90degree hard tubes






Something that bothered me in one of my previous builds (Inverted) is the gpu. Because of the weight/gravity the pcb of the gpu gets bend over time, to prevent this I came up with this

 

Everything just fits in very well. I like the shaped panel in front of the sidepanel where the Aquaero is in. Makes it all blend in.

 

Very nice man!

 

Thanks man That was exactly the idea of that extra panel, to make it all blend in. There will be a same sort of panel on the side of the radiator covers.

Thanks Alderonn

 

Gah it just looks sooooooooooo good. Very elegant solution for GPU sag also, few take the time to try sorting it (guilty as charged), even fewer manage to come up with an idea that actually looks decent too.

 

Thanks for the compliments Maki.
The sag bothers me everytime I look to my right and see the bend gpu on my Inverted build, so I just had to prevent it in my next main pc

 

Really impressive work. Can't wait to see the end reult.

 

Thanks Oozy & Crapman, I'm surprised noone came up with a similar gpu holder before

No updates on the build yet, I don't have much spare time at the moment as my wife is due for our second child this monday (aug 4)
So my spare time has gone into preparing the kids room and helping out my wife. After the birth I'll have less sleeptime, but hopefully a bit more modtime

 

Here's the reason for the lack of updates

BT, meet Sofie, born last sunday

 

Congrats! She's definitely a more important update than the mod

 

No shame in that reason for delay at all. Congratulations to you and your partner.

 

Love the build and congratulations

 

I did --designed one years ago. Just never built it.

I used a different solution in my PC:



Your design is better though; more stable and flexible.

 

Thanks guys

Found some time for modding and I'm running into an issue with the loop.



I can't run the tubes from the cpu/mobo straight down through the midplates because the psu is installed under the midplates. And there is no room for tubes. Using a 90degree fitting and a tube running to the left might be possible, but that will kill the clean look bewtween the plates, so I'd rather use another option (if any..)

The picture below has the ideal layout, but this loop has has the 2 gpu's in parallel, and I'm not sure if there will be enough flow for the cpu/mobo (I could skip the mobo if it means this setup will work) The pump used is an Aqualis D5, will this kind of loop work, or will I fry my cpu?

 

Anyone?!

 

I'm not an expert but I don't think it's wise to have different blocks in parallel. I imagine the cpu/mobo combo (or even just the cpu) will be more restrictive than the gpu blocks with means you won't actually get much flow through the cpu. Follow the path of least resistance or however they say it in the fluid dynamics jargon. But then I'm not 100% about the restriction differences. If the cpu and gpu are close you may be ok.

I guess the best way is to route the cpu inlet from the top of the res with some right angle bends. Then go in series though the mobo and gpus and then go back to the rad. But it looks like your rad fittings are on going to be on the bottom so it'll still be messy.

 

Without knowing numbers its diffacult to say exactly. If the GPU blocks offer a fair amount of resistance then the cpu and mobo could see enough flow to keep them cool.

If, on the other hand, the GPU blocks offer little resistance then most of the flow will be taken by them and not passed to the cpu/vrm's

As a general rule I put blocks in series as this means they all share the same flow rate.

Why not setup a basic loop (outside the case) with flexible tube and stress test the system? You can monitor the temps during the test and see how the system copes. As much thinking and working out as you can do, its all about how it happens in the real world

 

Thanks for the input

I've send EKWB a mail to ask about the block restrictions, not much can be found online about the subject. Testing would be ideal, but unfortunately I don't have all hardware yet (cpu) and I don't have fittings for flextube.