Cooling Help and advice for a new project

Hello there, lots of questions from a newcomer, but it is time for a BIG project! Please excuse me as I know you've heard most of this before, but I'd really appricate some input.

I've outgrown my midi tower, and I've decided that it's no more cheap case with a few blowholes, but a full watercooled modded extravaganza! I've been lurking here for a while now and I think that although most of the questions I have have been answered, I just wondered if people had any comments and clear up a few loose ends before I do something silly. Of course, I'll be photographing construction and finished product for you to take the piss out of!

Stuff:

Yeong Yang Mini server 'B0rg' cube case in black

Elheim 1250 Pump

Coolercore 1/2" radiator mounted above the PSU (i think it will fit! Anyone tried it/similar? what fixings does it have and what is the best way to mount it/cool it?) There will be a 120mm fan in the middle of the side of the case blowing in to feed the fans on the rad (which will blow out)

Danger Den Maze 1/2" 2-0 (I don't want to start playing with TECs.... )

1/2 Inch tubing - Where's the best place to get this? will B&Q Generic do, or is there a better class of tubing out there?

Resovoir will be a plastic box from maplin [YM93B] on the top of the case. What barbs do you reccomend to fit this?

I'm leaving the fans as stock on the motherboard side (but converting the front 80mm fan to a proper blowhole). Do you think this will be enough cooling, given that the CPU will no longer be heating that side? Other cards are a GF2 Ultra, NIC, Game Theater XP, and a Matrox G450.

I'm also going to add the following mods:

Proper wiring loom for the fanbus run around the edge of the case for the few remaining fans and speed control (rheostats).

Keyswtich for pump and 'unlocking' power button (so you can't tun on computer without the pump being on, but you can turn on the pump by itself for testing)

Moving the NIC led's to the front

adding one of these temp sensors from maplin (guessed I worked there yet?!) [YU07H] to display the resovoir temp, and possibly another one for ambient temp.

cutting a 92mm hole under the psu and adding a filter (to stop carpet fluff) to allow my enermax to keep a reasonable airflow.

I'm getting the fan holes hopefully cut by www.coolcasemods.com. I've tried before, and for the cost of the extra tank cutters I need, and space constraints it seems easier to get them to do the tricky cutting for me There may also be a bit of custom painting, but I've not decided yet. I'm waiting them to send me back a quote

So, depending on how much money I can get my mitts on and exams finishing on friday etc, Hopefully I can get this baby underway and ready to go

So, after this post, which is probably the most you'll ever see me type suggestions please!

Thanks in advance,

 

i jsut glanced over it and ti looks pretty good, but i do have one suggestion have the radiator fan blow threw the radiator. that way ur blow colder room air into the case and have a couple of case fans blowing out

 

Thought about that!

The case has the PSU at the bottom, the radiator will sit over it. so i don't want to suck air in across the radiator cause i'll be sucking the hot air coming off my enermax 550W PSU! That side of the case only has a few drives, PSU (which is cooled itself) and the pump in it anyway. Sort of 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other really. might duct the 120 though, that should sort it! I can always reverse the fans and see which is best I spose.

 

good deal ya the best way to do these is to plan them out to the last detail

 

Don't PSU's put off a little heat?

 

Yep, but the enermax is a two fan jobby and should (touch wood) blow all the heat out the back instead of heating the radiator.
In my current case it certainly doesn't feel hot and doesn't actually put out much warm air from the back anyway.

Good point though! Keep 'em coming

 

It all looks pretty good!!

If you want to add moor temp probes without adding another temp monitor or an lcd... build a matrix with a 2-pole, 6-position rotary switch. One pole for led indicators to what the readings are for and the second pole is for the temp probes!! This will allow you to read 6 temps on one indicator! I had seen an article on one of the tek sites how to do this just after I desighned and built mine, figures huh!! I use it to monitor my wc system! Hopefully some one can send you in the right direction for the article or I can sent you the diagram in e-mail that I made if you want!

 

A truly cunning plan! The only problem I can see is that if I can't find out the specs for the existing probe I can't match the new ones to it, then I'll probably have some error in the readings and I don't think there is a calibration setting for those LCD monitors.

I'm more than willing to be proved wrong though Or I could build a calibration unit.......

 

If it is a compunurse or one very similer, then it will use thermisters. Those are available from maplins i think. ask the guys there, they will be able to find out what it uses, either that or get a compunurse!!

 

lol, no it's a generic thing! Besides, I worked all summer in my local Maplins and I don't know.....

The problem is what rating and type the thermisters are. If i decide I need more readings I'll go find out. I can always get the ice and boiling water, dig out the multimeter and do it that way if need be

 

aaahhhhhh.....the old home made test!!! nothing more efficient than that!! gatta love it!!

 

So true! Now, I'm off to plan a optoisolating circuit to bring the pump on line without using an external psu to do it. Some tesing reqired i think! Got a plan, I think it's cunning, but it could fail miserably Oh the fun of experimenting!

Better steal my parents digital camera when I start, I'm sure people would like a few photos of me cocking up........

 

powerstrip

you may want to take a look at this... I will be doing it soon!!

http://www.voidyourwarranty.net/review/review.php3?r1=diy/powerstrip/index.php3

 

That's the sort of thing, although I want to keep it all internal and will be using an optoisolator instead of a relay.

With the relay, you might want to consider adding a resistor and protective diode. The resistor to give the PSU some load (the coil acts as an inductor has a close to 0 Ohm resistance at DC) and the diode to stop transients when the relay is turned on/off from affecting the psu.

You may not need the resistor althouhg it is usually a good idea, and the diode is not mandatory, just a good idea as a 7p insurance against bad karma!

YMMV, HTH, ETC!

 

ok...i will try that!!

I look forward to your design too!!!

 

Looks like it will be about 3 weeks before i can start work proper


(i'm moving around a bit atm!)

Still planning the extra mods

I'll get there in the end

 

Spoke to Coolcasemods today, looks like being about 75UKPs woth of work to the case, which will be shipped to them from Tekheads. Very reasonable I thouhgt, considering to buy the two extra tank cutters would cost me about 40-50 squids anyway (I like nice tools )

So, ordering the case tomorrow, get the other parts in, looking gooood so far

Going to have to add a little 12V supply to the case though, otherwise my powerup circuit gets a little interesting! I could not have it, but the circuit would have a flaw or two and I'd rather have everything ultra stable!

 

If it is troublesome or unstable it is not worth it, imo!! are u gunna post pix of the case when you get it in before you do anything with it?? I'd like to see it!! you know...befor-during-after shots!!

 

lol, exactly!

Of course there will be photos! My parents just bought a digital camera and I haven't played with that 'shiny shiny new toy (tm)' enough yet! They'll start with the case from CCM, then all the stuff i'll do to it

Gonna take a while to get the case though, ordering it today, but the Rad (which ccm are fitting too ) isn't in stock at Tekheads and I've no room for the case at home until the 25th anyway!

Here's to waiting.........

 

Can't waight!!! see ya then!!