Scratch Build – In Progress Waterwerks ICON V1

This project started off as just a simple build for sim racing. I was going to get an 011D, do a basic custom loop and call it a day. Being a artist..a creative..whatever you want to call it always makes it hard to just do just the basic. So like many things I've done..it's certainly snowballed into a whole different animal. I started this almost a year ago but got busy working 7 days a week and finding a manufacturer for some of the custom parts proved harder than I expected. At one point I almost scrapped it and went back to the O11D idea because dealing with vendors with zero customer service was a nightmare. Anyways on to the good stuff. Spec wise it's solely for iRacing which relies heavily on single core speed and uses another core or two for minimum tasks so that's why I stuck with a fast 9700k.

9700k - cpu lottery 5.1, delidded and direct die mounted
16GB gskill trident z 3600 mhz
Nvidia rtx 2070 super - Zotac twin fan - single slot (you'll see why later)
500gb m2 ssd
Asus ROG MAXIMUS XI GENE
PSU ( wanting to get the corsair sf750 but psu are impossible to get right now)

water cooling parts
EK velocity cpu block nickel
EK monarch ram block nickel
EK Vector RTX RE nickel and nickel backplate
Custom chipset block
Custom VRM block
EK DDC 3.2 pump
EK 240 PE x 2 radiators
4 x 120mm fans..currently uncertain what I'll get
EK m2 heatsink
Bitspower fittings, they've got the telescoping and variety that I need
Bitspower nickel plated tubing
EK Amber orange fluid..altho might just do clear.

Now on to the case..
I was really inspired by Hans peder sahl use of distro plates
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzOYmsyACEZ/
and also by Ben Q modern artistic style
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu5ZydOBFWd/

ultimately I went with the barrow rhopilema distro display "case". It's a big distro plate that you mount the motherboard to and has space for dual 240 rads on the back.
View attachment 72133
View attachment 72130

 

Reserved for final photos

 

Rhopilema by ICONchad posted 7 May 2020 at 19:13

Delid by ICONchad posted 7 May 2020 at 19:12

 

The plan was to delid and direct die cool my 9700k. Unfortunately that meant I couldn't use a monoblock for the gene because they are designed for the stock ihs height. I saw this as an opportunity as I had been wanting to learn fusion 360 for a long time. So I got the basics down and go to reverse engineering the vrm heatsink so I could design my own waterblock. After I recreated the heatsink I got a sls 3d print made to check my work. Next up was designing the flow path which proved difficult because of the lack of space between the eps cable connectors on the side of the motherboard and the cpu cooler. The first design ended up being too restrictive. The second design which employed a dual layer acrylic top proved to be a bit over engineered and difficult to manufacture. So I went with a dual chamber design to break it up and I think lends to the final design a bit better (which you'll see later)

 

EKWB good choice

 

Since I designed a vrm block for this build..why not do one for the chipset too.. This went thru several design iterations as seen below.

 

This is cool. Just makes me wish I had the tools to make a VRM block!

 

I wish I did too, It's certainly not cheap to have low volume cnc done but It's fun to design something and see it made in physical form.

 

yes I think the same!

 

Will you be outsourcing this? I just assumed you had a CNC/Mill.

I used to have access to a laser cutter at work, should have taken the opportunity and made a distro plate! Hindsight and all.

 

Singularity is doing the acrylic part of the build. I wish I had my own cnc, it would certainly allow for some fun projects.

 

He does some clean work!

 

to use autocad is a second work

 

This build is using the barrow rhopilema distro plate open chassis. It's a nice design with one major design flaw in that they went thru all this trouble and didn't include a ddc or d5 pump mount. So basically you have to mount one externally on the back and theirs is the only that fits..I may just take the basic idea and do my own so I can have a integrated ddc.

 

rough tube run ideas, what do you like better? I'm leaning towards the bottom version.

 

Wow cool distroplate, really giant

 

Well the other day was pretty bad. Even though I pressure tested the barrow distro plate, after a couple days running fluid it ended up leaking. It was just barely leaking and at first I thought it was just reflecting the color of the fluid but it somehow got past the oring. If anyone wants it for a cheap price let me know.

I'm trying to be positive and this just means I get to design the back distro myself which will allow me to do it the way I want. Long nights of Fusion 360 ahead..It's all part of the journey!

 

Get some neon dye and hunt down that leak instead. The O-rings can be changed or the bad spot can get a bit of silicone sealant.
Also: Nothing is stopping you from stacking plastic to make more complex channels.

 

Ya I thought about it and just replacing the seals but I was feeling a bit limited with it so on to better things

 

Late night musings have got me thinking a lot about literally stepping outside the box. Traditionally computers have been boxes sitting on our desk, and with rgb, tube runs, fluid colors, distro plates, and the like..How can the design be elevated beyond this container of 90 degree flat planes. If its a prominent thing on your desk..how can it be an artistic creation that's appealing to look at. When I look at a Ferrari I see beautiful flowing lines..maybe a window or two to see the engine..radiators and fans are not really something that's shown off..anyways just rambling out loud. I've come up with some wild designs late at night..hopefully they will make the light of day. Even if its just for me.