The Utterly Imbalanced CaseLabs TX10-D build(s)!

[VSG]

 

Welcome to my build log now kindly sponsored by Hellfire Toyz, EVGA, FrozenQ PC Mods, IceModz and Bitfenix

 

 

 

 

 

 

Background

 

My first ever build originated late last year with the Corsair 900D, Asus Maximus VI Formula, i7 4770k and dual AMD R9-290x cards all on a custom loop. But even before I could finish the loop, the mining craze hit and I sold off my Hawaii cards for a small profit and went with 2x EVGA 780 Ti Classified KPEs instead. So that went well for a few weeks till I realized a single Corsair AX1200i jsut wasn't enough power for this system when benching on water. I began looking towards CaseLabs then and put on a feeler post on Craigslist to sell the 900D. Then the magic happened

 

I traded my 900D build (As seen below during the leak test stage):

 

for this:

 

    

 

Excuse those potato pictures since they were taken with excitement without setting up my dSLR. I really made out like a bandit in this trade. That is a TX10-D with pedestal and extended top along with plenty more goodies. So now, I do a massive benching/gaming rig on one side and one that's, well, just there for my girlfriend to replace her aging laptop that is pretty much a desktop these days due to the degraded battery.

 

Update Log

 

1) Parts list: Side 1 and Side 2

2) Fans, fans, fan (controller)

3) Build log banner

4) Rads, rads, rads

5) Unboxing the Cougar CF-14HB, Noiseblocker NB-eloop B12-2 and Mayhems Blitz Pro

6) Modding the Mo.Ra to fit push/pull with extended top, the Diva 'Dapter and Thermene TIM

7) Installing the z87 rig for Side 2

8) Sponsor #1, Aquaero replacement brackets, unboxing the EVGA 1300G2 PSU and NZXT Grid + Corsair SP120 PWM issues

9) Inside the Koolance 380i CPU block and installing the EK FC GTX 780 Classy

10) Unboxing the EVGA 1600G2 + a lot more PSUs

11) Cleaning out the front sections + Mayhems Blitz Pro on radiators

12) Powdercoating color samples part 1, part 2 and final color choices

13) Sponsor #2, EVGA Individually Sleeved Cable Kit + 480mm rads installed

14) Sponsor #3 + new reservoir options

15) Converting the Swiftech mcp35x into an mcp35x2 + quick flow rate comparisons

16) Powdercoating is done!

17) Assembling the pedestal

18) Assembling the entire case + quick assembly guide on Vandal switches

19) Sponsor #4 and #5

20) Setting up the studio lightbox

21) Unboxing the Yate Loon 140x38mm fan, BitFenix Alchemy LEDs, BitFenix Fury 750G PSU and EVGA EVBot

[VSG]

Components for side 1: Modelling/Benching/Gaming

Main Components

Platform: x99 only if the $600 Haswell-E chip is an octacore, else z79

Processor: Intel i7 5930k (Anticipated, not obtained yet)

Motherboard: Undecided

Ram: DDR4, brand/model undecided

GPUs: 2x EVGA 780 Ti Classified K|ngp|n Edition cards (Bought)

PSUs: Corsair ax1200i, EVGA Supernova 1300G2 (Both bought)

OS: Windows 7 (Bought)

SSD: Undecided

HDD: Hitachi Travelstar 1 TB 7200RPM (For Steam, bought)

HDD: Toshiba 3 TB 7200RPM (For backup and storage, bought)

External HDD: Hitachi 4TB USB 3.0 (Bought)

Cooling

1) CPU/Motherboard/RAM loop

CPU Block: EK Supremacy/Koolance 380I (Have the Koolance block, will see if the EK block is better for Haswell-E)

Motherboard block: Depends on the board (Undecided)

RAM block: Undecided, depends on if DDR4 even benefits from watercooling

Radiators: Alphacool Monsta 480mm (Bought)

Fans: Corsair SP120 QE PWM push/pull on the Monsta (Bought)

Fan controller: Aquaero 6XT w/loop temperature sensors and flow meter

Reservoir(s): FrozenQ Mods 400mm Liquid Fusion Cylinder in Fluorescent Red (Bought)

Pump: Laing D5 (Undecided on exact model)

Tubing: Primochill Advanced LRT Clear in 1/2" x 3/4"

Fittings: Assortment from various brands

Coolant: Undecided

2) GPU loop

GPU Block(s): EK GTX 780 Classy in Acetal/Nickel (Bought)

Radiators: Watercool Mo.Ra 3 Pro 9.140, Hardware Labs Black Ice SR1 560mm

Fans: Gelid Wing 14 in push/pull on the Mo.Ra (Bought), Undecided on the SR1

Fan controller: Same Aquaero 6 XT as above + secondary voltage controller for Mo.Ra fans (Undecided)

Reservoir: FrozenQ Mods 400mm Liquid Fusion Cylinder in Fluorescent Blue (Partly bought)

Pump: Swiftech mcp35x2 or the upcoming mcp50x2 (Not bought)

Tubing: Primochill Advanced LRT Clear in 1/2" x 3/4"

Fittings: Assortment from various brands

Coolant: Undecided

Peripherals

Monitor: Dell U2713HM (Bought)

Keyboard: Roccat Ryos MK Pro w/Cherry MX Brown switches (Bought)

Mouse: Roccat Kone XTD (Bought)

Speakers: Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II (Bought)

Headphones: Sennheiser HD598 w/FiiO e17 (Bought)

The cooling here isn't set in stone, I got plenty of space to put in a Phase change unit for the CPU but I am not a big fan of the noise. I might also consider a Bong cooler as the front flex bay compartment will be mostly unoccupied. I am open to thoughts and suggestions!

[VSG]

Components for side 2: Productivity

 

Main Components

Platform:  Z87

Processor: Intel i7 477k(Bought)

Motherboard: Asus Maximus 6 Formula (Bought)

Ram: Corsair Dominator Platinum 2x8 GB 1866 C9 Kit (Bought)

GPUs: A mid end card for CUDA and Adobe CS Live (Undecided)

PSU: Something 500-600 W max (Undecided)

OS: Windows 7

SSD: Samsung 830 512 GB (Bought)

HDD: Toshiba 3 TB 7200RPM (Bought)

 

Cooling

CPU block: Either EK Supremacy or Koolance 380i (See above for Side 1)

GPU block: Undecided

Motherboard block: EK M6F Acetal/Nickel

Radiator: Phobya G-Changer 120, XSPC AX480

Fans: Corsair SP120 QE PWM (Bought)

Fan Controller: Undecided

Reservoir: Bitspower Z Multi Water Tank 400mm (Bought)

Pump: Swiftech mcp35x (Bought)

 

Peripherals

Monitor: Acer 1080p Monitor (This is what she has now, I really want to get a better one for her soon)

Mouse: Logitech Performance Mouse MX

Keyboard: CM Storm Trigger w/Cherry MX Blue switches

Speakers: Undecided

[tharvey]

That is the biggest PC case that I have ever seen!  Nice build, very cool!

[Freaky_spider]

why go with X99 for gaming and Z87 for editing? i would switch that

[mvitkun]

My first ever build originated late last year with the Corsair 900D, Asus Maximus VI Formula, i7 4770k and dual AMD R9-290x cards all on a custom loop. But even before I could finish the loop, the mining craze hit and I sold off my Hawaii cards for a small profit and went with 2x EVGA 780 Ti Classified KPEs instead. So that went well for a few weeks till I realized a single Corsair AX1200i jsut wasn't enough power for this system when benching on water.

I can't imagine that you overclocked it enough to use over 1200 watts with two graphics cards.

[VSG]

why go with X99 for gaming and Z87 for editing? i would switch that

 

The z87 isn't going to be doing much editing. To be honest, that CPU is overkill for anything she needs. The only real hardware that would come in handy would be an Nvidia GPU.

 

I will be using the x99 for my own work too- research simulations and such. I will make this point in the OP in case others get confused, thanks for the comment.

 

I can't imagine that you overclocked it enough to use over 1200 watts with two graphics cards.

 

A single KPE system pulled over 850W from the wall when I was benching. Those cards can get pretty power hungry. For everything Nvidia says about power efficiency, GK110 consumes more power than Hawaii when overclocking gets into the picture.

[Antistatic12]

@VSG
what were both your KPE's drawing. discounting the rest of the system. probably a lot!
That case just like the 900D is great for a paint job. you got anything in mind or just leaving it?

Nice mate. seen you on OCN a fair bit.

 

[VSG]

I can't say for sure what both the cards were drawing since they were shutting down the system with the single PSU I had! The case is anodized black, so it really needs a powder coat. There is no one around who is willing to do this whole case for what I think is reasonable so at this point it will remain black. I will keep options open of course!

 

While I prep up the room and see how the lighting is for better pictures, may I offer people the chance to view some GPU porn?

Unboxing the KPE

Watercooling the KPE

[TheDigitalRealm]

 

A single KPE system pulled over 850W from the wall when I was benching. Those cards can get pretty power hungry. For everything Nvidia says about power efficiency, GK110 consumes more power than Hawaii when overclocking gets into the picture.

We're not talking 24/7 OC's then? Just crazy high voltages that are pretty pointless other than, as you said, benching.

[VSG]

Even with 24/7 OC's (1.35-1.4 V on the KPEs and similar on the CPU), an x79/x99 rig with all those fans and drives will draw over close to 1000-1100W if my z87 experiences are anything to go by. But yes- either of those PSUs should suffice for 24/7 applications. I got both of them at ridiculous deals so decided to use them. I may end up selling the ax1200i for an EVGA 1000G2 as well- nothing concrete at this point.

[TheDigitalRealm]

Even with 24/7 OC's (1.35-1.4 V on the KPEs and similar on the CPU), an x79/x99 rig with all those fans and drives will draw over close to 1000-1100W if my z87 experiences are anything to go by. But yes- either of those PSUs should suffice for 24/7 applications. I got both of them at ridiculous deals so decided to use them. I may end up selling the ax1200i for an EVGA 1000G2 as well- nothing concrete at this point.

1.35-1.4V is way too high for a 24/7 GPU overclock. Two R9 295X2's running a Unigine Valley loop pulled about 1150-1200W. That's Four GPU's with a 4960X. 

[VSG]

It depends on the card. That's perfectly fine with the KPE on water. I also have power consumption numbers at those volts. Again, I am not saying that I need two PSUs for 24/7 operating - I just already have them. A 1000w PSU will suffice easily for most overclocks in the same rig.

[VSG]

As promised, more pictures! Please excuse the phone camera pictures, turns out my DSLR battery charger isn't working and the 3 day weekend combined with 2 day shipping means I won't be using my main camera till Thursday at the earliest.

 

Rad fans so far:

 

 

 

 

That's 18 Gelid Wing 14s and 20 Corsair SP120 PWM fans. I wish I knew about the Corsair PWM issue before but you do what you can! At least I got a great deal on these fans. II will need at least 4 more 140mm fans.

 

I also want to warn people about the QC of the Aquacomputer Aquaero 6 (XT or Pro versions)- they seem to not adhere completely to the 5 1/4" bay standard dimensions. Plenty of owners have had issues fitting it in, I was lucky with the 900D. In this case it was a lot more snug than I would like. Thankfully, CaseLabs made an accessory just for this (http://www.caselabs-store.com/flex-bay-5-25-device-mount-short-nonconforming/) and I will be ordering it soon. In the meantime, I went ahead and installed the passive heatsink accessory. When operating low PWM signals, the device gets pretty warm so this would help dissipate the heat better- especially with a fan blowing at it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and then installed it into the case along with one DVD drive:

 

 

The empty slot on the other side is for the other DVD drive coming in soon. I may well need more fan controllers as well, let's see.

[Tearass]

That case is so big. Wow.

[Ech0location]

That is a damn big case my friend. Also, you using an amp for those HD598's or are you just running them from the computer? Those puppies don't sound nearly as pretty when they're underpowered. 

[VSG]

I edited my post above to indicate that the headphones will be running off a FiiO e17. Thanks for the heads up!

[Opie]

Yes! My childish desire came true! A post of an insane overkill wc build in the biggest case on the market.

[Tearass]

My parents complained when they saw how big my R4 is. I should show them this and say, "My case is one of the 'smaller' ones."

                                                                                                                                                    But it's tiny...

[VSG]

lol go ahead!

 

I am contemplating going with these for the Black Ice SR1: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835553007

 

Approximately $12 each after the promo discount and Cougar's are pretty good in the 140mm range I heard.

[alpenwasser]

lol go ahead!

 

I am contemplating going with these for the Black Ice SR1: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835553007

 

Approximately $12 each after the promo discount and Cougar's are pretty good in the 140mm range I heard.

They're good fans from what I've heard and read. Also, the SR-1 is

phenomenal with the fans turned down (I can vouch for that from

personal experience). I'm running ~550 W of components (a Titan, two

X5680 Xeons and the M/B, power measured at outlet) on one 560

at the moment, and with my fans (BitFenix Specre Pro) turned down

to 5 V (~700 rpm) I still get ~50 C on the CPUs and the GPU (stock

voltages, for the time being). The loudest part of the computer

in that configuration is the power delivery system of the GPU.

I'm still going to install more radiators though. Since I have the

space I might as well, plus I do want to overclock this baby at

some point.

[VSG]

When I had the 900D, I had dual 480mm rads and temps got close to 50 C when benching the two KPEs at 1.45v and the 4770k at 1.375v at an ambient of 25 C. I really noticed a drop in performance once the cards got hotter than 40 C (core) so this time the increased rad space should help out. I think I will go ahead and get 8 of those fans for the SR 1. While it would be serious overkill, I got the space for it and I can just sell off the extra fans at no cost if they don't do anything.

 

Def get them extra rads in there and OC your rig. Who can resist a build that's great to look at and performs well where it counts too?

[alpenwasser]

When I had the 900D, I had dual 480mm rads and temps got close to 50 C when benching the two KPEs at 1.45v and the 4770k at 1.375v at an ambient of 25 C. I really noticed a drop in performance once the cards got hotter than 40 C (core) so this time the increased rad space should help out. I think I will go ahead and get 8 of those fans for the SR 1. While it would be serious overkill, I got the space for it and I can just sell off the extra fans at no cost if they don't do anything.

Yeah, if you can just sell the fans again, no harm done. I'm

not sure how much the SR-1 will benefit from push/pull as it

is a pretty low-density rad, but w/c is all about trying stuff

out IMHO.

Def get them extra rads in there and OC your rig. Who can resist a build that's great to look at and performs well where it counts too?

Oh, definitely. I've already bought the radiators and the fans.

At the moment I'm saving up money for the final stages of the

build (mainly a buttload of Bitspwer fittings and some other

bits), and once I have that I will be able to finalize the loop

(at the moment the build is a bit in a ghetto temporary stage

as you can see in this post from my log).

I'm probably not going to go ridiculously overboard with voltages

since I'm going to run BOINC 24/7 on the machine and would prefer

my components to last me a while (considering how expensive it has

all been), but at least some playing around will be necessary

(otherwise what's the point of having an SR-2 ).

[VSG]

Ya, I saw your build. I am still waiting out for Haswell-E so till then I will just use the motherboard tray as a tech station with the z87 platform. Can't get much more ghetto than that.

 

I am still contemplating the push/pull on the SR1 especially since it will be on the same loop as the Mo.Ra with it's 18 140mm fans. The discount ends tomorrow so I will sleep over it tonight.  In case anyone else in the US is interested, Amazon and Discover have a 15% discount promo on a lot of Tools and Home improvement products and this stacks with Dremel's $10 off $75 or more promotion as well. So I ended up getting the Dremel 4000 kit as well as a drawer set to hold screws and small fittings. Finally, the Metro Datavac is at $56 on BHPhotoVideo with free shipping and no tax to anyone outside NY/NJ.

[Tearass]

lol go ahead!

 

I am contemplating going with these for the Black Ice SR1: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835553007

 

Approximately $12 each after the promo discount and Cougar's are pretty good in the 140mm range I heard.

 

I have a fan of theirs laying around, I'm pretty sure it's silentish, so I'd recommend it. 

 

Noctua is coming up with some black fans soon-ish maybe.