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Project Mercury - Caselabs S3 | Watercooled | GTX Titan - Completed!

Project MERCURY

Caselabs Mercury S3 - mITX Watercooled - Simplicity

 

Index

#1 - 4770k IHS Removal - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury/?p=818295

#2 - ASUS Maximus IV Impact - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury/?p=833236

#3 - Nvidia GTX Titan - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury/?p=838360

#4 - Radiator & Fans - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury-caselabs-s3-watercooled-gtx-titan/?p=842895

#5 - Fittings & SSD - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury-caselabs-s3-watercooled-gtx-titan/?p=849644

#6 - Peripherals - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury-caselabs-s3-watercooled-gtx-titan/?p=857467

#7 - Himuro - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury-caselabs-s3-watercooled-gtx-titan/?p=857564

#8 - Himuro Mounting System - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury-caselabs-s3-watercooled-gtx-titan/?p=877824

#9 - Reservoir & Pump - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury-caselabs-s3-watercooled-gtx-titan/?p=881798

#10 - Polishing EK Waterblocks - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury-caselabs-s3-watercooled-gtx-titan/?p=907185

#11 - Initial Tubing Route - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury-caselabs-s3-watercooled-gtx-titan/?p=919997

#12 - Mercury S3 Case - http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury-caselabs-s3-watercooled-gtx-titan/?p=934144

#13 - Secondary Tubing Route - http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury-caselabs-s3-watercooled-gtx-titan/?p=966149

#14 - Completed - http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56428-project-mercury-caselabs-s3-watercooled-gtx-titan/?p=1030532

 

Completion - Scroll Down for the start of the log!

 

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Introduction

Back with another build log, this time a different path, less is more with mITX and i intend to showcase that in its full glory.

Caselabs has always had a soft spot with me, ever since i first bought the STH10, clean lines, modding friendly and extremely well designed, so when the Mercury S3 was announced some months ago i couldn't resist.

 

Prodigy may have started the mITX craze, Caselabs has perfected it with the Mercury S3.

Unfortunately due to size restraints, my previous build Akula V2 is now to be disassembled, it's just too big for my desk and is a dust magnet.

 

This computer will mainly be used for light gaming, work related use & general use, so the components don't have to be top of the line yet i intend to recycle my used components as much as possible.

 

Vision & Color Scheme

With all my build's i strive for simplicity, less is more.

Once again the build will be based around the components, the colors will be subtle, the components will be minimalistic.

 

Just like Akula V2, the build will incorporate Republic of Gamers products, which leaves me little choice but to follow to overdone red & black scheme.

Watercooling will be done with primary EKWB products used from Project Akula with some new splashes of products just released.

 

Mercury S3 Case

One of the biggest selling points for Caselabs cases is the options when purchasing, these are the options/variations i chose.

  • Matte Black
  • Drop-in 120.2 Radiator Mount
  • 36mm Ventilated Top Cover
  • Left STB Window
  • Right STB Window
  • USB 3.0 Upgrade IO
  • 120.2 Radiator Flexi-bay Upgrade

Just a matter of shipping & waiting for it to arrive, sadly this thing cost me an arm & leg due to the shipping cost to Australia, worth it.

 

Main Components

Large portion of my components will come from previous builds, most from my Prodigy & Dimastech builds so my wallet won't be that much lighter in the end, i hope..

  • Intel Socket 1150 4770k
  • ASUS Maximus VI Impact
  • Corsair Dominator GT 2133 Mhz (2x4Gb)
  • OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS 240Gb
  • Western Digital Caviar Red 2Gb
  • Silverstone Strider 650W Gold ST65F-G
  • Gigabyte GTX Titan OC Windforce Edition
  • Himuro 3.5" HDD Cooler
  • Himuro 2.5" HDD Cooler

Cooling Components

Lucky for me, most of my cooling components i already own, for most this is the expensive part.

New products that have just been released from EKWB will be tested within this build, including their new PE radiator's, hopefully they will have their ROG Impact waterblocks released in time..

 

On another note, i intend to delid the 4770k - I've done this process on the 3570k earlier and the temperatures were excellent, this time i will be going naked chip, so EK's Naked Ivy supports will be used.

  • EKWB GTX Titan Nickel & Plexi CSQ Waterblock
  • EKWB Supremacy Nickel & Plexi CSQ Waterblock
  • Laing D5 & EKWB CSQ Acetal Pump Top
  • Bitspower Z Type 150ml Reservoir
  • EK CSQ Fittings
  • Noiseblocker BlacksilentPro PL-2 x 4
  • EK CoolStream PE 240 x 2
  • PrimoFlex Advanced LRT 3/8in ID x 1/2in OD Tubing Clear
  • EK Blood Red Coolant

Extras

  • 16AWG Individually sleeved cables, MDPC Black Sleeving
  • Delidding 4770k & Using EK Naked Ivy standoffs
  • Polishing EK Plexiglass Waterblocks
  • Fabricate 2 x Himuro mounting brackets

 

Closing

Hopefully this will be a quicker build than my previous logs, I'm a perfectionist so these things take time unfortunately.

In the coming weeks i expect to receive the Mercury S3, from there i will slowly incorporate the parts within the build.

 

The biggest hurdle is always the sleeving, in such a tight build sleeving even the best power supplies can be tricky, lines are tough to hide so perfection is required when all eyes are on the cables.

Stay tuned, I'm as eager as ever to begin and one day complete this build.

Akula  | Dimastech Test Bench | Watercooled | Tri GTX 680's | Build of the Week

Mercury | Caselabs Mercury S3 | Watercooled | GTX Titan | Build of the Week

Armada | Define R4 Titanium | Watercooled | EK Waterblocks | Newest Buildlog

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Subbed. I don't need to know anything about it. If it's form you, it has to be good.

I like the color scheme of Noctua fans. Deal with it. Forget about the bad memories of the past.


"wunder you really are as straight as a rainbow" - Lanoi "can I fisterino your nose" - WunderWuffle


Forget about the bad memories of the past, take the good ones along with you through the present, and look forwards to the good things that will come in the future.

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That case is sexy, followed

Main Rig: -FX8150 -32gb Kingston HyperX BLUE -120gb Kingston HyperX SSD -1TB WD Black -ASUS R9 270 DCUII OC -Corsair 300r -Full specs on Profile


Other Devices: -One Plus One 64gb Sandstone Black -Canon T5 -Moto G -Pebble Smartwatch -Nintendo 2DS -G27 Racing Wheel


#PlugYourStuff - 720penis - 1080penis - #KilledMyWife - #LinusButtPlug - #HashtagsAreALifestyle - CAR BOUGHT: 2010 Corolla

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gimme pics

msi z97m gaming - i5 4690k @4.4ghz 1.2V corsair h110 powercolor r9 290x pcs+ - 8GB corsair vengeance dual channel @2133mhz - thermaltake smart power se 730watts - intel 530 series 240GB ssd seagate 1tb 7200rpm - corsiar obsidian 350D - 2x enermax tb silence 140mm - logitech x-530 - sony mdr xb600 - medion 24'' 1080P cm storm quickfire tk white edition with cherry mx red cheap but awesome mouse #GloriousPaintMasterRace

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Subbed can't wait.

Rig CPU Intel i5 3570K at 4.2 GHz - MB MSI Z77A-GD55 - RAM Kingston 8GB 1600 mhz - GPU XFX 7870 Double D - Keyboard Logitech G710+

Case Corsair 600T - Storage Intel 330 120GB, WD Blue 1TB - CPU Cooler Noctua NH-D14 - Displays Dell U2312HM, Asus VS228, Acer AL1715

 

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Thanks for the support guys, I'll try my hardest to get this thing going as soon as possible.

Akula  | Dimastech Test Bench | Watercooled | Tri GTX 680's | Build of the Week

Mercury | Caselabs Mercury S3 | Watercooled | GTX Titan | Build of the Week

Armada | Define R4 Titanium | Watercooled | EK Waterblocks | Newest Buildlog

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Thanks for the support guys, I'll try my hardest to get this thing going as soon as possible.

Now

Corsair 600T White | Gigabyte Z77-UD3H | Intel Core i5-2500k | 8GB Gskill Ares@1600MHz | Gigabyte G1 GTX970 | OCZ ZT 550 | Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB | Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB | Samsung 840 EVO 250GB (boot) | Full Custom Loop | NZXT HUE

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*Akula starts new build log*

excellent.jpg

BUILD LOGS: HELIOS - Latest Update: 2015-SEP-06 ::: ZEUS - BOTW 2013-JUN-28 ::: APOLLO - Complete: 2014-MAY-10
OTHER STUFF: Cable Lacing Tutorial ::: What Is ZFS? ::: mincss Primer ::: LSI RAID Card Flashing Tutorial
FORUM INFO: Community Standards ::: The Moderating Team ::: 10TB+ Storage Showoff Topic

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With your build the shipping will definitley be worth it

i5 4670k| Asrock H81M-ITX| EVGA Nex 650g| WD Black 500Gb| H100 with SP120s| ASUS Matrix 7970 Platinum (just sold)| Patriot Venom 1600Mhz 8Gb| Bitfenix Prodigy. Build log in progress 

Build Log here: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/119926-yin-yang-prodigy-update-2-26-14/

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Can't wait to see pictures :)

CASE: FRACTAL DESIGN DEFINE R4  |  MOBO: MSI MPOWER Z77  |  CPU: Intel i5 3570k @ 4.4 GHz  |  CPU COOLER: NOCTUA NH-D15  |  GPU: EVGA GTX 770 SC |

PSU: CORSAIR AX860 W/ RED BRAIDED CABLES | SSD: SAMSUNG 840 EVO 250 GB | HDD: WD BLACK 1 TB | FANS: 3x NOCTUA NF-A14 | MONITOR: HP W2371D

KEYBOARD: CM STORM QFR MX BLUES W/  PBT KEYCAPS  |  MOUSE: LOGITECH G502 | MIC: AUDIO TECHNICA AT2020 | HEADPHONES: SENNHEISER HD 558

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Small update, I've received some parts for this build, still awaiting my Mercury S3 - 5 Business days and then some for shipping to AU.

  • Intel Socket 1150 4770k
  • ASUS Maximus VI Impact
  • Silverstone Strider 650W Gold ST65F-G

 

Over the next few days i intend to test the 4770k to insure it didn't arrive DOA, if all goes well my plan is to delid the chip as i want the coolest temperatures for this mITX build.

I won't be reusing the Intel IHS, intending to use EK's Naked standoff's for this particular build.

 

Stay tuned for pictures soon.

Akula  | Dimastech Test Bench | Watercooled | Tri GTX 680's | Build of the Week

Mercury | Caselabs Mercury S3 | Watercooled | GTX Titan | Build of the Week

Armada | Define R4 Titanium | Watercooled | EK Waterblocks | Newest Buildlog

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Yay

                                                                                                                                       # -_-     [Planned RIg AKA Project ARES    -_-#

| AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core | Be Quiet DARK ROCK 2 57.9 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing | Asus Crosshair V Formula-Z  |G.Skill Ripjaws X 8GB Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM |Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" SSD | Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB  |Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower|Gelid Solutions Silent 14 PWM 74.5 CFM 140mm x3 |Corsair RM Series 750 Watt ATX/EPS 80PLUS Gold-Certified Power Supply|

|Rosewill RNX-N250PCe | Windows 8  | Acer H236HLbid 23.0" |Corsair Vengeance K70 
Corsair Vengeance M65 Wired Laser | STEELSERIES QCK Black|Sennheiser HD 558Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer         
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7768564-male-elephant-seal.jpg

                                                                 ELEPHANT SEALS EVERYWHERE!

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Waiting for some photos too :)

AMD FX 8320@ Stock - Asus M5A99X Evo R2.0 - Kingston HyperX 8GB 1600Mhz - Corsair Carbide 200R - Powercolor Radeon HD 7950 PCS+OC@970Mhz core 1400Mhz memory - Corsair CS650W - Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 
LG 22EA53VQ 21.5" - CM Storm Xornet - CM Storm Quickfire TK - Creative Inspire T3130 2.1

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Dis Gon B Gud

in my basement,using a computer,staring at a 1024x768 screen

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Best of luck with the delidding, and of course the rest of the build. The Mercury S3's always a good choice aesthetically when you know what you're doing, and we all know you do so... I can't wait to see it.

 

Also...

 

"

  • Western Digital Caviar Red 2Gb"

Are you sure you don't mean 2TB?

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Well today was the day my Mercury S3 arrived.

I've completed building the S3, looks fantastic. Very well built, you can tell Caselabs have spent time ensuring the quality of this case trumped all others.

 

I've ran into a small issue that I'm trying to resolve with Caselabs, my optimal 36mm Top Cover doesn't seem to secure to the latching mechanism properly like shown in their pictures, other builds.

To me, the rods that latch into the the metal snaps are too small, which means the top cover is floating free, something i don't want.

 

Since my last update, I've change a few parts of the build, been brainstorming ideas within my head how to effectively run a loop & still have clean lines throughout the build.

Below are the list of changes since the start of the log.

  • No longer utilizing the WD Red  2TB Drive, this is to limit SATA connections & generally clean up aesthetics down below.
  • I've ordered the S3 SSD Stealth plate which sits directly underneath the motherboard tray, which means no visible SSD's or HDD's within this build.
  • I've swapped my reservoir choice from the EK X3 Reservoir to a larger, yet same ml reservoir from Bitspower.

 

Some of my parts have been rolling in the past few days, still waiting for a store to stock the EK Coolstream PE 240 Radiator's - I'm hoping within the next week i can order two.

 

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My 2nd Delidding CPU, 3770k was my first which i used the Razer method, sure it worked but it was stressful, i reused the Intel IHS on the past build so my temperature difference was good but not excellent.

This time i used the Vice, Wood & Hammer method, a far more pleasing method if you ask me ;) 2 Hits of the hammer and the IHS was off, cleaned using Indigo Extreme Alcohol & Cotton Buds.

 

I've chosen to direct die mount the 4770k this time round, using EK Naked Ivy/Haswell Standoffs along with the EK Supremacy block, cooled with CLU on the die.

I've applied a small amount of AS5 Thermal Paste to the SMD transistors aside the die to ensure the CLU doesn't spread and short something out.

Akula  | Dimastech Test Bench | Watercooled | Tri GTX 680's | Build of the Week

Mercury | Caselabs Mercury S3 | Watercooled | GTX Titan | Build of the Week

Armada | Define R4 Titanium | Watercooled | EK Waterblocks | Newest Buildlog

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This has the best one of the best looking motherboards I've owned.

Later today i intend to load it all within the Mercury S3, then I'll have some nice photo's for show.

 

The SupremeFX Audio PCB is a nice touch along with the Impact Control PCB at the rear of the motherboard, they really haven't left much off this motherboard.

My only complaint is the positioning of the SATA ports, although I'm sure i can find a neat way to route them.

Akula  | Dimastech Test Bench | Watercooled | Tri GTX 680's | Build of the Week

Mercury | Caselabs Mercury S3 | Watercooled | GTX Titan | Build of the Week

Armada | Define R4 Titanium | Watercooled | EK Waterblocks | Newest Buildlog

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EK Acetal & Nickel CSQ Waterblock installed on Naked Standoff's

I considered changing block tops to Clear Plexi, although personally i love the Acetal look :)

 

RAM is installed, Corsair Dominator GT's - Although not present within these photo's.

Akula  | Dimastech Test Bench | Watercooled | Tri GTX 680's | Build of the Week

Mercury | Caselabs Mercury S3 | Watercooled | GTX Titan | Build of the Week

Armada | Define R4 Titanium | Watercooled | EK Waterblocks | Newest Buildlog

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Block matches the board nicely :)

 

What compound did you end up using on the die?

 

Thanks :)

I used Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra on the die, by far the best liquid metal for straight die mounting :)

Akula  | Dimastech Test Bench | Watercooled | Tri GTX 680's | Build of the Week

Mercury | Caselabs Mercury S3 | Watercooled | GTX Titan | Build of the Week

Armada | Define R4 Titanium | Watercooled | EK Waterblocks | Newest Buildlog

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Nice update.

Rig CPU Intel i5 3570K at 4.2 GHz - MB MSI Z77A-GD55 - RAM Kingston 8GB 1600 mhz - GPU XFX 7870 Double D - Keyboard Logitech G710+

Case Corsair 600T - Storage Intel 330 120GB, WD Blue 1TB - CPU Cooler Noctua NH-D14 - Displays Dell U2312HM, Asus VS228, Acer AL1715

 

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