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

[CtW]

Dat 9x120mm rad 

[VSG]

One side of the Mo.Ra mounted with fans but before I take any pictures of it, I need to drill holes into the Mo.Ra super mount to accomodate for tubing/fittings since I am going to make use of the extended top and have the entire Mo.Ra assembly above the mount.

 

In the meantime, about them Cougars:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I am a believer in the Cougars now, and I love the drop-in radiator mount concept- especially coming off the terrible to use side mounts in the 900D. Today I go back to the Mo.Ra mount and attempt some drilling.

 

If anyone else is interested, here are radiator volumes for the rads I have measured so far:

 

1) Phobya G-Changer 120 (Pretty much an Alphacool UT60 120): 220 mL

2) XSPC AX480: 300 mL

3) Alphacool Monsta 480: 670 mL

4) HardwareLabs Black Ice SR1 560: 490 mL

 

I may have that Phobya number off, will check again today.

[VSG]

Got another package from PPC. Other than the odd fitting, splitter and flexbay solid covers I got 2 more things I am very excited to use

 

 

 

 

 

I will only be using the Blitz kit on the Alphacool and Phobya rads, the others will be just fine with hot water flushes + distilled water rinses hopefully. That's still a pretty decent kit for the money.

[VSG]

Hate to triple post really, but I submitted in 3 old scores from before I dismantled the 900D and I am now Top 25 in the US on HWBot Enthusiast League  :lol:  

 

This is without any real submissions done on the 4770k/KPE system so I can't wait to get this done and back to benching.

[austin541]

awesome.

[VSG]

Let me tell you this: 18 fans and the 72 hex screws are not easy to mount on the Mo.Ra:

 

 

 

I know, I know.. I will have to  cable manage better and drill a few more holes to give power/control the fans above but at least I am making full use of the extended top now. I also installed the SR1 below the Mo.Ra on the left side of the case:

 

 

With everything put in place, it looks a lot neater:

 

 

Now, I will need to add in more 5 1/4 devices so that front bay area isn't fixed by any means. I also got a Diva 'Dapter (aka the Double D's) from Darlene (IT Diva on OCN):

 

 

For those who have no idea what this is, it is a amplifier board to boost the PWM signal off an Aquaero. Now the newer batches of the Aquaero 6 are supposedly already boosted, but this will help fully control devices such as Corsair SP120 PWM and the Laing D5 PWM that don't exactly adhere to the Intel PWM standard. Since I have 16 SP120 PWM fans in here, I am eager to test it out.

 

While all this was going on, I got in touch with Thermenewho have been making thermal paste from graphene. While their gen 1 paste from graphene oxide wasn't ground breaking, I got 2 samples of their new gen 2 paste and it is really promising. We have a home built device to measure electrical and thermal conductivity of thin films and I tested this against MX-4, PK-3 and AS-5. I don't know how the latter 3 measured their values but, other than PK-3,  the actual values I got are different than what they report- especially AS-5 which was noticeably worse.

 

 

Thermene, on the other hand, came in at 11.44 W/mK which is the best of the 4 I tested. The measurements done took cure time into consideration and the mounting is not a variable either so I am very impressed by it. I was in no way sponsored to say this and I will be using it in my build (and likely everywhere else in the future). PK-3 was quite close too for those who are wondering.

[ManWithBeard1990]

How does it stack up to IC Diamond though? That's what I want to know.

[VSG]

I don't have IC Diamond to test it out. Since I am just doing this for fun, I won't be going out of my way to buy various pastes to try out. I already have the other 3 on hand. If you can send me some, I can get you the numbers.

[Opie]

How many radiators do you have? - All of them.

[VSG]

lol I got over 3 meters of linear radiator space (13*140 and 18*120). But remember this is split between two distinct computer rigs and 3 total loops.

[VSG]

I love, love, love the removable motherboard tray. Such a simple idea and yet so useful!

Since Haswell-E isn't out yet, I decided to assemble the z87/KPE rig. First off, the Maximus 6 Formula:

I kinda cheated since the EK M6F and the Koolance 380i was already on from the previous build. Also, that massive cutout means either easy cabling or untidy looking mess of cables. I will make my mind as cables come in on whether or not I get the back covers for the motherboard trays. Next up, more bling bling with the Corsair Dominator Platinums and the light bar upgrade kit:

I see the upcoming x79/x99 build as a bit of redemption in that I bought into the hype from "tech reviewers" and went with the stereotype forum favorites: 900D, Asus ROG with all them gaming features like Sonic Radar that I have used never, Corsair Dom Plats etc. Oh well, live and learn. Too bad the upcoming Rampage V Extreme will still be one of the best x99 boards and have features I will continue to never use.

Now then, let's have something Classified:

Again, if anyone wants to see more pics of this engineering beauty, I link two albums: Unboxing the KPE and Watercooling the KPE

Now then, one KPE is good but two are better:

Ok, ok I know it is on the stock cooler but I have to test it first. How about a better looking SLI bridge instead?

A 120mm exhaust fan later, it is back in the case for now. I got a thin 120 rad on the way that I might put in exhaust instead if it doesn't clash with the MOSFET block. The Phobya G-Changer definitely doesn't.

A better look at the sheer amount of space left:

Not to worry, there will be two massive reservoirs going in there along with 2-3 pumps. Heck, in my mind that space actually seems small now. One more look, this time with the door closed:

I might have to get one XXL windowed door if this doesn't suffice. I will be removing the entire motherboard tray out, install the tech station parts and use it outside with the dual 480 rads till I get all the reservoirs and pumps inside.

[Face2Face]

Wait.. what are the measurements of this thing?  Jesus, It looks like a fridge. seems like everyone is going to ITX builds nowadays, so this is nice for a change. This thing is going to be more expensive than a used nice car when it's done - very cool.

[VSG]

The TX10-D by default comes in at 20.63"W x 36.25"H x 30.38"D (524mm x 921mm x 772mm), add in another 146mm from the extended top, 21mm or so for the casters and 212mm for the pedestal and we are at 524mm x 1300mm x 772mm. That makes this thing 1.3 meters tall (4' 3.5" or so).

[Lays]

This makes me want to start building my new rig >.<

 

I still haven't decided on what case i want to use  I want to use a 360 and a 240, or two 360's, but I don't want the case to be very big  I am sorta liking the idea of a define 4, and then getting one of those radiator shrouds that go on the top of the case, then I could use 2 360's and run the tubing really nice-like.

 

 

@VSG how long til the next update?

[VSG]

This weekend, I use the Mayhems Blitz part 1 on the Alphacool, XSPC and Phobya rads. I also need to put on the EK block on the second KPE. Then I can just use the motherboard tray with the tech station feet as a test bench with the same setup as in the 900D outside while I set up the rest of the loop inside. If I get time I will also test out the Aquaero with the add-on PCB and see if 1 channel can control 16 Corsair SP120 PWM fans while another powers/controls 26 140mm 3-pin fans

 

Mayhems will be sending me a little something as a prize for a contest I "won" and FrozenQ has an announcement soon regarding new products that I will be interested in (no more on that till the announcement). 

[Lays]

This weekend, I use the Mayhems Blitz part 1 on the Alphacool, XSPC and Phobya rads. I also need to put on the EK block on the second KPE. Then I can just use the motherboard tray with the tech station feet as a test bench with the same setup as in the 900D outside while I set up the rest of the loop inside. If I get time I will also test out the Aquaero with the add-on PCB and see if 1 channel can control 16 Corsair SP120 PWM fans while another powers/controls 26 140mm 3-pin fans

 

Mayhems will be sending me a little something as a prize for a contest I "won" and FrozenQ has an announcement soon regarding new products that I will be interested in (no more on that till the announcement). 

 

 

How do you like the g changer phobya? I have two of the version 2's and they seem pretty sturdy & cool pretty dang well.    ( I actually have 3, but my cousin poke a hole in one by using the wrong screws, so it's on my shelf lol)

[VSG]

I didn't buy it so I don't mind. It is pretty much the Alphacool UT60 with a steel plate on the sides and a bleed screw instead of the drain port. The Phobya and Alphacool rads are made at the same factory I bet so these will get a thorough cleaning from the Mayhems Blitz kit.

[Lays]

Yeah, I noticed how similar it looked online to the ut60, I was curious if it was the same OEM/ Factory, I guess I was right

[VSG]

A lot of Phobya/Alphacool products are identical, not just the rads.

[CtW]

[VSG]

Is it bad that I haven't watched a single Simpsons episode completely?

[CtW]

Is it bad that I haven't watched a single Simpsons episode completely?

Your're not alone. I have only watched 3!

[VSG]

Your're not alone. I have only watched 3!

 

The issue is the earlier episodes were the best ones but they will seem outdated given the references from long ago and I hear the recent episodes have not been really good at all. Oh well, I will keep my South Park.

[VSG]

Has it been two weeks already? Well here is a massive update post to compensate. Let's begin with taking a look at the first post again. Thanks to Hellfire Toyz, this build is now sponsored. I have ordered from them multiple times in the past, especially on their Amazon and eBay store. The owner, Eric, also gives free shipping past a price point and allows for special orders of EK and Koolance products if he (or none of your friendly neighborhood watercooling gear retailers) have it in stock. So many thanks to Eric again:

 

 

Now then, a couple of international packages came in this past week. First up:

 

 

Now what could that be? Oh ya, replacement brackets for the Aquaero 6 so they actually do fit in a standard 5 1/4" bay.

 

 

Those didn't look any different from the naked eye, or dSLR lens for that matter. In fact, here is an image with one of the old and new brackets each next to each other. Imaginary brownie points for those who can tell which one is which:

 

 

Got them installed on the AQ6, man that red heatsink looks very nice!

 

 

But does it actually help out? It was hard to fit the AQ6 in earlier, the display front plate used to bulge out a bit and I was just about to order the Caselabs short non-confirming mounts when I realized I might as well make good use of Shoggy's offer of replacement brackets. This way, I can be rest assured that this would work with any case for anyone in the future- if it does work, that is!

 

 

Yes!! Thanks Shoggy, it was a massive relief getting this in easily with no real effort.

 

Before I go to the next international package, I had something in mind with the Aquaero, Darlene's Diva 'Dapter which was referenced previously in here and the Corsair SP120 "PWM" fans. My other PSU, the Corsair ax1200i, is already in the case so I figured what better way than this to test out the EVGA 1300G2 that I had recently bought:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Customary EVGA logo close up shot above. Speaking of close up shots and small objects, here is the NZXT Grid which is currently at a great price on Amazon (US website anyway) next to a Nexus 4 for comparison. The thing is much smaller in person than what I expected from images:

 

 

10 channel 3-pin fan hub, each channel capable of supplying upto 3 watts. It comes with all the cables needed as well. So at <$10 currently, this has to be a steal- not really. Thanks to an OCN member, I realized that the rpm (tach) signal wire is split to all 10 ports in this making it useless to use with most fan controllers because the rpm speed inputs from all of the fans will corrupt the signal and the fan speed will not be correctly reported to the controller. Even cheap 3-pin fan splitter cables will only have all three wires going to one of the fan plugs, and just the 12v and ground to the rest. So I decided to open 'er up to see if newer batches had this corrected by any chance.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately not, while faint one can still see the RPM trace going across from channel to channel on the PCB.. Oh well, there was already a solution provided above so I did the same, i.e, cut off the RPM signal prong from 9 of the 10 ports and make sure that single port with the RPM prong is occupied:

 

 

Problem solved, the Aquaero displayed RPMs correctly now. So I now started testing the real issue I had: Corsair's PWM implementation on their SP120 fans. Feel free to skip this section if this is not relevant to you. First up, the SP120 QE

 

Hooked directly to the Aquaero, at 50% PWM control:

 

 

Now connected to Channel 1 of the Swiftech 8 way PWM splitter, which is powered straight from the 1300G2:

 

 

Ok, that's close enough. Let's add in another fan:

 

 

We already start to see the effect of a non-standard PWM implementation. So now with fan 3 added:

 

 

Fan 4:

 

 

Fan 5:

 

 

Getting bad now, what about 6 fans on the splitter?

 

 

Ouch! Now adding fan 7:

 

 

Full speed already, no control whatsoever possible. Finally, fan 8:

 

 

Nothing changes as expected. So can the Double D help out? I hooked up the splitter to the adapter and had the passthrough over to the Aquaero.

 

 

Now with all 8 channels filled, and at the same 50% PWM signal:

 

 

Darlene is a magician- or someone with a very good electrical engineering background. Personally I prefer the former. Control is back on, the only change being a lower RPM compared to when a single fan was hooked up directly. I can live with that, I don't imagine having to run full speed anyway. The QEs are pretty quiet (who would have thought!) so let's try out a bigger challenge- the Corsair SP120 HPE fans.

 

First up, a fan hooked directly to the Aquaero at 50% control:

 

 

Now the same fan hooked via the Swiftech splitter:

 

 

Identical for all intents. Let's add fan 2:

 

 

Sigh.. Why did you have to do this, Corsair? Oh that's right- proprietary implementation + making a controller that is the only thing to work with it = Profit :thumbsdow

 

Fan 3 added:

 

 

Fan 4 added:

 

 

Now with fan 5:

 

 

and the dreaded 6th fan:

 

 

As expected, a massive jump with 6 fans on. A few users have reported having no control with 6 fans but I have a wee bit left as was the case with the QE fans. But now with fan 7:

 

 

As before, everything now runs at ~100% speed no matter what. Adding in the final 8th fan does nothing really different:

 

 

Does the 'Dapter help here too?

 

 

Yes, it does. As with the previous case, the RPMs are lowered a bit. That isn't an issue for me as I said before but I am curious as to why this is happening. Moving on, I hooked up both splitters to the adapter PCB and then to the AQ6:

 

 

No need to repeat the results here, it was the same as before. So I am confident the PCB will perform as intended with all channels occupied. In fact, this is so good that daisychaining also works. I hooked up 15 fans total (8 HPE, 7 QE) to the adapter and then to 1 channel on the AQ6 and it worked great. There is a caveat though- if I hooked up the 8 HPEs to 1 channel on the Swiftech splitter that housed 7 other QE fans, then there was no control available. If I daisychained it so that the QEs were hooked to the splitter that had the HPE fans, it was fine. Another point of curiosity but since I don't have any plans on having these different fans on the same channel, it does not affect me. Hopefully it will help others who want to try this.

 

Tl,dr.: Darlene's Diva 'Dapter works great. If you have a PWM controller (Newer Aquaero 6 units have this taken care of apparently) and have Corsair's PWM fans, chances are it won't work as expected. This will help.

 

Now to the other international package, Mayhems sent me a Blitz Basic kit for coming in close to winning his contest a few weeks back. I had already purchased a Blitz Pro kit from PPC so here they are together:

 

 

Blitz Basic has only his Part 2 solution which is enough for a 4 L effective cleaning solution of a loop. Now if you have rads that you suspect haven't been cleaned well from the factory *cough..Alphacool, Phobya..cough* or have purchased 2nd hand rads which have had dyes/colored coolant run through them, I would recommend using Part 1 on the rads alone. Here is the issue I have: Thanks to US customs, Mick was forced to change the formulation of Part 1 so it only gives 1 L effective as opposed to 2 L everywhere else. The Alphacool Monsta 480 alone consumes over 650 mL filled and I got a Mo.Ra 3 9.140 and Black Ice SR 1 560 that were used by a previous owner which I want to clean up as well. While I am at it, I might as well clean the other rads I have too. So I would imagine needing 3-4 L effective Part 1 (I have numbers for all the rads but that Mo.Ra) which means needing another 2-3 Blitz Pro kits just for more Part 1. I am tempted to just do the Monsta and and SR 1 rads now and have the rest cleaned with a dilute phosphoric acid solution but if anyone has suggestions otherwise, I am all ears.

[Lays]

hello friend vsg, good update   

 

 

Does the 1300 g2 have a passive mode switch on the back like the 1000 p2? That switch is 10/10 in my book, even if I put a full load on it, the fan doesn't turn on til the psu hits 45 c, such an amazing feature imo.