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|| Enz0man's Dream Rig || Liquid Cooled Corsair Air 240 Build ||

Enz0man
Hey everybody! Welcome to my dream rig that I am finally building after thinking about it for years.

 

Ever since I started getting into computers and watching Linus' videos, I've wanted to build my own badass gaming machine. However that was back when I was about 15 years old and didn't have the money or the know-how to do such a thing. However, I have now taken the plunge and started building my dream rig, so let's get going! Here's the parts list:

 

     SYSTEM COMPONENTS:

 

Case: Corsair Carbide Air 240

 

Motherboard: Asus Z97-M PLUS

 

Processor: Intel Core i5 4690k

 

Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury 16GB 1866mhz

 

Graphics Card: EVGA Geforce GTX 760 SC ACX EVGA Geforce GTX 980 SC ACX 2.0

 

Storage: Seagate 1TB Hard Drive Crucial M500 960GB SSD

 

Power Supply: Corsair RM650

 

   COOLING:

 

Processor: Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO (EK Supremacy EVO Nickel Plexi)

 

Graphics Card: EK FC980 GTX Copper Acetal

 

Radiators: EK Coolstream XT120mm and Hardware Labs Black Ice Nemesis 240GTS

 

Pump: Alphacool Liang DDC310 w/ Barrow Clear Top

 

Reservoir: Barrow PMMA DDC Pump Integration Reservoir

 

Tubing: Primochill 3/8 x 1/2 PETG

 

Coolant: Mayhems Pastel Orange

 

Fans: 2 Corsair AF120's 3 Fractal Design Venturi HP-12's

 

Fittings:

          - White Monsoon Hardline Economy Fittings

          - NoName Drain Valve

          - Barrow Clear 3-way Junction Fitting

          - XSPC Male to Male Fitting

          - Barrow Clear Plug

 

    ACCESSORIES:

 

Cables: Icemodz Value Extensions Orange and White

             Icemodz Front Panel Extensions White

             ModDIY White Sleeved USB 3.0 Extension

             Bitfenix Alchemy White Sleeved HD Audio Extension

 

Backplate: V1Tech Nvidia Claw White and Orange Acrylic Backplate

 

Case Lights: NZXT 2m White LED's Cheap NoName eBay LED Strip

 

    PERIPHERALS:

 

Monitor: Asus MX279 27" 1080p IPS

 

Speakers: Audioengine A5+ and Audioengine D1 DAC

 

Keyboard: Logitech G710+

 

Mouse: Func MS3² and Steelseries Hard Mousepad

 

 

So those are the parts i'll be using. For what I do with the system, general use and gaming, it is a little overpowered because I don't play many AAA titles. However I decided to use powerful components like this because once the system is liquid cooled, it'll be a pain in the ass to upgrade, especially since i will be using rigid tubing. The only reason i'm using rigid tubing, and probably the only reason anybody uses it, is for the looks. It'll be a bit of a pain to work with but i'm up to the challenge because I know the results will be stunning. That's all I have to say about the build and the idea in general for now, so let's get on to the building itself!

 

The first thing I bought was the Air 240. And when I first got it, I was surprised that the outside was white, but the inside and chassis itself was black. So that had to change. I stripped it down, which is super easy to do in this case, and painted the chassis white. Since i'm lazy however, I only painted the parts that people will see; inside the main chamber and the back. It turned out good enough for me, but it's certainly not perfect. And while I was painting the chassis was when I decided to do the orange accent colour. Originally, I was going to do absolutely everything white. Complete white out build. But while painting it I decided it might look a bit bland, so I went and picked up a can of orange spray paint and sprayed the grilles orange. The bad part of all of this is I lost all of the pictures I took of the painting process.

 

I have been buying all of the parts in stages so after I bought the case, I waited about a month until I bought the motherboard, CPU, memory, and power supply.

 

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So here is a quick potato quality phone pic I snapped while i was temporarily assembling everything to make sure it all worked and posted and everything. Now i'll warn all of you that I often get carried away and forget to take pictures while I work. And when I do take pictures, they are often with my phone.

 

Now this is where things get a bit unusual and possibly controversial. I bought an Asus Z97M-PLUS because it was on clearance at my local computer store. However the brown PCB was the ugliest thing I have ever seen which needed to change. So I did some googling and found out that (apparently) it's safe to Plasti-dip motherboards! Since I really wanted to get rid of the horrible brownness, I went ahead and did it.

 

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Here is the motherboard (mostly) masked up. The keen viewers will notice that I forgot to mask off the M.2 slot which I noticed shortly after taking that picture. I also took off the CPU mounting bracket, and the heatsink for the power delivery stuff right beside the socket, because I painted that with spray paint. I did 5 coats of dip on the motherboard, and took a picture after each coat. 

 

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I think it turned out very well! I also painted the large gold chipset heatsink too, which I forgot to take pictures of. So after all of that had dried, I started to reassemble everything.

 

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There is the occasional rough edge where the tape peeled up the dip a bit, but a lot of it isn't visible. You can also vaguely see the white painted mosfet (or whatever they are) heatsink.

 

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Here you can see the white painted chipset heatsink.

 

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And there is the motherboard stuff all put together. I am currently just using a Hyper 212 Evo from my previous computer because I still want to overclock before I liquid cool. There is a small problem with this though...

 

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The side panel doesn't fit because the cooler is too tall... but I would much rather have the side panel off than use the stock Intel heatsink.

 

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And here it is all assembled and lit up with my old GTX 760. And that is all i'm posting for tonight. This isn't how the computer looks right now and I still have more pictures and stuff to post, but I need to go to bed so i'll post the rest of it tomorrow. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy my first meaningful computer build as much as I have so far! I would love to hear what you guys think of it!

 

Also if the pictures for some reason don't work, i'm sorry in advance. I'll fix it ASAP

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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I didn't know it was considered safe to paint PCBs lol

 

I'll keep that in mind. Probably gotta get special non-conductive paint?

 

Nice white theme, watercooling might be somewhat challenging in that tiny case :P

Someone told Luke and Linus at CES 2017 to "Unban the legend known as Jerakl" and that's about all I've got going for me. (It didn't work)

 

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that looks awesome :)

CPU- i7 5960x MOTHERBOARD- Asus Rampage V extreme RAM- 32gb Corsair Dominator Platinum ddr4 2800mhz GPU-  2X EVGA GTX 980 SC in SLI PSU- Corsair ax860 CASE- Corsair Obsidian 750d COOLING- EK cpu+dual gpu custom loop (ek supremacy evo, dual gtx 980 copper/acetal waterblocks) MOUSE- Logitech g502 proteus core KEYBOARD- Ducky shine 3 cherry mx blue switches and blue LED MONITOR- Samsung u28d590d UHD  STORAGE -  120 gb samsung 850 evo ssd, 960 gb ocz trion ssd OS- Windows 10 pro http://pcpartpicker.com/p/jtP8GX

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I didn't know it was considered safe to paint PCBs lol

 

I'll keep that in mind. Probably gotta get special non-conductive paint?

 

Nice white theme, watercooling might be somewhat challenging in that tiny case :P

 

It's actually plasti-dip on the motherboard. It's a special rubbery spray-on coating which turns out is non-conductive, and can be peeled off. I've had it dipped for a few months now and nothing has gone wrong yet! And yes liquid cooling is going to be challenging, but it has been done in this case before, so it will happen eventually.

 

 

Asus z97 krait edition  :P Anyway im looking forward to how this turns out

 

that looks awesome :)

 

Thanks!

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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It's actually plasti-dip on the motherboard. It's a special rubbery spray-on coating which turns out is non-conductive, and can be peeled off. I've had it dipped for a few months now and nothing has gone wrong yet! And yes liquid cooling is going to be challenging, but it has been done in this case before, so it will happen eventually.

 

That's good to know. Not like my case has a window anyways :P

Someone told Luke and Linus at CES 2017 to "Unban the legend known as Jerakl" and that's about all I've got going for me. (It didn't work)

 

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... Plasti-dip Liquid Cooling protection. (lightbulb over head)

i7 6700k // H110i GTX, 4xNoctua 140mm Industrial 3k // Asus Z170 Pro Gaming // 8GB 2400mhz // MSI GTX 970 // Enthoo Pro M

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Just editied the original post. I actually have a 4690k, not a 4670k. Don't know why I put that...  :wacko:

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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Why dont you water cool your CPU?

PC is Intel Core i5 6400, GIgabyte H170 Gaming 3, Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x4GB 2400Mhz ,Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB, WD Blue 1TB, NZXT S340, ASUS Geforce GTX 960. Fractal Design Tesla R2 650W. http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/793XNG. Graphics card choices don't always have to be dictated on performance. If you want the game stream and power consumption of the GTX 970 get that. If you want raw performance of the R9 390 get that. In the end we are all gamers, so what if your buddy gets an extra 5 fps? 

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Why dont you water cool your CPU?

I'm going to, but that won't be for a little bit. My update tomorrow will elaborate on this.

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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Get a water cooler bro

Just save up a bit

You're the second person to post that. It's also been mentioned by OP at least three times at this point. Does anyone actually know how to read anymore?

Hey! New SIgnature! 

 

I'm supposedly a person on the Internet, but you'll never know if I'm human or not ;)

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Okay here is the second update that will explain where the computer is at now and where I will be going with it, since there seems to be some confusion about the liquid cooling aspect of it, even though all of the parts are in the parts list and there is a paragraph where I talk about it  :P

 

So after I built the computer, it stayed the same for quite a while. The only thing I really did was mess with some cables trying to hide some of them better and make it look cleaner.

 

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Here is a better picture of the outside of the case. I think the orange grilles turned out fairly well, although looking up close at them, there are a couple marks on them from me flipping them over before they were completely dry to paint the other side. I'm not very patient when it comes to certain things  ^_^

 

If I remember correctly, the next thing I changed was the white sleeved HD audio and USB 3.0 extensions.  The Bitfenix sleeved HD audio extension I just got from a local computer store, and the USB 3.0 extension I ordered from ModDIY.com. I also ordered a cheap molex to 6 3 pin fan hub/controller with a low/high/off switch off eBay. I'm not currently using it because I'm only using two fans right now, and they're controlled though the BIOS to only turn on under load. I'll be using the fan hub/controller when I liquid cool the system.

 

Shortly after that, I decided to take the plunge and buy myself a GTX 980. I chose the EVGA one because it has a good air cooler, and it isn't too tall. Anybody who's familiar with this case knows that there isn't a lot of room for tall GPU coolers. And almost immediately after I bought my GTX 980, I went ahead and ordered the V1Tech white and orange acrylic backplate for it. 

 

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Here is the potato quality fan hub and the USB 3.0 extension.

 

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Here's a full view of the backplate. The Hyper 212 Evo covers a lot of it right now, but that will change shortly (LIQUID COOLING).

 

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This shows how little room there is between the top of the PCI bracket and the outside of the case. You're not going to get a Strix or Twin Frozr card in this case with the side panel on, unless you cut through it.

 

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Here is another potato quality picture with the white HD audio and USB 3.0 extensions installed, and of the GTX 980 with the V1Tech backplate. This also shows my updated cable management. I routed the PCIe power cables under the GPU instead of over it, cleaned up the 24 pin, and since there's a grommet right next to where the SATA ports are on the motherboard, I could use the right angle end of the SATA cable, plug it into the motherboard, and have it go straight through the motherboard tray, so it's almost invisible. But you can't really see that in this picture cause that area is covered by the USB 3.0 cable.

 

Next comes one of my favourite parts: sleeved cables! I went with Icemodz cables cause they were a good price, and I have heard very good things about them. I would highly recommend them because the seem very good quality, and the customer service is amazing. Now time to showcase my aggressively sub-par photography skills!

 

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Fans don't spin when the computer isn't doing anything intensive.

 

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I still need to adjust the GPU extensions because I only ordered two cable combs per 6 pin extension which admittedly wasn't enough. And the cables are straight not curved so right as they go through the grommet, they just kinda go everywhere.

 

Up until now I was just using an old Seagate 1TB HDD from my old computer. Then my local computer store had a clearance sale and I found an amazing deal on a Crucial M500 960GB SSD! I don't have any pictures of it, but I'm assuming you guys know what an SSD looks like  :D. So the hard drive is gone now, and when the comptuer is idling, it's silent. You can't hear it at all unless the room is silent and you hold your ear up to the computer.

 

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Also, the white Bitfenix fan that was in the top of the computer is gone now because I never actually hooked it up. With it gone, the top part of the computer is much more evenly lit. There are only two fan headers on this motherboard: one next to the CPU fan header at the top of the board, and one right above the top PCIe slot. I'm using a Noctua fan splitter on the top fan header to run the two front fans, and I never hooked up the top one just because I didn't want a fan cable running half way down my motherboard.

 

Now FINALLY the part that people have already questioned me about: LIQUID COOLING. YES IT IS HAPPENING. I just received my first batch of stuff from NCIX: the CPU block, GPU block, and three Fractal Design 120mm SP fans. I also bought an EK 120mm radiator from my local classifieds a while back to use in the other half of the case where the power supply and drives reside.

 

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I will be ordering the reservoir/pump top combo and a couple of fittings that won't be visible, from China, then the rest of the stuff from Performance PC's. I'll order the stuff from China ASAP, then probably order the Performance PC's stuff after my next paycheck.

 

So that's how the computer sits currently! I'll post more updates as parts roll in and to talk about how my loop will be set up. Thanks for checking this out and stay tuned for more!

 

EDIT: Just re-read this after I posted it and realized I forgot one part. I'll be changing the case lights as soon as I get around to it because I'm not a huge fan of these NZXT ones. They are hard to position and the lighting is a bit uneven. I ordered a cheap 5M white led strip off of eBay for like 4 bucks so i'll be trying that. Hopefully it works and is bright enough for my liking.

 

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But seriously, these things feel and look cheap. It just looks like a strip of paper with some LED's on it. I'm hoping they work out well though.

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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Just ordered the res/pump top combo and a few fittings for the drain system, so those should HOPEFULLY be here soonish, but you never know with China stuff...

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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Small update. I was tired of the kinda unfinished look of having no side panel on the case. So i'm doing a temporary fix; Remove the window!

 

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Just use a pair of pliers to bend up the pins that hold the window in, and it just pops out of place.

 

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I like the look of this a lot. I'm also not a huge fan of how the stock side window is tinted so once I liquid cool everything, i'll see about putting a glass side window depending on how much space I have between the window slot and the GPU block.

 

That's it so far. Thanks for checking it out, and any feedback is greatly appreciated. Stay tuned for more!

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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Update time! So when I placed the order for my sleeved extensions, I also ordered a set of white sleeved front panel extension cables, but he forgot to include them in the first package with the other sleeved extensions. But they finally arrived today! So I decided to throw them in, and took a few pictures along the way.

 

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Icemodz cabes look really nice for how inexpensive they are (i think). Although that's coming from someone who has never seen any other sleeved cables in person, apart from Bitfenix ones.

 

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It was really hard to take a picture of the area where they plug in because it's really close to the GPU and the bottom of the case. I had to hold my camera with one hand and my phone as a flashight in the other hand.

Now here are a couple of terribly lit glamour shots :) I didn't feel like setting up any other lights, nor do I really know what I'm doing when it comes to photography lighting.

 

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Well that's it for now! I'm super excited to start the liquid cooling stage, but money and shipping times are currently in the way. Stay tuned though because it will come eventually!

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well it's finally update time! Sorry for the lack of content lately; I've been quite busy.

 

So I decided to plasti-dip the waterblocks white a while ago, so here are a few pictures of the process!

 

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Just used some barb fittings to plug the other two holes on the block

 

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Even dipped the fasteners for the CPU block!

 

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First coat on the CPU block.

 

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I did one more coat on the CPU block after this, but I forgot to take a picture of it  :wacko:  It probably wouldn't be very noticeable anyway.

 

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First coat on the GPU block.

 

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The final coat on the GPU block.

 

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I think it turned out fairly well overall. There are a couple of rough edges on the GPU block where the tape peeled up the dip a tiny bit, but I'll probably end up cleaning that up as much as possible before I install them. The main face of the GPU block probably could have used an extra coat because you can just barely see some of the black though it, but it won't really be visible so it's not a big deal.

 

Secondly, I finally got around to hooking up my cheap-ass eBay LED's! And I have to say, despite how cheap they were, they're pretty amazing! It lights much more evenly than my old NZXT lights and it's WAY brighter. A lot of that is probably just the fact that there are more LED's and they're spaced closer together. The only thing is the 3M adhesive on the back is pretty bad, so I may have to use some other double sided tape if it doesn't hold up.

 

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Bright as hell! I'm super happy with it  :D

 

And now...

The TIME HAS COME!

 

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LIQUID COOLING STUFF HAS BEEN ORDERED!  :D

Black Friday was finally the time to do it. The radiator I was originally going to get, the XSPC EX240 in white, was out of stock. But one of the black friday sales was 25% off Hardware Labs radiators, so instead I ordered a Black Ice Nemesis 240GTS in white. It's a little thinner than I would have liked, but it was pretty cheap. Also got 10% off the whole order with their discount code. 

 

So that's it for now! Again, sorry about the lack of content. I'll try to keep up with it more. When the PerformancePCs stuff arrives, there will definitely be an update. Stay tuned for that!

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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Liquid cooling stuff is here!!!

 

This is super exciting since it's my first liquid cooled build. Never had the fun of opening a box full of awesome stuff :D

 

Time for pictures of everything!

 

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I know this isn't a super exciting update, but I was super excited to get all of the stuff. Just a few notes on a few things: the EK single rad I bought used from my local classifieds so if you notice the odd wear mark, that's why. And any fittings or anything that aren't white won't be in the visible part of the case. The EK single rad, male to male fitting, three-way fitting, and drain valve will all be in the other half of the case. And the pump will be visible, but i'll be either painting or plasti-dipping it white.

 

Now the only thing i'm waiting for is the res/pump top combo and i'll be ready to start working!

 

The only thing is, my res might be too tall, so it might not fit in the place I was originally going to put it, which is in the back where the two 80mm fans would be mounted. I forgot to account for the fact that I need space in the top for fluid to go back in  :unsure: i'm kinda stupid sometimes. So if it doesn't fit i'm going to have to lay it down in the bottom of the case because I really don't feel like returning it and getting a different one.

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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Love it even with aircooling! Can't wait to see the liquid cooling so you can show off the awesome backplate and white mobo better.

Thanks man! Yeah I can't wait for the liquid cooling. It's going to look sooo awesome. I'm still debating whether or not to go with white acrylic inside or not. I feel like i'll screw up all of the measurements

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Any more updates?

 

Yeah sorry the computer has actually been done for a while now. Does anybody want to see any more pictures of the process? Or should I just post a finished picture?

MY BUILD LOG

Instagram: @enz0man

 

 

 

 

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