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No compromises M-Atx water cooled build log <Feedback appreciated!

Sean W.

This build is made possible by Raidmax and Silverstone


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Hey guys!
 
 Time to upgrade my rig I built 2 years ago. Really the only part that needs upgrading is the GTX 690 she is getting tired and simply cannot keep up with modern AAA titles on my new LG 34UM95 3440x1440 monitor! I figured I'd use the opportunity to build the ultimate small form factor case that will last me another 2 years!
 
 This is is going to be a no compromises M-Atx build to show just how powerful and quiet of a machine you can build in a very small case. Click HERE and HERE for more about the case!
 
 This build log may be a bit pre-mature, still waiting on a few things like the powersupply and the motherboard. But the case came in today and I immediatly tore into it and took some pictures!
 
Stay tuned! Lots of great stuff to come! :thumb:
 
   Specs:
 
-Case: Raidmax Hyperion black M-Atx cube case
-Motherboard: MSI Z97M Gaming
-Processor: i7 4770K
-Graphics: 2x MSI Reference GTX 980s
-RAM: 16gigs of Corsair Vengance 1866mhz DDR3
-Powersupplly: EVGA SuperNova G2 850W
-OS Drive: 128gig Samsung 830 SSD
-Storage drive: 512gig Crucial M4 SSD
-Additional storage: 4tb network storage 
 
Cooling:
 
 -CPU block: Enzotech Sapphire Rev A
 -GPU blocks: EK Geforce GTX 980 VGA Liquid Cooling Block
 -Pump: Swiftech MCP655 aka Laing D5 vario
 -Res: Swiftech Micro res rev. 2
 -Barbs: 3/8" no name black barbs
 -Fans: 120mm BitFenix Spectre(not pro) undervolted to 5v
 -Radiators: 2x Alphacool NexXxoS 240mm ST30 + 1 Alphacool NexXxos 120mm ST30 Full Copper 
 -Tubing: Homedepot black 3/8" tubing
 -Coolant: Distilled water
 
R1gMtlbl.jpg
 
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OM8i9Rol.jpg
 
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8R8epQul.jpg
 
uqbacw4l.jpg
 
rFIAydOl.jpg
 
and the graphics cards!
 
Tr14idol.jpg
 
That's all for now!
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Just wondering, but why a separate OS drive?

CPU: Ryzen 5 5600 Motherboard: MSI B550 Tomahawk RAM: 32Gb DDR4  GPU(s): MSI 6800-XT Case: NZXT H440 Storage: 4x 250gb SSD + 2TB HDD PSU: Corsair RM850x with CableMod Displays: 1 x Asus ROG Swift And 3 x 24" 1080p Cooling: H100i Keyboard: Corsair K70 RGB Mouse: Corsair M65 RGB Sound: AKG 553 Operating System: Windows 10

 

Current PC: 

http://i.imgur.com/ubYSO3f.jpg          http://i.imgur.com/xhpDcqd.jpg

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Just wondering, but why a separate OS drive?

The OS drive seems faster

Lets all ripperoni in pepperoni

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The Samsung is a bit faster, but I also like to keep the OS and applications separate from where the games are. I bought the Samsung first and it was my only drive for a while. I could only have the OS and one or two AAA games installed at a time. I found a good deal on the Crucial M4 512gig SSD and just threw her in there. Decided to use that for just games. ;)

 

 thanks guys!

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So, 

 

 First things first that, blue ring around the top of the case needs to be painted. 

 

nothing in the build is going to be blue, so it doesn't match anything. 

 

R1gMtlbl.jpg

 

 

The only thing in the case that is going to have any color on it is going to be the red dragon bits on the motherboard. I'm torn between painting that ring either red or black... Leaning more towards black. Everything goes with black ;)

 

through my exceptional MS Paint skills, we can see what each will look like. Thoughts?

 

1SrV54xl.jpg

 

EAlCpbgl.jpg

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That is a sweet case! 

Main Rig: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/58641-the-i7-950s-gots-to-go-updated-104/ | CPU: Intel i7-4930K | GPU: 2x EVGA Geforce GTX Titan SC SLI| MB: EVGA X79 Dark | RAM: 16GB HyperX Beast 2400mhz | SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256gb | HDD: 2x Western Digital Raptors 74gb | EX-H34B Hot Swap Rack | Case: Lian Li PC-D600 | Cooling: H100i | Power Supply: Corsair HX1050 |

 

Pfsense Build (Repurposed for plex) https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/715459-pfsense-build/

 

 

 

 

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That is a sweet case! 

 

Agreed, I almost gave up hope looking for a case that could house what I wanted to do.

 

I looked at cases like the

 

Air 240

Thermaltake core v21

Fractal Node 804

 

But really nothing fit the bill. As I gave up, I came across the Raidmax Hyperion, an awesome case from an unlikely manufacturer. The more and more I looked into it, the more I liked it. 

 

 Before I had the case in hand, I thought I was going to be able to get two 240mm radiators size by size in the top, but thats not going to be possible unfortunatly. 

 
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So I decided to paint that blue ring black instead of red.

 

 So first thing to do is to take the top off the case and remove the front panel I/O circuit board.

 

yFY8i7Gl.jpg

 

vJBfvfRl.jpg

 

with that out of the way, I can remove all the screws that hold the blue ring on

 

8c0FlWJl.jpg

 

Its a delicate process, didn't want to break it.

 

Vip6vebl.jpg

 

painted black and good to go now!

 

nwHZ2Fsl.jpg

 

8aGBhxXl.jpg

 

Will post pictures of the case with the newly painted ring on it tomorrow!

 

 That's all for now!

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Following this! Remember me Sean? xD Good luck on Project, excited to see the end results

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Well here is the case with the finished black ring! I think it looks much better!

 

POYAhzil.jpg

 

Thats all for now!

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Alright, update time! Not sure if anyone is watching this...

 

My new power supply came today! 

 

I got the Corsair RM850. It has plenty of power for my needs and with this being a silence oriented build, this power supply fit the bill really well because it has a hybrid fan mode where the fan turns off at low loads. Its also been marketed as a PSU that is designed for silence with silent optimized and binned parts, like capacitors and other internals, meant to protect against coil whine and other annoying sounds. Another thing I like about it is that it has all black cables, the cables are also flat! 

 

 Here are some pics! The motherboard is on its way, ill be painting the mother board heat sinks, so stay tuned for that!

 

hHlFFZcl.jpg

 

gVyRo8el.jpg

 

8lmrxiXl.jpg

 

With some of the new hardware that is going to be going in the case starting arrive, I can start to put things where they are going to go and get an idea of how things are going to fit. 

 

Here is how the power supply/ pump/ res compartment is shaping up. I think things are going to fall into place nicely. 

 

BtB4Q1jl.jpg

 

Thats all for now, thanks guys! lemme know what you think!

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Alright, update time! Not sure if anyone is watching this...

My new power supply came today!

I got the Corsair RM850. It has plenty of power for my needs and with this being a silence oriented build, this power supply fit the bill really well because it has a hybrid fan mode where the fan turns off at low loads. Its also been marketed as a PSU that is designed for silence with silent optimized and binned parts, like capacitors and other internals, meant to protect against coil whine and other annoying sounds. Another thing I like about it is that it has all black cables, the cables are also flat!

Here are some pics! The motherboard is on its way, ill be painting the mother board heat sinks, so stay tuned for that!

With some of the new hardware that is going to be going in the case starting arrive, I can start to put things where they are going to go and get an idea of how things are going to fit.

Here is how the power supply/ pump/ res compartment is shaping up. I think things are going to fall into place nicely.

Thats all for now, thanks guys! lemme know what you think!

Pretty darn amazing. What's the color scheme of the build?

Just a guy who peaked at building back in the days of the GTX 980. If you see me here, assume i have technical knowledge akin to a committed hobbyist builder back then. If something's changed, you'll need to tell me(nicely plz). I'm probably asking for help with the modern build scene since I have no clue what's going on.

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i will keep and eye on this, since i'm thinking to wc my node 804

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Pretty darn amazing. What's the color scheme of the build?

 

 

Havent really decided, Kinda thinking just murdered out black...

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wow this looks like the case i've been searching for :o

Had the Node 804 in mind too.

But this one looks like A LOT of plastic? :/ Node804 is all aluminium i think.

Gaming HTPC:

R5 5600X - Cryorig C7 - Asus ROG B350-i - EVGA RTX2060KO - 16gb G.Skill Ripjaws V 3333mhz - Corsair SF450 - 500gb 960 EVO - LianLi TU100B


Desktop PC:
R9 3900X - Peerless Assassin 120 SE - Asus Prime X570 Pro - Powercolor 7900XT - 32gb LPX 3200mhz - Corsair SF750 Platinum - 1TB WD SN850X - CoolerMaster NR200 White - Gigabyte M27Q-SA - Corsair K70 Rapidfire - Logitech MX518 Legendary - HyperXCloud Alpha wireless


Boss-NAS [Build Log]:
R5 2400G - Noctua NH-D14 - Asus Prime X370-Pro - 16gb G.Skill Aegis 3000mhz - Seasonic Focus Platinum 550W - Fractal Design R5 - 
250gb 970 Evo (OS) - 2x500gb 860 Evo (Raid0) - 6x4TB WD Red (RaidZ2)

Synology-NAS:
DS920+
2x4TB Ironwolf - 1x18TB Seagate Exos X20

 

Audio Gear:

Hifiman HE-400i - Kennerton Magister - Beyerdynamic DT880 250Ohm - AKG K7XX - Fostex TH-X00 - O2 Amp/DAC Combo - 
Klipsch RP280F - Klipsch RP160M - Klipsch RP440C - Yamaha RX-V479

 

Reviews and Stuff:

GTX 780 DCU2 // 8600GTS // Hifiman HE-400i // Kennerton Magister
Folding all the Proteins! // Boincerino

Useful Links:
Do you need an AMP/DAC? // Recommended Audio Gear // PSU Tier List 

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wow this looks like the case i've been searching for :o

Had the Node 804 in mind too.

But this one looks like A LOT of plastic? :/ Node804 is all aluminium i think.

 

Its not reallly all that much plastic. Just the top and front fascia...

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Alright guys,

 

 Had a bit of time to work on the build today, there still isnt a lot that I can do without the motherboard, which should be here on Wednessday. Money is also a bit tight so itll be another couple weeks before I get the radiators and 980 Waterblocks.

 

 So today I focused on something I could do, painting my ol' faithful Enzotech Sapphire Rev. A CPU waterblock. Ive had this old gal since the Phenom II 965 Black edition days. It has prooved time and time again to be an amazing performer and has always served me well, Not to mention, its something I already have so thats just one less thing I have to buy.

 

 The only thing about it is that it has a kinda gunmetal blue paint scheme on it, that wont serve this new build very well, so today I painted it.

 

Here it is as a virgin, un-messed with and in all its original glory. Forgive the appearence of the block its self, looks a bit like brass instead of copper, but she's an old gal, give her a break.

 

WC6MKVql.jpg

 

After scuffing it up real good with a scrub pad and making sure its perfectly clean, I tapped off the barbs and prepped it for paint.

 

aNEKdvnl.jpg

 

Here it is after 3 light coats about 5 minutes apart with Krylon matte black metal paint, I think it turned out awesome.

 

b0Waqynl.jpg

 

This is the paint I used.

 

d9MH1pNl.jpg

 

 Thats all for now! thanks guys!

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wait... what? Raidmax makes a case that doesn't look like absolute ass??? this is new to me...

Pro Tip: don't use flash when taking pictures of your build; use a longer exposure instead. Prop up your camera with something (preferably a tripod) if necessary.

if you use retarded/autistic/etc to mean stupid please gtfo

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Thanks guys!

 

The mobo should be here tomorrow! 

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Alright guys!

 

 Update time!

 

 So, the Corsair RM850 PSU I was going to use for this build initially..... Erm... Exploded..... During testing, so I will not be using it. 

 

If you want to read more about that, check out the thread I made on that topic here:

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/358789-corsair-rm850-exploded/

 

 INSTEAD! I returned the corsair unit to the store I bought it from and got an EVGA 850W G2 power supply instead. After a few hours of testing, Im confidant it wont explode... hopefully. 

 

 So.... Pictures of the replacement different moar better psu that will be powering this beast for the foreseeable future!

 

FppfOpCl.jpg

 

Packaging and presentation is much much better than the Corsair.

MN0f9Nvl.jpg

 

and the unit itself, in all its glory!

yC7qfXgl.jpg

 

That is all for now! Huge update coming tomorrow!

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Alright guys!

 

 Big update today! The motherboard came in early today, So I was able to test fit it and check clearances for everything, so far everything is looking like its going to fit well!

 

She's beautiful!

dDnuLV9l.jpg

 

Installed it temporarily just to see how things were going to line up and marked a hole where I needed to drill a hole to make routing the front panel connectors easier.

 

tDzh6lul.jpg

 

Silver Sharpe mark is where I drilled a 1/2" hole

nUvSOnul.jpg

 

With the color scheme for this build being kinda, murdered out black, I was going to pull off the red bits on the motherboard heatsinks to paint them black. Luckily the red parts were for just looks and had nothing to do with the actual cooling and were just held on with screws.

Dyq9u4nl.jpg

 

Unfortunately, Hercules tightens these screws and they were extremely tight, I stripped one of the screws trying to get it off :'( The only other option was to remove the heatsinks from the motherboard and drill out the screws, I didnt feel like doing that, So I decided Ill just live with the red accents on the motherboard.

of4RDcal.jpg

 

Anyway, with that out the window, I moved onto the next project for the build. Sound proofing the case! I reached out to Silverstone and they sent me over a set of their sound proofing material for me to use! Its a great material to work with and Im really looking forward to hearing how much of a difference it makes.

 

GJiaK68l.jpg

 

 First I use graphing paper to make a template of the area I want to make a patch for

pWBoGpll.jpg

 

Then I transfer that template to the back of the sound dampening material

mpvyxkll.jpg

 

Test fit the patch

s8Qu1NXl.jpg

 

Then I remove a small portion of the the paper that protects the sticky side

xqxXpG1l.jpg

 

Then stick part of the pad to the surface and slowly start to remove the rest of the backing while guiding the rest of the pad into place

v7WN02Xl.jpg

 

Icyta5Bl.jpg

 

Success! I covered every possible surface in the case I could!

HDJDvFll.jpg

 

Another thing I was able to get done today was permanently mount the reservoir 

mYwfXYQl.jpg

 

and cut a 1" hole in the top for access to the fill port in the top of the case

7UwFQkRl.jpg

 

 

Anyway! thats all for now!

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Had more time to work on the computer today.

 

Having a fan controller is essential on my builds, I like to under-volt my fans so they run quieter, thats the whole reason why I water cool my computers, to make them quiet. Unfortunately the Raidmax Hyperion does not have a built in fan controller, So... I installed one :D

 

The fan controller I decided to use was the Zalman Fan Mate 2, Ill use it to control all the fans in the case simultaneously. The controller can support up to 6Watts. The fans im using all use .10Amps at 12v, but I will be under-volting them to around 5-6volts which makes them draw around 0.6Amps each. So Ill be able to run all 9 fans from the fan controller.

CEfAZX2l.jpg

 

The first thing I did was rewire it to be powered by a Molex connector instead of a 3 pin motherboard header.

D8cruTal.jpg

 

Then I drilled a small hole in the bottom right of the front fascia 

ARSXgpCl.jpg

 

The applied the double sided foam tape, being careful to cover as few the ventilation holes as possible.

pANBpZFl.jpg

 

Then installed the fan controller.

SVkmICsl.jpg

 

Hidden but easy to get to 

DKVRhg5l.jpg

 

Cant even tell its there!

kjMxZC1l.jpg

 

 

Anyway, thats all for now!

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that fan controller placement is very clever. i like that! :) 

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