"New" desktop build

[Pot Of Jam]

Hey!

 

I have not had a good year, the PC I brought to replace my aging laptop has had issues (from day one I feel) and I have tried to sort them out by testing this and that, even had the CPU replaced only to have the same issue reoccur a few weeks after. I have a thread here (https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/583660-reboots-under-load/) where Done12many2 has been helping me out. But after a year, I am bored of testing and want to use my PC for other things. Like Games… pewpew.

 

So I decided to build a new PC, replacing the core components and keeping the GPU’s. I also format shifted the build from a portable mATX to full ATX. How I will get it to LAN’s I will figure out another time!

 

So I got a few packages arrive:

 

 

All thinking it right? Just me? OK…

 

                             

What I ordered.

PC Comps:

Fractal Design Define S

Asus Hero VIII Alpha

Intel i7 6700k

Corsair Vengance LPX 16gb DD4 3000

 

Watercooling:

2x EK 360 SE

4x EK Vardar 2200 Fans

EK 140 DDC Res top

EK Parallel Terminal

EK DDC Heasink Base

EK Pump Mount

EK 250 tube

Monsoon matte black compression fittings

Other bits and pieces

 

What I already had.

2x EVGA 980ti Superclocked (Watercooled)

Corsair AX860i + Corsair red braided cable set

Lang DDC 1T Plus

 

As we are all taught, test the hardware before install

 

 

Not my first Rodeo so I dived straight in to the build, the Define S is a great case, but not my first choice. I wanted a Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX but they were sold out everywhere in the UK and earliest delivery was June!

 

The two radiators fitted in to the case really well, but I did have to mount the fans on the outside of the case instead of the inside on the front, but there is plenty of clearance between them and the front of the bezel.

 

 

Next I worked on the pump, this Lang is a fair few years old (at least 6!) so it needed a bit of TLC, I re-braided the cables, I used black because:

A. It hides the cable a little more

B. It’s all I had…

 

 

Then attached the heat sink base, res top and 250 tube, this is the first build I have done that uses a tube reservoir, and damn… it looks good! Pretty straight forward, there was a little thermal pad that needed to be placed on the bottom of the pump innards.

 

 

Getting the rest of the hardware in, also till now I have never water cooled a GPU, or fitted a GPU block. But after watching several youtube vids, I felt much more confident about doing so.

 

 

And now using some old fittings and tubing I did a test fit of the run, only bit I was not happy about was the GPU > Pump tubing.

 

 

Using some other fittings, I came up with this instead

 

 

Mmmm… much nicer!

 

Cables, another area I have never really done much with, apart from try to hide them, but in this build I used them to add to the look of it.

 

 

Don’t look at the back…

 

Sigh, still no good at making those look good, not sure how Murderbox do such a good job, they must be cable wizards… yeah that’s it.

 

After checking and tightening all the barbs and connectors it was ready to fill. No matter how many PC’s I build, I will always grab the kitchen roll and pray to the water cooling gods.

 

 

No bleed issues, the Lang DDC 1T Plus is a great pump to use and the liquid was quickly sent round the loop, only took minuets to bleed out all the air.

 

 

While the loop was running I attacked the Front of the case and the window panel, adding lights to the build and taking full advantage of the 5050 headers on the Hero Alpha. I used some Amazon brought 5050 LED strips and magnetic tape brought from Hobbycraft. The result is quite stunning in my opinion.

 

 

Future plans

More RAM, the two slots look a bit lonely and need filling, may buy some black to alternate the colour.

Pump maybe showing its age, it’s very whiney and I remember it being whisper quiet.

 

I don’t really do these logs tbh (I know, it shows!), but I do love building PC’s and showing them off! So I have an Idea involving this:

 

 

Thinking of some kind of retro hardline, if you would be interested in that I may have a go and up load it.

 

Well I hope you enjoyed this, if you made it this far, thanks for reading!

 

All questions welcome!

[TriFlix Films]

Great build! but... reading you rebraided $90 Corsair cables made me cringe a little as I am still trying to save up for them haha. Cheers.

[Chewique]

Eek, trying to read this on night theme  Anyway nice build though!

[Pot Of Jam]

6 hours ago, Chewique said:

Eek, trying to read this on night theme  Anyway nice build though!

Apologies, not sure what happened there, I haven't used this forum that much and the post was written in Word first, so guessing it must have carried over the formatting.

[Pot Of Jam]

6 hours ago, TriFlix Films said:

Great build! but... reading you rebraided $90 Corsair cables made me cringe a little as I am still trying to save up for them haha. Cheers.

Thanks, they are nice! A lot of people don't like the black heatshrink on the the cables, but I rather like it