Beginner help! Phanteks Evolv Shift (X)

[Below27]

Hey guys, 

 

I am building my first system and am a complete noob/beginner, so any tips help and advice would be greatly appreciated. 

 

I intend to set up:

 

I7-8700k

GTX 1080Ti

480gb Samsung Evo 960 ssd

2tb HDD

2 x 8gb 2400mhz

 

I want to ideally use the phanteks enthoo evolv shift, but I think the cooling solutions may be an issue? It has two front 120mm/140mm slots and one bottom 120/140mm slot, but it can only take two rads if they're both 120mm rads. 

 

It says on the site that it's meant for Aio cooling, but does anyone know if it is possible to have an effective custom loop set up? And if so are the two 120mm rads sufficient? If not possible, would air cooling or two aio systems be sufficient? 

 

If none of these solutions are sufficient then I would consider building the system with the phanteks Evolv Shift x instead. This case has three front 120mm/140mm slots and 1 bottom 120mm/140mm spot. With this case I would most probably be going for a custom water loop, with 1 fan at the top front for exhaust, then use the other two front slots for a 280mm rad. The question I have would be if the bottom fan should be used for a fan for cool air intake as well, or if I should use it for an additional 120mm rad? The fan I think will introduce cool air which I think may help with cooling some of the other parts like ram/motherboard etc, as well as provide some cool air (which I'm not sure will help cool the gpu/cpu as well since it's water cooled?) and help with the case ventilation especially since it's a vertical case.   Or if with bigger case, if maybe having it completely air cooled would be possible, since there is alot more space for better ventilation, and heat dissipation as well as more fan slots available. 

 

Thank you for your responses! 

[adithyay328]

This will be fine for stock speeds, I think, but acoustics will be bad at load, and maintenance is worse than with air. This case with water and that setup would just give you the negatives of water and the aesthetics as the only selling point, but IMO you should try a different case. Is there any reason that you chose this case in particular?

[Below27]

Hi, 

 

Firstly thanks for your response. I stay in a tiny apartment, and I want to set this up in my room so there are very serious space constraints. 

 

I will be placing it in a corner in my room, on my desk, so I am trying to minimise the noise and optimise cooling. Especially because I stay in a is a so room temp can be quite hot and humid and it is placed in a kind of confined area. 

 

I considered the corsair one pro as well as the origin chronos, but now I'm seeing if I can build it myself since it is quite re expensive to ship pcs into asia

[Damascus]

I recomended a shift X with a 280mm rad (custom loop), would be more than enough cooling for the system and quite quiet.

[Damascus]

Actually,  on second thought I recomended the regular shift with a 120mm think aio for the cpu and a hybrid cooler for the gpu.  

[kurt kurtson]

6 hours ago, Below27 said:

Hey guys, 

 

I am building my first system and am a complete noob/beginner, so any tips help and advice would be greatly appreciated. 

 

I intend to set up:

 

I7-8700k

GTX 1080Ti

480gb Samsung Evo 960 ssd

2tb HDD

2 x 8gb 2400mhz

 

I want to ideally use the phanteks enthoo evolv shift, but I think the cooling solutions may be an issue? It has two front 120mm/140mm slots and one bottom 120/140mm slot, but it can only take two rads if they're both 120mm rads. 

 

It says on the site that it's meant for Aio cooling, but does anyone know if it is possible to have an effective custom loop set up? And if so are the two 120mm rads sufficient? If not possible, would air cooling or two aio systems be sufficient? 

 

If none of these solutions are sufficient then I would consider building the system with the phanteks Evolv Shift x instead. This case has three front 120mm/140mm slots and 1 bottom 120mm/140mm spot. With this case I would most probably be going for a custom water loop, with 1 fan at the top front for exhaust, then use the other two front slots for a 280mm rad. The question I have would be if the bottom fan should be used for a fan for cool air intake as well, or if I should use it for an additional 120mm rad? The fan I think will introduce cool air which I think may help with cooling some of the other parts like ram/motherboard etc, as well as provide some cool air (which I'm not sure will help cool the gpu/cpu as well since it's water cooled?) and help with the case ventilation especially since it's a vertical case.   Or if with bigger case, if maybe having it completely air cooled would be possible, since there is alot more space for better ventilation, and heat dissipation as well as more fan slots available. 

 

Thank you for your responses! 

i just finished my Shift X with custom Watercooling, see picture

first: 280 Rad leaves no space for additional Rad in the bottom

second: cooling is no Problem with this setup 

 

52967578042__AB91BF42-EA9B-4044-A6C1-6DE4A7E8F2CC.MOV

[Below27]

OK, do you think 1 aio and 1 hybrid will be sufficient cooling though? 

 

That shift x set up looks sick, what specs are you running and what kind of Temps do you get? How much did it cost you to get the whole thing set up with custom loops? And did you put an additional fan at the bottom or no space for that either? (with the 280mm rad) 

[kurt kurtson]

okay

in the Shift X there is a fan build in at the bottom and one fan at the top, the bottom fan is hidden in the floor of the case and could be used for a 120mm radiator but not with a 140 radiator, that would not fit

yes i think it should be possible for an aio cooler for your CPU and a hybrid liquid cooling GPU, both with a 120 mm radiator, but i am not shure if the tubes are long enough to reach the bottom

if this is your first build at all: go for AIO, custom watercooling in an ITX-Case is really demanding and took me with the help of my son more or less one week, with lots of testing of our frustration tolerance....

 

if you wanna go for custom water cooling and want to use a 240 and a 120 radiator: check this review: https://themodzoo.com/2017/08/phanteks-evolv-shixt-x-review/

 

one easier possiblity would be to go for a soft tubing set from EK, much less trouble! if you are on a budget: EK Fluid Gaming A240G

 

for me the single 280 radiator from alphacool works just fine, but please note that only a slim radiator (30mm) fits. Unfortunately i ordered a cross-flow-radiator first, that was too long and did not fit :-((, so i had to order a regular one

 

my temps are preliminary, had no time to test carefully. CPU between 35 (idle) to 51°C (load), GPU 30-35°C

 

those are my specs:

Case: Phanteks Entoo Evolv Shift X

MB: Asus Strix Z270I Gaming

CPU: Intel Core i7 7700K

RAM: G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4 16GB Kit (2x8GB) 3200MHz CL14

GPU: ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 Ti STRIX O11G-GAMING

PSU: Silverstone SST-SX700-LPT

Storage: Samsung 960 Evo 1000GB M.2 2280

 

Watercooling:

Motherboard-Block EK-FB ASUS Z270I Strix RGB Monoblock - Nickel

Fittings and Tubing from EK (12/10mm), G 1/4

Pump: EK-XRES 100 Revo D5 PWM (incl. pump) Watch out: a longer reservoir will not fit behind the GPU

GPU-Block: Phanteks Glacier G1080Ti Asus Strix

Radiator: Alphacool NexXxoS ST30 Full Copper 280mm

Radiator Fans: 2x Phanteks PH-F140MP Radiator Fan

 

Modding:

Phanteks Halos 140mm for upper Radiator Fan

Phanteks RGB-LED Adaptor

[Below27]

Thanks man! I'll have a look into it

[Below27]

Hey guys,

 

Firstly, I just want to thank all those who gave me tips and advice when I originally asked for help regarding my upcoming build. For reference, this is my first desktop build, and I have opted to try for a hard tubing watercooled build.

Low temps and low noise levels are my priorities, I will overclock but not too excessively.

 

Currently these are the parts that I have somewhat decided on:

 

Phanteks - ENTHOO EVOLV SHIFT X Mini ITX Tower Case

 

Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor

Asus - ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard

 

Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Aorus Waterforce WB Xtreme Edition Video Card

 

Corsair - Vengeance RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory

 

Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive

Seagate - FireCuda 2TB 2.5" 5400RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive

 

I am still unsure of which PSU I should use, I know it should be SFX or SFX L, and from reviews I have narrowed it down to either

 

Corsair SF600 for a 600w PSU,

or

Silverstone SST SX 800 LTI, for a 800W PSU.

 

I considered the 700w silverstone, but there seems to be some bad reviews about it regarding fan quality so I am opting for the 800w instead. Does anyone know how much power my build will need and therefore which PSU I should opt for? I am also open to suggestions for other brands.

 

In regards to the GPU, I have chosen the waterforce because it already comes with a waterblock. I figured that this would be the cheaper and more effective method, but please correct me if I am wrong. I am open to suggestions of other GPUs with waterblocks already included/attached, or other combinations of GPUs and waterblocks that I can purchase and use together.

 

If there are any major issues or compatibility issues, or even just suggestions or advice you can give me with the parts I have chosen please let me know so I can correct it.

 

Now, onto watercooling parts. This is where I am TRULY lost and have NO idea how to choose any parts....

 

With this case, I have more or less decided to go with 1 x 280mm rad, or 1 x 240mm rad + 1x 120mm rad, leaning towards the 1 x 280mm rad as it seems to be the cheaper option and actually helps save a ton of space in the case, however if you think that a 1x 240mm rad + 1 x 120mm rad is more viable, please let me know.

 

On the shift x manual, it says that there is a 60mm allowance for the front rad, but I am unsure if this refers to 60mm for rad+fan, or if it is just 60mm for rad. But I am assuming since the case is quite compact, that 60mm refers to rad+fan, this limits the choices I have in terms of rads as I have to choose a thinner rad.

 

Originally I was going to go with the EK Coolstream 280 SE, but after seeing bad reviews on the xtremerigs round up, I am seriously reconsidering. I have seen bad reviews on thermaltake as well, and at the moment I am looking towards a Hardware labs Nemesis 280 GTS X Flow. But I am of course open to suggestions and recommendations.

 

Next onto fans, I have no idea what kind of fan to look for, I know for radiators I should be looking for high static pressure fans, but thats about all I know. I have read information about the rpm of the fan needing to be lower for optimal performance with low fpi rads, or having a good balance between static pressure and air flow, or having different companies/brands for 120mm or 140mm fans, or even examining the power curve etc. I know that I am looking for something with PWM, low noise, but as effective as possible when it comes to cooling the radiators. I have more or less seen the recommendations centre around the EK Vardars, Noctua (dont even know which models), and Gentle typhoon (once again no idea which models). I have seen some mention of Noise blocker as well, as well as the phanteks, but as I said I have absolutely no idea what I should be looking for. Any tips/advice/recommendations would be HUGELY appreciated.

 

Onto waterblocks, as mentioned earlier I am most probably going to opt for the gigabyte waterforce for the prebuilt GPU waterblock. However if you guys advise otherwise, I may reconsider. With regards to the CPU waterblock, I am most likely going to go with a BYSKI waterblock, as they seem to have decent quality stuff with a much lower price tag, if you guys think this is a bad idea I will definitely just go with an EK supremacy Evo Nickel.

 

For the reservoir/pump, I am definitely going to go with the EK-XRES 100 (or 140) Revo D5. It seems that all the pumps are manufactured by the same company, and I dont think the reservoir really matters but I like the EK design, so thats what Im opting for.

 

For cooling concentrate/premix, I was just going to go with EK as I have no idea what else is good, but it doesnt seem to big such a big deal from what I can tell.

 

Finally for tubing, adapters, and fittings I am opting for barrows as I heard that they have pretty decent quality stuff for much lower prices.

 

Any recommendations and feedback for anything, especially the watercooling components, let me know! Thanks

 

[PrimeSonic]

4 minutes ago, Below27 said:

Does anyone know how much power my build will need and therefore which PSU I should opt for? I am also open to suggestions for other brands

With the hardware you listed, even a 700w PSU would be more than enough. Don't sweat this detail too much.

5 minutes ago, Below27 said:

In regards to the GPU, I have chosen the waterforce because it already comes with a waterblock. I figured that this would be the cheaper and more effective method, but please correct me if I am wrong. I am open to suggestions of other GPUs with waterblocks already included/attached, or other combinations of GPUs and waterblocks that I can purchase and use together

The price I'm seeing is a bit below what I would expect to pay for a 1080Ti and a water block for it separately. So go for it.

7 minutes ago, Below27 said:

With this case, I have more or less decided to go with 1 x 280mm rad, or 1 x 240mm rad + 1x 120mm rad, leaning towards the 1 x 280mm rad as it seems to be the cheaper option and actually helps save a ton of space in the case, however if you think that a 1x 240mm rad + 1 x 120mm rad is more viable, please let me know.

A theoretical 360mm rad will have more cooling surface than a 280mm rad of the same thickness.

That said, you should be fine either way. You can always expand the loop later.

If you go with a single 280mm rad for both CPU and GPU, you'll be fine. You just might want to consider what fan speeds you'll need to keep everything nice and cool.

Under normal loads, you should be fine. Again, you can always expand later.

 

I'll let someone else handle the rest. I'll come back later.

[Below27]

Hey prime, thanks for the responses, it really helps take a load off my mind.

 

I will definitely go for the corsair 600w, if you think it is sufficient, I was just worried that with overclocking as well as the pump and fans etc it may not be sufficient.

 

Also for the rad, if you think itll be enough then I will just stick with it, I was only worried since it was the slim versions for the 280mm rads so I was worried it may not cool it sufficiently. I cannot expand the loop later because I only have space for the 120mm rad if I opt for a 240mm rad rather than 280mm rad, but I feel like a 240mm rad alone would be insufficient, especially it being a slim one. But I could be wrong.

 

Anyways thank you so much again for the response!

[For Science!]

36 minutes ago, Below27 said:

-snip-

Here are my comments:

 

Eitehr PSU is fine. 600W is more than plenty for a single GTX1080Ti + 8700K.

 

I think using the waterblock preinstallation is fine, but just be aware that you can't do a  POST check until the whole loop is assembled and so it may be a PITA if you find out that something is dead on arrival (not common, but can happen).

 

I think going for hardline first time is brave, but I do think its a good idea (is what I did too). Just make sure you buy ample amount of tubing.

 

I would go 360 mm radiator if it is an option. Ideally in an exhaust configuration because in a SFF case you can easily re-heat the insides with the hotter air through the radiator.

 

HWLabs GTS is a good option. I had the same dilemma of XFLOW vs normal, and in the end opted for normal. My loop is fine with the flow restriction (Single D5 pump).

 

wrt fans. Static pressure ratings can sometimes be misleading since they are often measured up against a solid wall. Try to find something that has been measured against a radiator and airflow in terms of noise. Like this chart: http://www.overclockers.com/noctua-nf-a12x15-fan-review/ . Take into account, what rpm and dba you are comfortable with.

 

 

wrt cpu block, I would personally go for EK, but most waterblocks perform within a couple of degrees so go for whatever is easiest for you..

 

wrt tubing/fittings, I respect your choice and thats fine.

 

 

[PrimeSonic]

1 hour ago, For Science! said:

I would go 360 mm radiator if it is an option. Ideally in an exhaust configuration because in a SFF case you can easily re-heat the insides with the hotter air through the radiator.

 

 

1 hour ago, Below27 said:

I cannot expand the loop later because I only have space for the 120mm rad if I opt for a 240mm rad rather than 280mm rad

So I'm inclined to agree with @For Science! here on this one.

It may be more expensive, but I would have to agree with getting the maximum radiator space possible up front, especially if you're limited on expandability later.

 

The rule of thumb is 240mm of rad space for each heat generating component.

A 280mm rad is borderline for a CPU and GPU. Not that it couldn't be done, you just mind find yourself ramping up the fan speeds more than you'd like.

So do yourself a favor now and go with the max rad space you can get and make sure you've got good balanced air flow to get any hot air out of the case as efficiently as possible.

[Limecat86]

I think I'll have to agree with @For Science! and @PrimeSonic about the amount of radiator surface you would need for proper cooling of your components. The Enthoo Evolve Shift X supports a 280mm or 240mm up front and/or a 120 on the bottom. Not sure if there would be room for both.

 

That case will most likely not enable you to make your build silent as it doesn't have enough radiator space. Well, maybe it can if it allows both a 120mm rad on bottom and a 280mm or 240mm up front and you don't OC your hardware.

 

I'm seeing two options here:

1. Go with a bigger case that can support more or bigger radiators. You probably need a bigger motherboard too.
2. Be willing to sacrifice the silence or the overclocking.

Option 1 has my preference even though it probably will be more expensive. 

[Tech22]

9 hours ago, Below27 said:

Hey guys,

 

Firstly, I just want to thank all those who gave me tips and advice when I originally asked for help regarding my upcoming build. For reference, this is my first desktop build, and I have opted to try for a hard tubing watercooled build.

Low temps and low noise levels are my priorities, I will overclock but not too excessively.

 

Currently these are the parts that I have somewhat decided on:

 

Phanteks - ENTHOO EVOLV SHIFT X Mini ITX Tower Case

 

Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor

Asus - ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard

 

Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Aorus Waterforce WB Xtreme Edition Video Card

 

Corsair - Vengeance RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory

 

Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive

Seagate - FireCuda 2TB 2.5" 5400RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive

 

I am still unsure of which PSU I should use, I know it should be SFX or SFX L, and from reviews I have narrowed it down to either

 

Corsair SF600 for a 600w PSU,

or

Silverstone SST SX 800 LTI, for a 800W PSU.

 

I considered the 700w silverstone, but there seems to be some bad reviews about it regarding fan quality so I am opting for the 800w instead. Does anyone know how much power my build will need and therefore which PSU I should opt for? I am also open to suggestions for other brands.

 

In regards to the GPU, I have chosen the waterforce because it already comes with a waterblock. I figured that this would be the cheaper and more effective method, but please correct me if I am wrong. I am open to suggestions of other GPUs with waterblocks already included/attached, or other combinations of GPUs and waterblocks that I can purchase and use together.

 

If there are any major issues or compatibility issues, or even just suggestions or advice you can give me with the parts I have chosen please let me know so I can correct it.

 

Now, onto watercooling parts. This is where I am TRULY lost and have NO idea how to choose any parts....

 

With this case, I have more or less decided to go with 1 x 280mm rad, or 1 x 240mm rad + 1x 120mm rad, leaning towards the 1 x 280mm rad as it seems to be the cheaper option and actually helps save a ton of space in the case, however if you think that a 1x 240mm rad + 1 x 120mm rad is more viable, please let me know.

 

On the shift x manual, it says that there is a 60mm allowance for the front rad, but I am unsure if this refers to 60mm for rad+fan, or if it is just 60mm for rad. But I am assuming since the case is quite compact, that 60mm refers to rad+fan, this limits the choices I have in terms of rads as I have to choose a thinner rad.

 

Originally I was going to go with the EK Coolstream 280 SE, but after seeing bad reviews on the xtremerigs round up, I am seriously reconsidering. I have seen bad reviews on thermaltake as well, and at the moment I am looking towards a Hardware labs Nemesis 280 GTS X Flow. But I am of course open to suggestions and recommendations.

 

Next onto fans, I have no idea what kind of fan to look for, I know for radiators I should be looking for high static pressure fans, but thats about all I know. I have read information about the rpm of the fan needing to be lower for optimal performance with low fpi rads, or having a good balance between static pressure and air flow, or having different companies/brands for 120mm or 140mm fans, or even examining the power curve etc. I know that I am looking for something with PWM, low noise, but as effective as possible when it comes to cooling the radiators. I have more or less seen the recommendations centre around the EK Vardars, Noctua (dont even know which models), and Gentle typhoon (once again no idea which models). I have seen some mention of Noise blocker as well, as well as the phanteks, but as I said I have absolutely no idea what I should be looking for. Any tips/advice/recommendations would be HUGELY appreciated.

 

Onto waterblocks, as mentioned earlier I am most probably going to opt for the gigabyte waterforce for the prebuilt GPU waterblock. However if you guys advise otherwise, I may reconsider. With regards to the CPU waterblock, I am most likely going to go with a BYSKI waterblock, as they seem to have decent quality stuff with a much lower price tag, if you guys think this is a bad idea I will definitely just go with an EK supremacy Evo Nickel.

 

For the reservoir/pump, I am definitely going to go with the EK-XRES 100 (or 140) Revo D5. It seems that all the pumps are manufactured by the same company, and I dont think the reservoir really matters but I like the EK design, so thats what Im opting for.

 

For cooling concentrate/premix, I was just going to go with EK as I have no idea what else is good, but it doesnt seem to big such a big deal from what I can tell.

 

Finally for tubing, adapters, and fittings I am opting for barrows as I heard that they have pretty decent quality stuff for much lower prices.

 

Any recommendations and feedback for anything, especially the watercooling components, let me know! Thanks

 

There is a new RGB Revo D5 Combo! I think the gigabyte (along with zotac) cards with waterblocks are from thermaltake. I personnally would NEVER trust them - but that is your decision. It is probably best to by an evga SC Black and a reference waterblock. But, this is your decision on which card brand you like. Byski is the leading chinease watercooling manufacturer, go with it if you like the look, but XSPC, EK, and Bitspower are also great alternatives. Do not buy radiators from thermaltake as they are aluminum and would gunk up the loop and corrode. HardwareLabs GTS radiators are the best slim ones you can buy. Always go for the longest radiator you can get (240+120 is better than 280). The manual means Radiator+Fans together, so you need a slim one (not XSPC+EK slim, they are bad).Watercooling in a small space will be pretty difficult for a first time. Go with hardline if you want, just it will take a LOT of practice. Barrow is the OEM for bitspower fittings and they have the same quality so those are great. I would recommend buying ROTARY angled adapters (90*, 45*, 90* dual = double 45s in one fitting). Get a drain valve as well. Ek Cryofuel is fine. Mayhems fluid is also fine, BUT you need to buy their blitz cleaning kit so the PH level is right, otherwise it will gunk (it is quite sensitive to PH) also don't use aurora as it will 100% clog, so I would recommend EK. Thermaltake c1000 fluid tends to gunk up no matter what. For good info on fans, look at thermalbench.com. They primarily test static pressure fans through radiators and compare noise etc, very good at what they do. 

 

Hopes this helps!

[Below27]

Hey PrimeSonic, Limecat86, and ForScience!,

 

Thank you for the responses, it has given me alot to think about. Another user of this forum had actually recently built in the shift x and he has also provided me alot of valuable insight and advice in regards to those case. While the case is not big enough to support both a 280mm rad and a 120mm rad, it is big enough to support a 240mm rad and a 120mm rad, especially if i use slim radiators. 

 

I am only concerned about drainage options if there is a 120mm rad at the bottom of the case as this is lower than any drainage valve i can place. 

 

I am limited to the evolv shift x as I have space constraints for the PC. If the motherboard you feel will be too small/will heat up, what do you think of using a motherboard waterblock from ek? Especially considering this since I will now  most probably will be using two rads, both intakes so may limit the cool air in such a tight case. 

 

Also thanks for the fan charts/comparisons and advice regarding that, was one of my biggest dilemmas actually. 

 

Once again thanks for all the responses and feedback, I really appreciate it! 

 

Hey Tech 22, 

 

Also thank you for your response! 

 

I did not know the waterblocks from those cards were from thermaltake as I myself do not trust that brand from all the reviews I've read. I'll do more research into it. 

 

I actually saw that rgb reservoir! It's one of the main reasons I'm going for an ek pump/reservoir, especially since they're all the same I think the visual for the ek looks the best. 

 

Also thanks for clarifying the radiator clearance question I had, that definitely helps with the planning. 

 

Finally thanks for the recommendation for the coolant as well as the fan website, that'll be a great help! 

[Zephir]

Hi

 

I use a Corsair 750i for a 7700K and 2x1080Ti a D5, 6 fans an SSD and a ledstrip... At full load (only CPU manually overclocked and the GPU's just doing their GPU-boost thing) I get around 700W power draw. Doing a heavy OC on the GPU's might push my PSU too much... You are fine with a 600W psu with decent quality and efficiency!

 

Also: a 280mm GTS (which I use) has 10% less surface area compared to a 360mm GTS. A non X-flow GTS has high restriction, but since you can't add much else in your loop, your D5 will be more than capable to get enough flow. Just one 280mm GTS is likely not enough for your heat load... I'm currently shifting my system from a setup with a 360mm PE (in a predator kit) on both GPU's (which worked if I didn't OC'ed my GPU') and no CPUin the loop  to a system with both GPU's and the cpu being cooled with a 280mm GTS and 360mm SR-2 (which will only arrive today). I'm running just the 280mm GTS now, which cannot cope with one 1080Ti working at 100% and the other idling in the loop. With both GPU's in the loop, and only one working at 60% I get a stable water temperature of 41 degrees celsius with a room temperature of around 20 degrees... 2 at 60% gets me easily over 65 in a short time (at which time I noticed and shut it all off...). I suspect the rad can't remove the heat from the loop and will eventually damage the loop or boil the fluid...

 

With a 1080Ti I'd get as much surface as possible, and do either a 280mm + a 120 if you can, or a thick 240mm EK XE and a 120mm EK XE... Oh and get a water temperature sensor for sure!! Add in a T junction and stick it in there, or put it in a spare port on your res (I did that now, but will be putting it in a spare port on the SR-2 later). If you control fan speeds from water temperature, you get much smoother changes in fan speeds, and equal cooling...

 

I've ordered Noctua NF-F12 PPC PWM's for the SR-2 and am running Noctua NF-P14s Redux fans in the rear exhaust and on the front rad. As exhaust and intake without a rad (air cooling), these reduxes where great... On the rad I'm not so sure anymore. I've ordered 2 Noisblocker eLoop B-14-3's to swap with the 2 front rad fans...

 

Hope this helps...

 

 

[PrimeSonic]

10 hours ago, Below27 said:

I am only concerned about drainage options if there is a 120mm rad at the bottom of the case as this is lower than any drainage valve i can place. 

I understand. It's a pain when you don't have a solid drain port. You'll find yourself tilting the case around on different sides to empty it out.
You'll probably make some spills during draining either way.
My best advice to that, is to just accept that filling and draining will be a bit messy the first couple times until you sort everything out.

Don't worry about it though. A splash here or there isn't a big deal as long as everything is nice and dry before being powered on. (And if you're really paranoid about it, you can clean the surfaces with alcohol).

10 hours ago, Below27 said:

I am limited to the evolv shift x as I have space constraints for the PC. If the motherboard you feel will be too small/will heat up, what do you think of using a motherboard waterblock from ek? Especially considering this since I will now  most probably will be using two rads, both intakes so may limit the cool air in such a tight case. 

Don't worry so much about the motherboard heating up.

With enough surface area, the actual air coming off the rads won't be as hot as you think.

Populate as many fans as you can to keep air moving and you'll be fine.

A motherboard waterblock typically isn't necessary unless you're doing some crazy overclocks.

 

For a more in depth analysis on that, here's Jay

 

[Below27]

Hey Zephir, 

 

Thank you for your response. I am definitely more comfortable with a 600W SFX PSU now. The feedback you have given is very useful, however now I am very concerned about the cooling. I intended to use one nemesis 280 GTS to cool both the CPU and GPU, but after your comments I am doubtful it will be sufficient. I am currently looking into using a nemesis 240 GTS and a nemesis 120 GTS, however sitll planning the loop and seeing how it would work/fit in the case. Do worry that these two radiators may still not be enough after seeing your feedback though, however I do not think that any medium/thick radiators will fit, and I think that the Hardware Labs thin radiators are already the best performing slim rads, not not quite sure where to go from here..

 

Thanks Prime once again for your input, you are truly being very helpful with all my concerns regarding this build.In terms of airflow, I will only have one 140mm fan for exhausting air, however (assuming I go with both rads), will have 1x 240mm and 1x 120mm rad taking in warm air into the case. This might warm up quite a bit, however with more inflow than outflow, I assume this will help build a positive case to have more airflow through the top vent as well? Either way I'm not sure if this will be sufficient airflow to keep the motherboard cool as you pointed out, it is a small motherboard, in a pretty tight/confined case, and only have warm air intake from the radiators. So I am still a bit on the fence on whether or not the motherboard waterblock is something I should be considering.

[PrimeSonic]

http://www.phanteks.com/Enthoo-Evolv-Shift-X.html

Looking over the Enthoo Evolv Shift X, that is going to be a tight fit.
I can understand your concern.

 

Still, similar cases have pulled this off.

Consider how the Corsair One draws in air through radiators into the case and exhausts through the top.

All the 'warm' air goes over the motherboard and other components before exiting the case.

 

Honestly, I think your motherboard will be fine.

The warmer air going through the radiator won't be as warm as the heat sinks that cool the power delivery on the motherboard.

And as long as that's the case, some cooling will still be able to take place as some of that excess heat can still be taken away by the air.

 

Just take it easy on the over-volting to start with and be mindful of system temps when you test your overclocks.

Other than that, I think you've got a cool project here.

Routing the tubing is going to be a pain in such a tight space. But with some patience, you'll get it done.

[Below27]

Hey guys, for those interested, the build is finished! (lacking one final cable to daisy chain the rgb reservoir)

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/b/LvZRsY

[Below27]

Hey guys, for those interested, the build is finished! (although missing one last connection to finish the daisy chain with the rgb reservoir) 

 

Thanks for all your help! 

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/b/LvZRsY

[myselfolli]

That looks SICK

 

Good job, have fun ^^

[Below27]

Thank you!