Watercooling my setup

[Gnomo]

Hello everyone!

I have the following setup and want to start with a custom cpu loop.
My 6700K is able to run 5GHz, but I can't cool this beast with air. When going 4.8GHz or higher I get temperature limits at gaming/benchmarks. (100°C).
thermal paste is cryptonaut

https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/BtkXD8

this is my setup
I want to go for a 420mm radiator setup.

I already have the following parts:
3 Eloop 140mm fans (B14-2)
Aquacomputer D5 pump motor with PWM input and speed signal
Aquacomputer pump adaptor for D5 pumps, compatible with aqualis, G1/4
aqualis base for pump adapters 450 ml (https://shop.aquacomputer.de/product_info.php?products_id=2923)
double protect ultra 2l - blue

What I want:
420mm radiator (thought of the XSPC 420mm)
soft-tubing (EK WB ZMT)
Phanteks fittings
ball valve
temperature sensor

What may be an issue:
I have 1 odd, 1 hdd and I need both. I could go with the 3.5" inside the 5.25" slot or maybe you have different ideas. I tried the 3.5" mounting from Phanteks, but sadly it doesn't fit for the luxe, maybe you also have an idea for mounting that.
I know now that I will have to remove the hdd cages for fitting that big pump+reservoir combo.

Do my ideas work? Anything I miss?
Thanks if you could help me.

[RAM555789]

Did you delid the CPU? Delidding is one of the most important steps for getting your processor cooler. You may not even need to get a custom loop if you delid it and test it some more.

[DildorTheDecent]

3 minutes ago, RAM555789 said:

Did you delid the CPU? Delidding is one of the most important steps for getting your processor cooler. You may not even need to get a custom loop if you delid it and test it some more.

OP is on air. Even with a delid the 20C temp drop would land them at roughly 80C load. That's not enough headroom for 5GHz imo. The heat gets rather wild the faster you go.

[Gnomo]

I haven't delidded it.
Thought about it, but I am worried about killing the pearl of cpu and have no place or person to delid it.
Atm I run it on bclk 104 and multi of 46 with going around 90°C at benchmarking.
Would prefer to go for watercooling with 420 rad first and then delid if still to much heat, but I had the chance to test my cpu on a pc with asus hero VIII and AiO 360mm and there we reached 5GHz

[RAM555789]

5 hours ago, Gnomo said:

I haven't delidded it.
Thought about it, but I am worried about killing the pearl of cpu and have no place or person to delid it.
Atm I run it on bclk 104 and multi of 46 with going around 90°C at benchmarking.
Would prefer to go for watercooling with 420 rad first and then delid if still to much heat, but I had the chance to test my cpu on a pc with asus hero VIII and AiO 360mm and there we reached 5GHz

10

Custom water cooling gets you the best water cooling, but delidding is how you actually dispense more heat from the CPU. There are good delidding tools for the i7-6700k and it's worth doing. Just make sure you get a proper tool and don't try to cheap out and use something stupid like a knife. I've actually seen someone post a picture f there destroyed CPU after they tried to delid it with a knife asking if there's any way to fix it.

[For Science!]

7 hours ago, Gnomo said:

I haven't delidded it.
Thought about it, but I am worried about killing the pearl of cpu and have no place or person to delid it.
Atm I run it on bclk 104 and multi of 46 with going around 90°C at benchmarking.
Would prefer to go for watercooling with 420 rad first and then delid if still to much heat, but I had the chance to test my cpu on a pc with asus hero VIII and AiO 360mm and there we reached 5GHz

I hate to recommend people voiding their warranty, but unfortunately I am in agreement that you're probably rate limited by the IHS-CPU thermal paste. I suspect if you don't delid you're likely to gain minimally from water.

 

Since its such a pain to dismantle a watercooled system (especially if hardlined) I would recommend you to delid first, check the CPU is still working, and then proceed with the water.

 

In my recent Ncase M1 build I've put pictures of the process using the delid-die-mate2, which I would definitely, recommend

[Gnomo]

7 hours ago, RAM555789 said:

Did you delid the CPU? Delidding is one of the most important steps for getting your processor cooler. You may not even need to get a custom loop if you delid it and test it some more.

 

15 minutes ago, For Science! said:

I hate to recommend people voiding their warranty, but unfortunately I am in agreement that you're probably rate limited by the IHS-CPU thermal paste. I suspect if you don't delid you're likely to gain minimally from water.

 

Since its such a pain to dismantle a watercooled system (especially if hardlined) I would recommend you to delid first, check the CPU is still working, and then proceed with the water.

 

In my recent Ncase M1 build I've put pictures of the process using the delid-die-mate2, which I would definitely, recommend

is there any chance to get it delidded? I am actually to scared to do it. Maybe someone with a calm hand would be better and maybe even some experience. I know how I am at such things. Horrible.

Seems like there is really no way to avoid delidding the cpu. or maybe just sell it and get another cpu? I don't know if a 4.8GHz 1.33V with LLC for increasing V at high load to ~1.35V is a good selling cpu. bundle with asus hero alpha and grab a ryzen 1700 and crosshair hero for the money?

I just want to avoid a total lost of cpu and also I heard the coolers won't fit on delidded cpu?

[For Science!]

4 minutes ago, Gnomo said:

I just want to avoid a total lost of cpu and also I heard the coolers won't fit on delidded cpu?

Cooler height is not a real issue in my opinion. You can buy pre-delidded and binned CPUs from caseking.de although I wouldn't say it was worth it (since I can delid myself).

 

Honestly, spend the 20 euros, get a delid-die-mate 2 and call it a day. There is no need for a steady hand, only need some isopropanol, liquid metal, and silicon glue. 

 

Otherwise yes, Ryzen is a non-delid requiring alternative.

[RAM555789]

7 hours ago, Gnomo said:

 

is there any chance to get it delidded? I am actually to scared to do it. Maybe someone with a calm hand would be better and maybe even some experience. I know how I am at such things. Horrible.

Seems like there is really no way to avoid delidding the cpu. or maybe just sell it and get another cpu? I don't know if a 4.8GHz 1.33V with LLC for increasing V at high load to ~1.35V is a good selling cpu. bundle with asus hero alpha and grab a ryzen 1700 and crosshair hero for the money?

I just want to avoid a total lost of cpu and also I heard the coolers won't fit on delidded cpu?

I would go for an i5-8600k over a Ryzen 1700, you'll see much better performance. The tool does all the work so delidding is not too much a problem. 

[Gnomo]

Alright, alright. I will delid it.

 

I understand it.

BTT, I want the cpu custom loop too. After all delidding alone won't be enough. Can you help me there too?

[For Science!]

54 minutes ago, Gnomo said:

Alright, alright. I will delid it.

 

I understand it.

BTT, I want the cpu custom loop too. After all delidding alone won't be enough. Can you help me there too?

yes we can help (or at least, I can)

 however pictures can be helpful. 420mm is pretty overkill for a CPU only loop, but that' fine. 

 

I think it'd be easiest to integrate the temperature sensor as a stop plug in a 4 way splitter connected to the ball valve as well for the drain.

 

Anyway, pictures will make it much easier to suggest things.

[andrewmp6]

I can help on the hard drive mounting problem.Just search the two sizes and adapter you can find one that will let you screw either size hard drive in a 5.25 drive bay.The ssd you can mount 2 of them on the back side of the motherboard.The spin drive hard drive youll need a adapter and put it in the odd cage,You might have to use screws not the tool less mount but it will work i have to do that with a older case before.Or you could drive a drive bay pump and res combo for that case.You can get them that take one odd drive or two.And any kinda pump in them or mounted on the back side of it.Like this http://www.performance-pcs.com/xspc-d5-dual-bay-reservoir-pump-combo-v2.html

Or http://www.performance-pcs.com/alphacool-eisfach-single-laing-d5-incl-alphacool-eispumpe-vpp755.html

[Gnomo]

I am on journey till 27 dec, then I will add pictures, should have thought about that, but hey, happens.

 

1 hour ago, For Science! said:

yes we can help (or at least, I can)

 however pictures can be helpful. 420mm is pretty overkill for a CPU only loop, but that' fine. 

 

I think it'd be easiest to integrate the temperature sensor as a stop plug in a 4 way splitter connected to the ball valve as well for the drain.

 

Anyway, pictures will make it much easier to suggest things.

The 420 is for now and an upcoming midclass volta (like 2070 or what they will be called). But I want to be "futureproof" with already using the 420. I expect about 250-280W TDP. total.

The idea with the temperature sensor is great. Will the connector on the mobo be fine (Asus hero alpha) or do I need special tools like aquaero 6 etc. there?

1 hour ago, andrewmp6 said:

I can help on the hard drive mounting problem.Just search the two sizes and adapter you can find one that will let you screw either size hard drive in a 5.25 drive bay.The ssd you can mount 2 of them on the back side of the motherboard.The spin drive hard drive youll need a adapter and put it in the odd cage,You might have to use screws not the tool less mount but it will work i have to do that with a older case before.Or you could drive a drive bay pump and res combo for that case.You can get them that take one odd drive or two.And any kinda pump in them or mounted on the back side of it.Like this http://www.performance-pcs.com/xspc-d5-dual-bay-reservoir-pump-combo-v2.html

Or http://www.performance-pcs.com/alphacool-eisfach-single-laing-d5-incl-alphacool-eispumpe-vpp755.html

So odd and hdd in the lower two places in the 5.25" slots was my idea as well. The question is can I run the soft tubing above them and would you risk it/may the heat be an issue?

Because I already got a cheap reservoir and would like to use it.It does fit, when I remove both hdd cages, I checked that.
It would be 420 radiator at top, in/out above odd, down into reservoir, through the pump as lowest part into ball valve up into cpu block back into the radiator.

also I found a post telling that the EK 420 radiator doesn't fit inside the luxe, so I need an alternative there too. Should be slim because I have very slow spinning fans with 900 rpm?

[andrewmp6]

If the 420 wont fit a 360 should and worse case you could put a 2nd rad in the lower front of the case if you remove the hard drive cages.Or maybe a 120/140 rad in the back exhaust hole by the i/o shield.On the tubing touching the hard drives i don't think it will hurt anything but worse case you can zip tie it away from them for a few cents.

[Gnomo]

6 hours ago, andrewmp6 said:

If the 420 wont fit a 360 should and worse case you could put a 2nd rad in the lower front of the case if you remove the hard drive cages.Or maybe a 120/140 rad in the back exhaust hole by the i/o shield.On the tubing touching the hard drives i don't think it will hurt anything but worse case you can zip tie it away from them for a few cents.

not every 420 fits. The case can take a 420, but the EK one seems to be a few mm to long, because it actually fits, but you miss a few mm for the fittings + tube or else you are colliding with the mobo

[Gnomo]

Also I found out that I can use pump and base without the reservoir which would be great for me.
But then I need a different reservoir.
Could you guys help me find/recommend a reservoir with max. 68mm diameter that can be mounted at a phanteks enthoo luxe reservoir mounting?
That would be really great!

A D5 Pump should be totally fine for a single cpu loop and even a gpu and cpu loop with a single 420mm radiator, or?

[Mick Naughty]

D5 should be fine. Think the ek res's are the same size if not you can get their mounts.

[andrewmp6]

Where are you planing to mount the res ?If you are going to use the mounting system on the back of the hard drive caddys you might wanna double check your video cards size.A long video card might make you use a really small res.And look around http://www.performance-pcs.com/

They carry almost all brands and parts to water cool,Even if you don't buy from them because of shipping you can get a brand and part number and find it close to you.And for ideas on how to water cool that case google its name and water cooling or water cooled you'll find pictures of others builds,Give you a idea of how you can do it with out problems.

[Gnomo]

I plan to mount it on the harddrive cages. The mounting plate has 9mm and my videocard has 268mm, in total I have 342mm-9mm-268mm= 65mm max diameter. But I have seen such builds a lot for the enthoo luxe. The issue is the reservoir that I have now is to big, even with both hdd cages out the pump reservoir comb from aquacomputer collides with the 5.25" cage.

I wanted the reservoir like here:

[source: pcgh forum user Vihous]
sadly the user of this pc isn't active anymore and couldn't tell me what reservoir it is.

The pump would be on the backside of where the little phanteks logo is at the bottom right.

Hope my fast drawing in paint makes things a bit more clear?

[andrewmp6]

Do you know what gpus that build has ?

[Gnomo]

dual Gigabyte GTX 680 with EK Water Blocks EK-FC680 GTX+ - Acetal + Nickel

[Gnomo]

I found the EK x3 reservoir and some 60mm reservoirs from alphacool. Which do you think is better?

For the 420mm radiator I found the slim series from ek wb, the xspc slim 420 and  the alphacool nexxos st30 420mm.

Any advice on that as well?

[Mick Naughty]

Think I run the ce series of 140mm ek rads. Love them, hate the se. 

 

As far as res's they are all the same to me. I just look at fitting options for flexibility. 

[Gnomo]

May I know why you hate the se? The ce sadly doesn'T fit for a few mm, because I can screw it in, but I have no chance to get any tubing around the vrm cooling of the mobo

the reservoirs have the same fitting options

thought of phanteks or ek wb fitting 16/10mm for soft tubing.Think I can use these as well?

5 minutes ago, Mick Naughty said:

Think I run the ce series of 140mm ek rads. Love them, hate the se. 

 

As far as res's they are all the same to me. I just look at fitting options for flexibility. 

 

[Mick Naughty]

What I mean by fitting options is the total amount of ports or wholes. Aside from that mounting brackets are kinda hit and miss. Think most companies use the screw torsion type now. 

 

I hate high fpi split fin rads. I like mine as free flowing as possible. I'd use it if the rad was used as the exhaust. The ek has a flat finish which I dont really like compared to the nexus.