3x120mm radiator and 1x140mm radiator in Obsidian 800D?

Hello!

I was just wondering if it would be possible to mount one 3x120mm radiator at the top and one 1x140mm radiator at the rear of the Obsidian 800D (both mounted internally)? I suppose the radiators should both fit, so unless I'm much mistaken the only issues would be installation space or conflicts with other components.

Thanks in advance for any input!

I just wanted to make sure that the radiators won't conflict with each other or some other component in any way. A radiator could have a thickness of anything from, say 30 mm to 60 mm. Add to that the fan thickness of maybe 25 mm to 40 mm. In the worst case scenario the entire setup will protrude by almost ten centimeters from its mounting point.

So, as I don't have the relevant measurement and no case to measure on, I was hoping that someone here would already have tried this so that I didn't need to reinvent the wheel. ;):

it can be done jus have to remove the botton hhd trays,there is someone doing it and there is other forums on the net where you can get the info...put i give you the link to the 1 thats in the corsair section..http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?p=418317

What are you talking about? A 1x140 can be mounted to the rear exhaust without any modification, lol. That one's for a double rad on the bottom.

What are you talking about? A 1x140 can be mounted to the rear exhaust without any modification, lol. That one's for a double rad on the bottom.

i gave him that link as a alternative option and it had good pictures of the internal of the case plus i know you can fit a 3x120mm rad in the top as it has already pre-drilled holes for this,but as if he could fit another 140mm rad as well in the rear i ,m not sure,so thats why i gave him that link as another option.just found this might be worth a look http://www.overclock.net/water-cooling/552475-360-rad-another-rad-inside-1-a-2.html

That configuration depends on what components you will be using. If you want you can place the 360 up top and the 140 on the rear as long as you use something like the GT Stealth 140, the GT Extreme 140 would likely be too big for rear mounting and depending on your cpu cooler will likely cause conflicts with other components. The case is tailor made for mounting the Corsair H50 CPU cooler to the rear fan as long as you change the flow to an intake. You can however remove the lower hard drive cage from the bottom and mount either a 120.2 or with some luck and a low profile fan, if you can find one, you can likely install a GT Extreme 140 in the bottom but it wont give you much room for airflow.

I personally am using the Corsair H50 for the CPU, a Feser/TFC 360 Xtreme is in top for the EK full coverage NB/SB block and video cards and I am planning on a 140 GT Stealth in the bottom for the Physx card and my H30 RAM cooler. Depending on pumps you may or may not have to drill additional holes for the tubing. Mr. Armageddon has an awesome write-up for how to remove the cage and install the 120.2, if you want to drop in a 140 instead read his response to my question on fitting a 140. He gives the measurements for spacing of both radiators. The post is stickied at the top of the case forums.

I looked at the post on overclock.net and it might be interesting to see how that comes out, I do not believe it will fit in that location if you are using double slot video cards, expecially in Tri-SLI but I could be wrong. It will be interesting to see how that build would come out but I am fam more impressed with Mr. Armageddon's build, nice, clean , and efficient and he even states the flow for his fan setup which will be critical....too much air in and not enough out = low airflow over other components= bad for computers.

Thanks for the input! You've certainly given me some things to consider.

So you think the GT Extreme 140 will be too big for mounting in the rear exhaust fan position? With a relatively low profile CPU block there shouldn't be any conflict there, but do you think the two radiators might actually get in conflict?

At the moment I'm considering the ThermoChill PA120.3 for the top and the GT Extreme 140 for the rear, both with 25mm fans (either push or pull, not both). It probably wouldn't hurt too much if I had to go with the GT Stealth 140 instead, but I'd like to get as big a radiator as is practically possible in there to be on the safe side considering future upgrades.

Does anybody have the distance between the rear fan position and the motherboard tray (or even better, between the fan position and the motherboard)? That would be a good help in finding out what size CPU block I would have to go for.

Sorry if I led you to think that it wouldn't fit. Fitting depends entirely on your equipment and setup. Say if you run a 360 Radiator with fans in a push/pull setup in the top. That increases the overall thickness of the upper radiator quite a bit but it still leaves room for the motherboard.

My setup is the feser TFC eXtreme 360 with both fans and shrouds mounted to the bottom of the radiator in a push setup. This setup actually requires me to remove the rear two fans until I install my motherboard. I can then place them back onto the radiator.

The rear radiator is the same thing, if you run two fans in push pull, you might run into clearance problems with either the radiator or the CPU cooler. It will take a bit of measuring to find out exactly what you want to setup. Another thing to consider is what you will be cooling with the 140 and your fitting locations.

I too like the 140 eXtreme but I am mounting mine on the bottom. If I run one fan I should have clearance and enough room but is is as efficient as a Stealth with a push pull config fan vs one pull fan and the eXreme. There are a lot of variables in Watercooling.

It would be interesting to know exactly what you are cooling with each radiator and your fan configuration. I don't mind cutting a hole here and there for my rads. I am even thinking of placing an intake fan vertically where the hard drive cage was and mounting the radiator behind it but I have to get my cage out first to measure everything.

If you are using a low profile type cpu water cooler then the only real thing you have to worry about with the eXtreme is fittings, tubing routing etc. I know the corsair will work as I have seen it in action but it seems to be about 20+mm shallower than the eXtreme 140 and most fans are 25mm thick so you are looking at 80+mm Push into the case with a single fan. The actual fan mount is right above the Mobo's rear plate so I would say you have roughly 1.50" - 1.75" above the Mobo itself if that helps any.

As always, measure twice, cut once.

Hello again!

Here is my planned loop (in no particular order, I haven't gotten around to planning out the detailed routing yet):

Reservoir w/pump --> CPU --> GPU --> NB/SB/VRM --> MOSFET 1 --> MOSFET 2 --> 3x120mm radiator --> 1x140mm radiator

So as you can see, I'm planning to keep everything in a single loop, mainly for the sake of cost and simplicity.

As you say, there are a lot of variables, so that's why I like to plan things as well as I can in advance.

As always, measure twice, cut once.

The very words I live by! ;):

 

Reservoir w/pump --> CPU --> GPU --> NB/SB/VRM --> MOSFET 1 --> MOSFET 2 --> 3x120mm radiator --> 1x140mm radiator

 

Sounds like what I would want to do, if I decided to do WC "all in". Please pos a detailed parts list, and after you do the build, please post photos.

If I read the loop right, you are running tubing directly from the 360 to the 140? I would like to see the temps on that setup when you can. The fluid should be pretty hot by the time it gets to the first radiator so it would be interesting to see what the input temps are at the input to the first radiator to the output of both.

I am going to be running two loops, well actually 3 if you count the H50 as one. I am keeping my vid cards on a 360 loop, my NB/SB and H30 on my 140 loop, and the H50 on my CPU loop. I think this will leave me room for more cooling if I need it later on.

I would love to see your temps once you get them so I have something to compare mine too when I finish my system.

If I read the loop right, you are running tubing directly from the 360 to the 140?

That will depend entirely on what is most practical. What I put up above is more of a list of components in the loop, not necessarily the final configuration.

But if I go through with this I'll be sure to post the specifications, including the temperatures! :D:

Hello again!

 

Here is my planned loop (in no particular order, I haven't gotten around to planning out the detailed routing yet):

 

Reservoir w/pump --> CPU --> GPU --> NB/SB/VRM --> MOSFET 1 --> MOSFET 2 --> 3x120mm radiator --> 1x140mm radiator

 

So as you can see, I'm planning to keep everything in a single loop, mainly for the sake of cost and simplicity.

Garegaupa,

Can you give us an update on your system?

Thanks

Hello again!

Sorry about the lack of updates here on my part. I've been awfully busy at work for the last month. I also had to wait a bit longer than expected for some of the components for my new PC to arrive. Now, however, I have all the stuff I need and I'm on holiday until after new year, so I expect to be doing quite a bit of building during the days to come.

I'll be sure to post updates and pictures - stay tuned! :D:

Well, my bad conscience has finally caught up with me... I suppose it's about time I did what I said I'd do, namely post some pictures and a few words about the computer I built a little while ago.

Without further ado, here are the pictures:

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9346/pc01h.jpghttp://img31.imageshack.us/img31/5719/pc02.jpg

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/4569/pc03b.jpg

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/7198/pc04.jpg

(Now, before anyone beats me to it, let me just say that I'm painfully aware of the ugly, gray wire going diagonally down in the front of the cabinet interior. That's the USB connection for the Aquaero, and it's only just long enough to reach the motherboard. I'll get a longer one and hide it away, I promise... :p:)

First a few specifications:

Processor: Intel Core i7 920 (currently running at 4 GHz)

Motherboard: Asus P6T Deluxe V2

Memory: 12 GB of DDR3 RAM

Hard drives: 2 x 80 GB Intel X25-M SSD's in RAID 0 and 2 x 1.0 TB Samsung Spinpoint F1's in RAID 1

Graphics: HIS Radeon HD5870 (currently running at 900/1300 MHz)

As for the water cooling, I promised a description of the water loop and its components. Here is the list, in the order in which it is connected:

Reservoir (XSPC Acrylic Dual 5.25” reservoir) --> pump (Swiftech MCP355) --> 1x140 radiator (Black ICE Radiator GT Stealth 140) --> CPU (Swiftech Apogee XT) --> graphics (EK Water Blocks EK-FC5870 Acetal) --> 3x120 radiator (Thermochill PA120.3) --> MOSFET 1 (MIPS ASUS Rampage 2 / P6T Deluxe Mosfet 1 POM) --> chipset (MIPS ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 / Palm OC Dual-Chip POM) --> MOSFET 2 (MIPS ASUS P6T Deluxe / Palm OC Mosfet 2) --> reservoir

All of this is monitored by an Aquaero unit with six temperature sensors (1x140 radiator in-/outlet, 3x120 radiator in-/outlet, reservoir inlet and case air temperature) and a flowmeter (at the pump outlet).

This setup works like a charm so far. Even with a fair bit of overclocking I've never seen the three 120 mm Panaflo 120x38mm Ultra High Speed fans go above 70% RPM, even with heavy gaming and an above-average room temperature. When the room temperature is low and the computer is lightly loaded the 120 mm's often don't run at all, the 140mm radiator (whose fan runs continuously) is enough.

The flow is relatively low, as might be expected with such a setup: The Aquaero reports just over 60 liters per hour. At the present moment the water temperature at the tank is 26,5 degrees. The 3x120 is at the moment dissipating around 0.5°C (with the fans running at 36% RPM), and the 1x140 around 1.0°C (in fact, considering the difference between the tank temperature and the 3x120 outlet temperature the 3x120 is probably dissipating more than this - I suppose this is due to some residual heat affecting the outlet temperature probe).

The installation was mostly very straightforward. The 3x120 radiator fits effortlessly in the top of the case, obviously. I also found a very nice spot for the 1x140 in the bottom of the case, where it fits like a glove. The only component I had any trouble with was in fact the reservoir, which wouldn't fit due to the metal fins between the 5.25" bays - they were just a little bit too wide, and I had to bend them back to be able to install the reservoir. Other than that, I encountered little to no trouble (at least considering this is the first time ever that I've ever been tangling with PC watercooling :biggrin:).

Lastly, the air flow: I decided to have the three 120 mm fans in the top suck air in, for two reasons: To supply the radiator with cool(ish) air from outside the case, and to create an overpressure inside the case. So now I have one 140 mm fan blowing air in (the one in the bottom, below the 1x140 radiator) and one blowing it out (the one in the rear), one living its own life blowing air across the hard drive bays, and the three 120 mm's blowing in. This seems to work well enough.

Well, I hope this can be of some help and/or inspiration to others wanting to do something similar. Thanks for your patience! :D:

That configuration depends on what components you will be using. If you want you can place the 360 up top and the 140 on the rear as long as you use something like the GT Stealth 140, the GT Extreme 140 would likely be too big for rear mounting and depending on your cpu cooler will likely cause conflicts with other components.

 

I ASSuMEd :o: that the OP was watercooling at least the CPU. I'm also going to assume that the OP might want to use the two bottom drive bays, instead of installing a 2 x 120 radiator there. Again, assuming.

IF I'm right in my assumptions, then what the OP needs to know is whether or not a 1 x 140 radiator + fan (25 mm ???) would or would not conflict with the CPU waterblock and associated tubing.

We don't know what CPU the OP is using, but if it's an i7 and its overclocked, and the OP plans on dual graphics cards, then he probably needs that extra radiator, in order to get decent temps.

x509

x509: Just take a peek one post above yours, and all shall be revealed! ;): I found a pretty decent solution to this challenge.

Garegaupa,

Awesome. :praise: I don't know why I missed your post before I posted my last message ...:dunno:

Anyway, I was wondering. Where do you place the pump?

Did you place the 1 x 140 radiator at the bottom of the case because there was no room to mount it at the back?

Thanks,

x509

Anyway, I was wondering. Where do you place the pump?

The reservoir is designed to accommodate certain Swiftech and Laing pumps. You just remove the pump top and attach it to the bottom of the reservoir. Works like a charm, and very neat and tidy! :biggrin:

I'll try to remember to post a picture of the reservoir and pump assembly.

Did you place the 1 x 140 radiator at the bottom of the case because there was no room to mount it at the back?

Correct. My initial intention was to place it at the back, but it turned out that it was too wide to be placed there. I wouldn't have been able to close the side door of the case with this particular radiator in the rear position.

Anyway, as it's now getting cool air from below the case instead of warm exhaust air at the back, I think this was a decent solution. It fit like a glove down there.

 

Correct. My initial intention was to place it at the back, but it turned out that it was too wide to be placed there. I wouldn't have been able to close the side door of the case with this particular radiator in the rear position.

 

Anyway, as it's now getting cool air from below the case instead of warm exhaust air at the back, I think this was a decent solution. It fit like a glove down there.

Did you consider using a 1 x 120 radiator for the back? Considering the thickness of a radiator, either size, and allowing for a 25 mm fan, is there enough space for a radiator in the back, if you did not "need" to close the side door of the case?

For the bottom 140 mm fan, are you using the stock Corsair fan, or did you replace it with something that moves more air?

x509

I did briefly consider a 1x120 after I saw the 1x140 wouldn't fit in the rear, but first I wanted to see if I could make the 1x140 fit. After all, this was holiday time, so I probably would have to wait a while for a smaller replacement. So when I discovered that this bottom solution worked, I went with it. This also gave me the added bonuses of the radiator being fed cool air (as mentioned above) and that the water loop became quite a bit neater and with less sharp bends (at least from looking at the plans I drew while putting the machine together).

The GT Stealth 140 would definitely have fit in the rear if closing the side panel had not been a consideration (a 1x140 with a narrower frame would have fit even without interfering with the panel). Here is a picture to show how little clearance there is between the fan and the panel:

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/5535/pc05.jpg

The Stealth 140 would have (narrowly) cleared the top radiator too, even though I use a relatively thick 3x120 radiator with 120x38 mm fans. I would have had to turn the 3x120 around by 180 degrees, though, as otherwise the 1x140 would interfere with its inlet/outlet ports. However, in my setup I'm quite sure this would have made my water loop quite a bit more messy.

I used the stock fan and screws for the bottom radiator. As for the screws, they were just barely long enough to go through the fan and case floor and into the radiator, and I had to remove the rubber gasket to make it work. It's solidly attached now, however. The stock fan seems to do its job well enough. I might try another fan later, but the stock one is more than good enough for now.

Finally, here is the picture I promised of the reservoir and pump assembly:

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5282/pc06.jpg

You can see the "topless" pump, the impeller and one of the pump attachment screws in the middle right of the picture. The inlet port is at the upper right, and the outlet port at the middle left. The box between the reservoir and the outlet is the Aquaero flow meter, attached directly to the reservoir with a male-male G1/4 fitting. As you can see, it's a tight fit with the inlet fitting... :cool:

I hope this answered your questions! Just let me know if there is anything else you'd like to know! :biggrin: