Build Log – Corsair Obsidian 800D Liquid Cooled Dual Loop System

[sledgehammer70]

Just got my first loop installed and the completed system is running but temps seem to be hotter than I expected them to be.

 

CPU: 30c

VREG: 46c

System: 34c

CPU core temps: 44-45c

 

Room temp is roughly 80 degrees and fluid temp is sitting at 33C.

 

Do these temps sound about right. Have the system running at 3.6Ghz currently with vcore at 1.23v (yes the are idle temps). Under load it jumps to around 58-60c after 45 minutes of 95%+ loads.

[Synthohol]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#casters/=6b1k6f

tons of great hardware and a very reputable company.

[DBoone]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#casters/=6b1k6f

tons of great hardware and a very reputable company.

 

Thank you!

[lordreye]

Hey guys. I've been following this thread very closely. My 800D is en route and some of my other parts are ordered. I'm still trying to decide on a motherboard and CPU among a few other things.

 

Anyway, my question today is where did you get the casters?

 

I used the Lian Li black-anodized ones from performance-pcs.com here: http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4407

[lordreye]

I thought I'd pass on something I figured out while building my rig in case anyone else runs into this problem. This was my first water-cooled setup and I hadn't used a programmable fan controller before. I had trouble with the fan controller (Aerocool touch 2000) displaying erroneous speeds and even resetting itself on my radiator fan channel. I finally figured out that anywhere I had multiple fans jumpered into a single fan controller channel, this issue existed, and the more fans on the channel, the more pronounced the issue. I fixed it by just unplugging the third (in my case, yellow) pin from the y-connectors so that only a single fan reported its speed to the controller.

[sledgehammer70]

Scythe Kaze Server 5.25" 4 Channel Fan Controller seems pretty damn solid so far

[DBoone]

I used the Lian Li black-anodized ones from performance-pcs.com here: http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4407

 

Thanks. I had been checking those out too. Looks easy to install.

[RollMop]

Killar Build!! Verry Nice, I will be back with Pixs of my own.. :)

[sledgehammer70]

Mr_Armageddon I was able to complete my rig with the slight modifications from the way you built your system. i think the biggest change was using 1/2" ID & 3/4" OD tubing on the GPU loop along with a bigger pump. I wanted to be sure I could move more liquid along with having a bigger loop overall to drop the temps of my GPU & to be ready for Fermi when it arrives. My current GTX 295 core temps are sitting at 38c which is a 20c drop from the stock fan.

 

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww148/sledgehammer70/final_lights_small.jpg

 

Overall I think it turned out perfect.

[DBoone]

Looking good Sledgehammer70!

[lordreye]

Yeah that looks great, sledgehammer! Did you run a single loop through two rads, or is there a second pump in there somewhere? Also, what speed are you running your pump at? I'd love to see more pics, especially large ones.

 

Since my last pics, I added blue LED lighting inside, much like yours, the Touch2000 fan controller which I like very much, the lian-li DVD cover, I swapped out the stainless bolts I had holding in the rad with nice black anodized ones, oh and I installed the Corsair RAM cooler now that I can slow it down.

 

I've also been experimenting with fans on my rad. I started with the Fezer Triebwerk mid-speed fans but they were too loud, though they did an amazing job at cooling. I'm currently running the new Blacknoise Noiseblocker Multiframe S-Series 1250rpm fans and they're amazingly quiet and while they're really close to having enough performance, they dont' quite.... if I run mprime with the fans at full speed, they can't quite keep up (I run 4.2ghz 24/7). For real world usage though, I never have an issue so I may just stick with them, but I'm eyeballing the Fezer Triebwerk low-speed fans as possibly the perfect balance. Anyone out there running them?

 

One other question for you guys: do you think a single 140 rad would be enough to cool a single, non-overclocked fermi board?

 

http://gallery.me.com/lordreye/100118/107_0039/web.jpg?ver=12696184700001

http://gallery.me.com/lordreye/100118/107_0040/web.jpg?ver=12696184720001

http://gallery.me.com/lordreye/100118/107_0041/web.jpg?ver=12696184740001

[sledgehammer70]

Firs off the Fermi will most likely not stay cool enough on a 120 rad. Even a 240 ran might not cut it unless you get a double thick one like I did. The GTX 295 was a warm card. The Fermi is set to be even hotter than that.

 

As for my overall system I have the Chipset & CPU on one loop, and the GPU on the 2nd loop. I am using the 665 which you can clearly see along with a 355 which is tucked up under the Reservoir in the 5.25" bay. It mounted to the bottom of the 5.25" bay.

 

I pretty much did the same thing Mr. A did but just used a bigger pump on the GPU loop and 1/2"ID 3/4" OD for the GPU loop. I also cut a bigger hole in the bottom of my case for more airflow on the lower radiator.

 

I will snap some images of the full system & post high res images.

[MDCyborg]

Hello All

 

I've used watercooling in most of my computer builds recently but all-in-one units like CoolIT Systems. My current project includes the Cosair 800D case and wanted to get some input on my current diagram. I still wanted to include the Cool IT Freezezone elite for the CPU but add two other rad's for the Chipset and GPU coolers. The revmoal of the lower raid cage is very interesting but wanted to try something different and like I stated eariler, wanted input.

 

Here's my diagram below and you can see I incorporated most of the items that seems to have success. The biggest difference, other than keeping the CoolIT CPU cooler, was adding a smaller rad for the chipset and larger rad for the video cards. Any input would be appreicated.

 

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss113/07CivicMD/WaterCooling3.jpg

[DBoone]

I used the Lian Li black-anodized ones from performance-pcs.com here: http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4407

 

lordreye - what is the mounting height? I need to measure the case without the standard feet to see whether I can put casters or wheels on this beast while still being able to slide it under my desk.

[x509]

Hello All

 

My current project includes the Cosair 800D case and wanted to get some input on my current diagram.

 

Hi. Do you plan to have a "T" somewhere so you can drain your loop?

 

Also, what software did you use for this great diagram? :D:

[sledgehammer70]

If you build your system right a T line is not needed.

[x509]

lordreye - what is the mounting height? I need to measure the case without the standard feet to see whether I can put casters or wheels on this beast while still being able to slide it under my desk.

 

Hi. I was also considering using casters or wheels, so I took a trip to my friendly local hardware store. They had casters which "snap" into "holder" which you are supposed to embed in the legs of the furniture which you are using the casters with, say a chair or table of some sort. Only I don't think there is room for these "holders." Here is an example of this kind of caster from the Home Despot (:roll:) website:

 

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgl/R-100136631/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

 

Or else, the wheels all are made with a plate that must be screwed into the furniture, like this one. You have to look carefully to see the four screw mount holes in the top plate:

 

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgl/R-100123593/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

 

I don't think that either of these would work with the 800D case. Did you have something else in mind? The Lian-Li wheels look great, but they are $40 for a set of two axles. You need three axles to support the 800D, so this would cost you $80!

 

What do you think?

 

x509

[MDCyborg]

Hi. Do you plan to have a "T" somewhere so you can drain your loop?

 

Also, what software did you use for this great diagram? :D:

 

Thanks.. If the system is built right.. no need. As for software = Visio 2007.

[lordreye]

Firs off the Fermi will most likely not stay cool enough on a 120 rad. Even a 240 ran might not cut it unless you get a double thick one like I did. The GTX 295 was a warm card. The Fermi is set to be even hotter than that.

 

Yeah thanks. I was actually talking about a 140 rad, not a 120, but after seeing the fermi specs, I can't imagine that it'd keep up.

 

As for my overall system I have the Chipset & CPU on one loop, and the GPU on the 2nd loop. I am using the 665 which you can clearly see along with a 355 which is tucked up under the Reservoir in the 5.25" bay. It mounted to the bottom of the 5.25" bay.

 

I pretty much did the same thing Mr. A did but just used a bigger pump on the GPU loop and 1/2"ID 3/4" OD for the GPU loop. I also cut a bigger hole in the bottom of my case for more airflow on the lower radiator.

 

I will snap some images of the full system & post high res images.

 

Awesome, thanks. I'm running the 655 as well; did you adjust the speed setting on the back at all on it?

[lordreye]

lordreye - what is the mounting height? I need to measure the case without the standard feet to see whether I can put casters or wheels on this beast while still being able to slide it under my desk.

 

The Lian Li wheels raise the machine 1.5 inches off the ground, so total height of 25.5 inches. This is with the stock "foot bars" that come attached to the bottom of the 800D... I mounted the wheels under them. You might be able to remove these bars, which are 1 inch tall, and mount the wheels directly to the bottom of the case itself.

[lordreye]

I don't think that either of these would work with the 800D case. Did you have something else in mind? The Lian-Li wheels look great, but they are $40 for a set of two axles. You need three axles to support the 800D, so this would cost you $80!

 

What do you think?

 

x509

 

I'm actually using just a single set of 2 wheel assemblies: one on the front and one on the back. The case is very rigid and mine has no problem resting on the two. As far as the look goes, I thought about this quite a bit and I concluded that having wheels on all three points makes it look too much like a small-wheeled train.

[x509]

I'm actually using just a single set of 2 wheel assemblies: one on the front and one on the back. The case is very rigid and mine has no problem reseting on the two. As far as the look goes, I thought about this quite a bit and I concluded that having wheels on all three points makes it look too much like a small-wheeled train.

 

Sounds good. Saves $40. :D:

 

Are you going to remove the feet from the middle of the case?

[Sabiancym]

Wow I'm glad I found this post.

 

I'm looking to build my first water cooled rig and have decided on the 800D as my case, but after that I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I've built a few air rigs before, but I need something quieter and cooler for my overclocking needs.

 

 

I have these components to work with so far. I'll be taking them out of my air rig.

 

ASUS P6T Deluxe X58 V1

Core I7 920 @ 3.6 (on air)

RAM ******** Gold 6GB 1600MHz

ATI 4870x2

Corsair 850TX 850W PSU

WD 7200 RPM 500GB HD

 

 

I want to add a second 4870x2 as well as a 128gb SSD to go with my 500gb drive.

 

 

 

Should I just follow this log to the letter for my first build? Substituting the right blocks obviously. I'm guessing I'd need a bigger PSU too. I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to water cooling and not being able to physically see the parts makes it hard to understand what exactly is going on. $$ isn't a big issue, but I'm not willing to try a simpler project just to learn only to turn around and spend more money on the setup I really want, which is basically this one.

 

 

Thanks for this post, and a very nice setup. It's helped me a lot.

[lordreye]

Sounds good. Saves $40. :D:

 

Are you going to remove the feet from the middle of the case?

 

The middle foot hasn't bugged me at all, but perhaps this is because it's so dark down there that I don't even see it. That might be a good idea though.

[lordreye]

Hey Sabiancym-

 

I was in a similar situation when I built my rig: I knew I would use an 800D, and I'd built several machines in the past but never a water-cooled one. I based everything I did on Mr. A's machine as his post was so thorough and his rig so clearly what I was after. Some things I learned along the way, for what they're worth:

• Bitspower connectors are pricey but they rock. They're super high-quality, they look amazing and I didn't experience a single leak or even a seep of fluid on my first attempt.
  
• Radiators come in normal (in and out on the same side) and cross-flow (in on one side and out on the other).
  
• Most radiator reviews don't pay any attention at all to the static pressure (the ability to move air through restriction for our purposes) of the fans they use while testing. The rad Mr. A (and I) use has a very high fin-density, which means using fans with a high static-pressure is important. It also means that if you do, you'll get superior cooling as all that surface area from all those fins cools better.
  
• Buy a tube cutting tool. Scissors really do a terrible job, at least on the 3/4 OD, 1/2 ID tubing. Ask me how I know ;)
  
• I haven't used it yet, but I bought a couple of tube clamps for some day when I want to unhook or cut tubing.
  
• Make sure you buy enough tubing so that you have some extra for mistakes and for a fill-tube.
  
• If you plan to use 3/4 OD, 1/2 ID tubing, the pump Mr. A used won't work for you (pay attention to the barb size on the pump). I'm happy with the 655 and am currently running it on speed 2 of 4. The 655 is much bigger than the pump Mr. A used.
  
• UV reactive fluid doesn't actually work like "glow in the dark" stuff you may have seen in the past. A) you need a real UV light source in your case, B) Once you turn off the light source, it stops glowing.
  
• If you don't have a dremel, and you plan on doing any case modding whatsoever, go buy one. They're cheap and amazingly useful.
  

 

That's all I can think of for now, but I'm happy to share my recently gained knowledge if it will help.

 

Oh one more thing: it was very useful having a buddy over to help me hold stuff while putting the water cooling system together.

 

Wow I'm glad I found this post.

 

I'm looking to build my first water cooled rig and have decided on the 800D as my case, but after that I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I've built a few air rigs before, but I need something quieter and cooler for my overclocking needs.

 

 

I have these components to work with so far. I'll be taking them out of my air rig.

 

ASUS P6T Deluxe X58 V1

Core I7 920 @ 3.6 (on air)

RAM ******** Gold 6GB 1600MHz

ATI 4870x2

Corsair 850TX 850W PSU

WD 7200 RPM 500GB HD

 

 

I want to add a second 4870x2 as well as a 128gb SSD to go with my 500gb drive.

 

 

 

Should I just follow this log to the letter for my first build? Substituting the right blocks obviously. I'm guessing I'd need a bigger PSU too. I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to water cooling and not being able to physically see the parts makes it hard to understand what exactly is going on. $$ isn't a big issue, but I'm not willing to try a simpler project just to learn only to turn around and spend more money on the setup I really want, which is basically this one.

 

 

Thanks for this post, and a very nice setup. It's helped me a lot.