Hardware pr0n...w00t!

[clocker]

Look at what Mr. Postman just delivered (OK it really came yesterday afternoon, but you know).....

I am totally impressed.
This unit might just be the bargain of the century in watercooling components.
Custom made in Arkansas, it is a '77 Bonneville heatercore with silver soldered 1/2" barbs installed, a flawless matte black coating, laser cut fan shroud and two 120mm fans.
He even sleeves the fan tails.

The rad is 310mm tall, 150mm wide and, with the shroud and fans installed, 140mm deep.

All this for $112 including shipping.
In comparison, my Black Ice Extreme (single 120mm size) cost $119 for just the bare radiator.

The assembly will fit in my casefront below the optical drive bay...just barely, but it fits.
I'll start the build Sat. night after work and should have the install done by Sunday night, but I've also ordered some Tygon 3603 tubing which may not arrive till early next week so performance figures won't be available till then.

I was originally thinking of this loop configuration-

pump> heatercore> CPU> BIX> GPU> rez> pump

but now that I've seen this monster I think the second rad would be useless overkill.

My current setup averages a deltaT of 2C for the CPU and 15-18C on the GPU and rises about 5C under stress (Prime95 and Aquamark) which is pretty respectable.
It will be interesting to see what (if any) improvement the new loop affords.

[GepperRankins]

i just realised; you have a backwards case, you freak

[clocker]

Yup.
Both the Silverstone and the Lian-li are pseudo-BTX (or, to use your parlance, "backwards") and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I think it makes much more sense layout-wise.

[clocker]

Well, Clocker did manage to get off his ass and do some work this weekend.
Yes, it surprised me, too.

The first order of business was to strip Sprocket naked in order to install the new radiator.
I knew it would be a tight fit, but I was pretty sure it would and, eureka!, it does.




The lower chamber of the case is completely stuffed now...the fans on the shroud come within a few inches of the end of the video card and nearly overlap the edge of the motherboard.

Naturally, there were also numerous other details to attend to...a new pump mounting bracket, a new, truncated 5 1/4" bay enclosure, work on the front bezel and little fiddly things here and there.
Inevitably, I ran out of paint last night so I'll have to get some this AM before work.

With any luck, my new Tygon tubing will arrive on Wed. and final assembly can commence.

[Spicker]

Nice

very sexy p0rn! !

[Virtualbody1234]

You're going to have a chemistry lab in there with that Tygon® tubing.

[clocker]

Well, supposedly the Tygon has an excellent bend radius capability and is resistent to staining, also.

We shall see whether the benefits justify the cost.

[S!X]

Clocker, What kind of case is that? Name brand or some kind of custom? Looks offley big..

[clocker]

Silverstone TJ-06.

Somewhat gutted.




OK.
Extensively gutted.

[clocker]

Bit more detail work done...

One thing that has always bothered me is the crummy heatsink used on the chipset.
Overhung by the video card there is a severe height restriction, so Gigabyte's solution was a fairly large but thin aluminum sink.

Meh.

I had a Zalman chipset sink laying about and, with a bit of trimming, got her to work.

The first three rows of fins had to take one for the team so the video card would fit, but even so, I think the cooling potential is much greater.
I drilled and tapped the end of the block for a 6-32 screw and used that and a spacer to mount the fan.
Hopefully, the fan will draw air over the RAM and help cool the chipset.

This shot shows the Gigabyte sink laying next to the new arrangement.


We shall see.
With this change accomplished, the motherboard can be installed (maybe tonight?) and assembly can commence.