Bummer.
I'm having a bit more success with my projects, but with a nice new selection of improbables on the side.
Nothing proceeds in a straightforward fashion these days...:huh:
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Bummer.
I'm having a bit more success with my projects, but with a nice new selection of improbables on the side.
Nothing proceeds in a straightforward fashion these days...:huh:
Greetings from frigid Denver.
Had a mass of bluecold Canadian air (thanks a whole bunch, eh?) squatting on us since last week, broke several longstanding records.
Saturday morning (-19F by my thermometer, officially -13F) my poor car just wasn't up to it and I damaged the starter- boneheadedly persisting when I should have quit.
She almost started...
Fortunately, it turned out to be the fusible link and not the solenoid that died. I carry a spare.
Still and all, trying to do anything involving manual dexterity in those temps is unpleasant to say the least.
This is more than peripherally germane to Sprocket's progress in that after Saturday's exertions (I had to work all day too) I was bushed and not eager to do much.
Still no vid block, so filling the loop wasn't feasable.
I considered installing the vid card as is and putting the Zalman 7700 on the CPU...just to get running...but was too lazy to do it.
Sometimes sloth is the best approach.
Got confirmation from Stasis that my block should arrive Tuesday...finally, a response (and good news! although I'm not getting too excited till I actually have it).
Soooo...what to do till then?
Well, I've been almost subliminally nagged by the way I installed the pump. Although I went ahead and did it anyway, it bothered me that the pump mounted to the harddrive cage- mostly because removing the cage meant fooling with the pump.
Also, the bare aluminum of the Lian-li cage was too visible behind the mesh front panel.
So I did this...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ker/hanger.jpg
Drivecage is gone, replaced by the mounts I was using before and the pump is separately suspended on aluminum rods.
Didn't even have to drill any holes in the case.
Much better, methinks.
I also went ahead and made a trim piece I've been thinking about and decided to revisit my plans re: the sidepanels.
More on that later ( or not....I'm becoming a bit commitment-phobic. If I get around to actually doing what I'm thinking about we can discuss this again...)
you know.....I thought of bringing that to attention, but..... :PQuote:
Originally Posted by clocker
nice rework on the front screen,
looks about a thousand times better then the CM stock IMO
now I'm just gonna sit here and wait for the punnage regarding your roddage.....
Today I'm in the same boat you sailed last week...eagerly awaiting parts in the mail.Quote:
Originally Posted by fkdup74
It's no fun, is it?
I finally got around to adding a dedicated drain line to the loop.
I've always meant to do this, I've seen it done before and admired the foresight employed...it's one thing to safely add water but quite another to remove it.
In a perfect world, a drain at the bottom of the Thermochill rad would be ideal and viola!, guess what?...there is such a thing.
However, instead of being sized for a hose barb it's the size of a #6 screw- way too small and basically useless.
This left me to come up with a less desirable option and I did the only thing that made sense...added a t-fitting to the rad-out/CPU-in hose.
I'll point it out in a future pic...it doesn't warrant a shot of it's own.
Since I'll not be in RAID this time round I'll again be able to access HDD SMART info...specifically, temps.
To start, there will be no fannage for the HDDs...if necessary they can be added later.
Damn, getting close....
SHE RUNS!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...-totalloop.jpg
Whew.
Naturally, she isn't exactly finished, but Sprocket fires on all cylinders and seems to be doing just hunky-dory.
The most pressing issue to address is the reservoir...this one is just too damn small and with the high flow rate loop, air just whizzes right through the air trap and back through to the pump.
It's very noisy.
Temps are as expected...i.e. low.
Too busy to go into more detail, just thought ya'll like to know.
Fuck, thats 1337 :w00t: Those turbine fans are gangsta :cool: Are you still using that XFX 6800GT?
No...the XFX is now in Hawaii along with the late, lamented (well, a little) Winnie.
Hmm... What do you got?Quote:
Originally Posted by clocker
The new card is a Leadtech 7800 GT.
It's werry, werry nice, Captain.
Nice :OQuote:
Originally Posted by clocker
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ker/oc2mod.jpg
Thanks, VB.
FYI....
I was actually able to boot into Windows at 3.2GHz, but crashed out immediately.
This shot was stable enough to run Aquamark 03 where, with the vid card clocked also, I scored 101,350.
The RAM was running at PC4100 speeds here.
Amazingly, I did this all at stock voltages.
I'm sure the PC is not at all stable, but I'll bet with some careful ( and time-consuming) tweakage, I could run this daily without problems.
The cooling is certainly up to the task...CPU has yet to break 29C and the GPU seems very constant at 31C.
Patriot has come out with some PC3500 (2,3,2,5 @1T) 1GB sticks and I have two on the way. When they're installed I'm going to find the highest stable clock that they'll run at CAS2 and prolly stick there.
Right now the most pressing issue is the reservoir...this morning I ordered the new Swiftech mini-rez in hopes of controlling the air entrapment that plagues the loop. My big, custom built reservoirs never had this problem, but space has become a real issue and I hope this will solve it.
More to come as time permits...we're finally at the fun part.
Thanks for sticking with me.
Nice!
You might want to change that post to remove the OEM number.
Jesus christ that pwns my comp in aquamark :O I only got like 53K. Whats the cpu run at stock?
The CPU runs stock at 2.2GHz.
The GPU was clocked up to 540/1.2GHz (stock is 450/1.05).
dang!
Shit son thats sick :cool2:Quote:
Originally Posted by clocker
Those speeds are not-repeat, not what I would consider running often.
More like suicide shots, just to see what would happen.
Frankly, I was surprised I got there so easily.
Scary really.
Oh the joys of water cooling. :lookarounQuote:
Originally Posted by clocker
There are also significant drawbacks however.Quote:
Originally Posted by Linkin Park
Leaks being the primary (and most destructive), obviously.
My vid card block has a potential leakage issue which the maker and I are addressing now...unfortunately, the replacement block won't arrive for a week or so.
Rather than risk the 7800 I have drained the loop and will just wait till it comes.
In the (painfully short) time that Sprocket was up and running I noticed that the northbridge temps were once again the highest of all and I've decided to use this hiatus to reconfigure the loop and add the Maze chipset block back in. If I feel especially ambitious I may do some simple flow testing and see how 90degree fittings impact performance....they may make installation simpler...not sure yet.
I admit that I'm getting a little antsy...I'd like to enjoy all the performance I've paid for instead of just admiring the parts themselves. As much as I enjoy the challenge of proper assembly, this particular upgrade has taken waaay longer (and been waaay more expensive) than I originally envisioned.
Sure would be nice to get to play with Sprocket before she's completely obsolete...:dry:
Patience, patience. :)
Tell me though:
If your water-cooled PC overheated, would your glasses fog up? :P
BTW-
Will you be home over the weekend, sir?
Yeah, yeah...patience is a virtue and all that.
Yeah but get a move on!
I'm trying, believe me.
It was sooo nice to be back on my own mouse and keyboard with a system that is as responsive and quick as Sprock has become.
I miss her already.
Long time, no see, folks.
Much has been happening.
Outside of a pressing family matter (all's well that ends well, thank you) that distracted me for a few days, I still had the delay of the replacement waterblock to deal with.
In typical fashion I decided to use the down time (both literal and figurative) to mod the mod and upgrade the upgrade.
In the short time Sprocket was alive last week I noticed a few shortcomings that needed to be addressed.
Most pressing was the total failure of the reservoir to entrap air. This was not entirely unexpected but I had hoped the cute little w00tan rez would work but with my high flow loop it just didn't.
So I got this instead. We'll see if their advertising hype is true or not.
Also arriving in the mail is more Patriot RAM. Inspired by the early overclocking success of the Opteron I decided to go for the gusto again (this will be my third attempt at running high-performance 1GB sticks).
The final new upgrade is the readdition of a NB waterblock, missing from the latest loop, but very effective in previous incarnations.
Of course, my old Maze block had been bundled into a sale of other stuff so I have the new Swiftech MCW30 on the way. I hope it proves as good as the old DD block which kept my NB around 25-27C before. Running with just a HSF this time 'round, Sprocket was in the mid to high 30's, actually hotter than the video card was.
Weird.
On the modding side of things I decided to rip the whole chassis down to touch up damage to the paint from the rigors of assembly and also to cut the floor away to match the radiator fans.
Previously the rad has been mounted to a Plexi subfloor raised above the stock CM floorgrill. Although this seemed to work OK, I thought I could improve the whole setup by dispensing with the false floor and fully opening up the grill to allow for optimal breathing.
Like so...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ker/floor1.jpg
There are a couple of side benefits to this which hopefully will become apparent later.
Right now I'm at a bit of an impass...need to let the paint dry overnight and have a few more pieces to make before reassembly commences.
As soon as the waterblocks arrive (please Jeebus, by Saturday at the latest!) we'll start this all over again.
Minor pictoral update today- lots has gotten done but most of it is not installed yet.
The rad is installed and it fits beautifully. It's now possible to remove the mobo tray without the radiator getting in the way. I also decided to refit the wheels, raising the chassis further above the desk to make sure the fans aren't starved for air...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...oorfannage.jpg
These 140mm fans are also LED lit and I hope the blue glow is not too distracting.
I took a somewhat sideways jaunt and remounted the power switch. The logic behind this will be obvious later but the main reason was just to see if it could be done. Naturally, it was much more involved than I thought it would be but everything worked out in the end...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/onnew.jpg
The reset button, along with the clear CMOS switch will be mounted on the backplane, accessable without opening the case but safely out of harm's way.
Two other big changes occured yesterday- a bundled sale of my unused LL v2000 case came to fruition and I got yet another Raptor.
Unfortunately, part of the case sale includes the Antec Neopower PSU that I've been using so I'm going to have to refit (and majorly rewire) the Seasonic 600w into the Stacker. This time I'm going to try and do it right...sleeving and the whole nine yards of custom fitting the loom...which will probably take an entire day to complete.
The new Raptor (another 74GB) was complete happenstance.
I saw an ad for it and the seller was desperate for cash so we worked out a trade...my 36GB unit plus $50 for the 74GB drive.
I decided I really missed the snappy response that RAID0 provides so the two big Raptors will be set up RAIDed and I'm going to toss the 120GB Seagate back in also. Unfortunately they will all have to fit in the same space previously occupied by just two drives so active cooling is a must. I still have two more 140mm fans I can use but the whole front bezel has to be redone to accomodate them and I'm also going to reinstall the two Sunbeam rheobus controllers to manage all the fannage.
Much of this work is already done but cannot be installed until the waterpump is in place (it is also being slightly relocated but can still use the mount I made before...I think).
So, here I sit...mostly done (yeah, right:P ), just waiting on the final pieces of the puzzle to arrive. The RAM and reservoir are in hand and I'm waiting on the new HDD and the NB and GPU waterblocks.
If I can get all the pre-prep done, once these things show up it should only take a day or so to finish.
Maybe.
Do you use some silicon dampener/gasket-thingies or something (ie: Something like this) when you mount your fans?
I dunno' if they are very necessary or useful, but I'm using them on three of my fans :unsure:
There pretty much useless imo.Quote:
Originally Posted by SnnY
I dunno', man.Quote:
Originally Posted by Linkin Park
I checked some reviews after I posted that, and the consensus seems to be that they help.
Can't say I noticed any change tho' :ermm: I Just got them to protect my paint-job when I get around to sorting that out.
I think it would depend on the PSU and fans...none of my fans spin up fast enough to really cause vibration so the isolators would be useless.
With all five 140mm fans and three 120's going, the loudest sound in the case is HDD seek noises.
The turbine fans are effectively silent.
That'd sort of explain why I noticed no change, I've got fairly silent fans as well, except for the one on the graphics card, and I've got no dampener on that one.
clocker,
You get my first post...I had to come check out your worklog.
You are clearly a man that pays attention to detail. Have only read a few of the pages but continue to be impressed by the quality of the work that is clearly reflected in the pics you've posted.
There...I gave you the praises that we contracted for...please be sure to mail my check. :)
All kidding aside...nice work man.
Hi Reef.
Folks, allow me to introduce a friend from OC forums.
The Reef is also quite the artisan and a fearsome competitor for goods in the Classifieds.
A wily capitalist, I have somehow become indebted to him for unsolicited praise (really, I'm going to have to read the small print in our contract).
If we are lucky he'll post some shots of his setup which, judging from the purchases he's been making, is a groundbreaking amalgam of high-flow active and low-flow passive components.
Thanks, guy.
Welcome Reefa...
VB, he prolly won't respond unless you pay him.
Bling! Bling!Quote:
Originally Posted by clocker
http://photos6.flickr.com/9142126_176310be7e.jpg
I'll give you a fotie a OE if you make another post reefa.
I have no idea what this means...Quote:
Originally Posted by Linkin Park
BTW,
I can now officially say that I hate sheathing cables.
What a PITA.
The main ATX bundle on the S12 is only 16" long, about 4" shorter than it needed to be. Previously I ran it under the motherboard which got me by but this time I decided to add an extender and do it right.
However, I did not want an extra 24 pin connector block cluttering up the space so I've de-pinned them, reconnected the fittings and heatshrinked each wire. Now I have to remove the end block to slide the sheathing over the wires.
The remaining wiring will be much simpler to deal with.
That's what I keep telling myself at any rate.
Thanks for the intro...I think.Quote:
Originally Posted by clocker
groundbreaking amalgam? Easy to do...just put the cpu on the high-flow loop and the gpu on the low-flow loop and just let the NB sit there and pout under the fan. :)
And speaking of water cooling...Liquid3D sent me an email yesterday to let me know he is shipping parts out on Monday or Tuesday, so if all goes well that passive AquaCool system should actually be in my possession soon (along with a real nice assortment of German made blocks).
With respect to pics, unlike you, I don't have the talents to mod a case and make it look like it came that way from the vendor, so I go for what best suits my style/talents, which is the bolt together testing station type setup. I have one in the planning stage and if I ever get it to the point of it being worthy to share, I'll post those pics, otherwise, I just don't believe anyone here would be interested in my rats nest of cables and hoses.
OK, now that I've posted...please kindly send PPP (Pay-Per-Post) funds to my PayPal account at [email protected], as business is just getting off the ground and cash flow is king at the moment.
Later guys...got tax returns to work on.
I'm interested and I suspect others are too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Reefa_Madness
Post away!
I'm interested also.
Not interested enough to pay though...
Sprocket is currently formatting in preparation for my two millionth Windows install.
I tired of waiting for the rest of my waterblocks to show up so I toddled over to Microcenter and picked up some temporary Danger Den stuff to use. Filling/bleeding went well...the new reservoir actually works and the system is as quiet as one could reasonably expect.
I'm actually quite proud of this incarnation...everything went together as planned and worked the first time.
I'll admit to cheating a bit on the PSU sheathing...I ran out of the proper size with the PCI-e cable left to do but I didn't feel like buying a whole kit just to do the one bundle, so I just let it go. Maybe I'll get to it someday (doubtful) and it's not that terribly obvious (making excuses) so for now I'm calling it quits.
Frankly, I had no idea this would all take as much time as it did and I'm tired of all the work.
Temporarily, I'm sure.
For now, I think I'll kill the remaining Bass Ales in the fridge and just luxuriate in Sprocket's splendor.