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Water Cooled i7 Build ... version 3

post #1 of 27
3/25/09 at 1:43am
Thread Starter 
I thought I'd posted my latest version here, but looks like I didn't, so here goes.

This is about the third build I've done in my current Mountain Mods cube. Had a few hardware failures, so basically started over. So, without further comment, here it is:











































i7 920, EVGA X58, EVGA 285 Tri-Sli, 3x2GB Corsair Dominator, Corsair HX1000W

CPU Loop: MCP355 > XSPC Res Top > PA 120.3 > GTZ Block

GPU Loop: MCP355 > XSPC Res Top > PA 120.3 > EK Nickel Blocks

NB/Mosfet Loop: MCP350 > XSPC Rest Top > XSPC RX240 > BP Blocks
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post #2 of 27
3/25/09 at 1:45am
omg my jaw just dropped to the floor wow that is amazing!!!!
great work Shazza!!! wow that is wow amazing!!!!

great job !!!
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post #3 of 27
3/25/09 at 1:47am
Wow. The quality of the pictures make this look incredibly incredible. What camera are you using again?
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post #4 of 27
3/25/09 at 2:23am
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys. Pics are a work in progress ... still have to do a final photoshoot.

Using the Canon 40D.
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post #5 of 27
3/25/09 at 3:37am
Y'all do see the bottom pix 'swirling' too? Rite?
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post #6 of 27
3/25/09 at 3:49am
Thread Starter 
lol ... bottom pix was just to show when all 11 fans are running on high


These should look normal to ya, Cleofizoid:














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post #7 of 27
3/25/09 at 3:55am
Perfectly "normal" in Leroy's world!

I love it!
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post #8 of 27
3/25/09 at 12:01pm
Damn that looks good. I want to use one of those as my avatar.
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post #9 of 27
3/25/09 at 12:35pm
yeah shazzas work is always awesome top notch!
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post #10 of 27
3/25/09 at 2:55pm
shazza... that build is simply perfect!!!

amazing!
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post #11 of 27
3/26/09 at 12:18am
Thread Starter 
Thanks a bunch, nate, spartan, Cleofizoid, and Steve. I really seem to enjoy the building process. Everytime I say I'm going to do something mature and sedate, I seem to end up with these over the top builds.

And, also have to say ... had it not been for this site fostering my interest in computers with my first Alienware, I doubt I'd be having the fun I am today.
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post #12 of 27
3/26/09 at 12:54pm
not a problem glad i could help or what ever !!!
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post #13 of 27
3/26/09 at 1:26pm
Looks awesome very good work! If I only had the monies/time to set something like that up.
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post #14 of 27
3/26/09 at 3:40pm
Awesome build, Shazza You always have the best computers!
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post #15 of 27
3/31/09 at 11:15am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, Darq and TwilightVampire.

Been messing around trying to get some decent shots of the whole case ... it's hard to make these darn cubes look good! Some recent experiments:
































Any suggestions for photographing this beast would be much appreciated!
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post #16 of 27
3/31/09 at 2:03pm
now you're just showing off :P
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post #17 of 27
4/1/09 at 2:50am
I just lost all sense of manliness.
My rigs all just went limp.
Shazaa custom FTW.


Can u fill in some specs?
MB?
ram speed and timings?
Hard drive choices? raid 0 quad velociraptors or intelx25 ssd's?????
blu/ray 7.1 surround DTSHD/DDTHD?
mouse? KB? Screen? decibels idle/load?
price?

I read (all over) 3xSli doesnt give any noticeable real world gain over 2xsli (just benchmarks) curious why did you choose 3x sli? just cuz u could or other?
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post #18 of 27
4/1/09 at 1:22pm
Thread Starter 
Hi there archalien. Hope you are well.

Specs -

EVGA X58
RAM - Corsair Dominator 1600MHz 8,8,8,24 3 x 2GB
HD - 2 x WD750GB 7200 rpms for now -- I'll go SSD once the volume goes up and cost comes down. Had a raptor, just didn't see that much gain. No Raid at this time - I had lots of problems with it before, but may try again just for the fun of the pain.

I have the LG Blu-ray/HD drive, but just using a regular one for now. Blu-ray watching is done on my TV(s). Haven't felt the urge to rip Blu-rays yet, but that may come.

Sound - just a simple 2.1 sound system for this one now - will upgrade that once I move it to my new den. Mostly game with headphones so I don't wake the dead.

Display - Dell 3008 30 incher - really too big for my liking.

Mouse/KB - various Logitech products, still trying to find the perfect setup.

Price - Too Much, of course! An approximate breakdown (included all, even though quite a bit was recycled from previous builds):

Case - $400
MB - $300
CPU - $300
Ram - $200
HDs - $300
PSU - $300
GPUs- $1,000
Water Cooling Components - $1,000
OS - $200

(BTW ... just ordered components for an i7 rig for my husband - will be air cooled, and the cost was $1,200 for everything except case and HDs).


Why 3 GPUs? Just for fun. Always wanted to do Tri-Sli. Benchmarking is secondary for me, but it was fun seeing 35k+ in Vantage. Runs flawlessly for games. A bit of a help at 2560x1600 with settings on high, but not necessary. Absolutely is overkill.

Noise ... I have a decibel meter, but haven't checked it out. A bit noisy when 11 fans are running at 100%, but I generally run them at 50%. Noise then is a fairly quite hum, not much louder than the ceiling fan. That's the advantage of having all the water cooling.

OC - run at 3.6 24/7 with idle temps mid-30s, GPU temps less than 40 degrees C. At 100%, CPU stays below 60, GPUs below 50. Have taken it to 4.0GHz, still need to tweak to get stability at 4.2. But really don't have a need to run it above 3.6.

So there you have it ...


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post #19 of 27
4/1/09 at 4:30pm
Really liked the last pic. Though beer and PCs dont mix well. Just ask Steve.
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post #20 of 27
4/1/09 at 8:00pm
The difference between guys and girls....

Quote:
Originally Posted by shazza View Post
Display - Dell 3008 30 incher - really too big for my liking.
I dont think I ever heard a guy say that even if it was a 100"er he'd be like yeah I wish I coulda got the 110" though but my wife...... haha

Thx hope ur are well 2!
You really gotta go performance raid!!!
ALL your equipment is SOOO bottlenecked by your HDD right now its not even funny, I didnt realize how bad it was till I sat behind XP in a performace raid dual intel x25 ssd's..... Its alike a completely different computing experience, launch every app installed on your machine at once and have em ready in 5 seconds, XP boots from cold in under 30 seconds etc.

There is the saying "Go Big or Go Home", shaz u went SOOO big here, but it feels like its missing that one thing (performance raid) to really cap it all off!!! (well that and lack of real surround) If I had a need for such a rig mine would be soooo much like yours part choice wise (mine wallet is glad I dont have that need haha)

Anandtech just did a 30 page review of SSD's and there is a new one from OCZ about 300$ that is a blazer!!! 2nd only to the intels, raid those and you will decimate all!!!

Also I can understand the headphone requirement, but I couldnt rock a rig like that without hooking into a 50+" HDTV and 7.1 surround but that just me. I dont know what kind of games you play but I almost cant play games on anything less because Im used to using the surround audio cue's to my advantage in a way that just cant be replicated with anything less. I can play a certain FPS with my eyes closed on a certain HUGE map and can tell what gun was fired and were it was fired from just but the games amazing sound, I had to switch to 2.0 for a while after a move and I literally ccould not play w/o the sound it felt like a completely different game.

I guess no matter how bad u want it, a headphone requirement is hard to get around, Id still recomend trying at least 5.1's but I really really got to urge you to invest in some performace raid for that rig, my inner gamer/geek shed's a tear every night until it's completed. There are two velociraptors or ssd's whose home is in your rig, send them home shaz.... send them home.....
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