60 replies to this topic

[xXDeltaXx]

Interesting... I hadn't thought of that.

It kind of all depends upon what Kepler actually looks like - if it's mainly 3 slot GPUs, then I'll have to stagger like that.
The real question is whether the splitter actually works... if it does and I do end up keeping it, then I need 5 slots for it - probably all in a line (but maybe 1 with 4 above) - depends upon the cable flexibility. So I may end up with 2 GPUs on the bottom and 1 / 2 / 3 GPU(s) above them.

[xXDeltaXx]

So, updated idea...

Original on the left, Rev 1 on the right.


After talking to a few people on a couple of forums, it looks like the original case plan wouldn't give sufficient cooling - so this is the revised version for people to comment on please

The 92mm fan has been removed from between the PSUs and the motherboard tray has been raised - this should give better air flow to the PSUs for cooling. It also means that the HDD enclosures fully vent under the motherboard tray (as opposed to circa 75%) - again increasing the air flow potential.
The 80mm fans have been removed and the 3rd 120mm fan hole at the rear has gone as well - due to the raised motherboard tray. (A H100 can still be used for cooling the CPU though)

Holes... I'm probably going to be going with a MO-RA3 external rad (9x 140mm). To accomodate this, there is a upper fill hole in the case, a lower drain hole and 3 other holes (positions to be confirmed) for the inlet / outlet flow and a cable gland. Thinking about the possibilities that this case could end up with in the future (up to 5 GPUs, full motherboard block, CPU(s?) and any incidentals), I figured that a single MO-RA3 / single loop setup may not be enough - for both cooling and flow rate. So, there is another set of holes for a second loop.

Make sense? Good move? Bad move?

[xXDeltaXx]

Small question...
What's the best way to route cables?
1. Bunch all cables together (as best as possible) to create a single mass of cables.
2. Bunch cables that run to similar areas.
3. Run cables individually.
4. Other______.

What's the best way to fasten the cables to eachother? (unless individually ran)?
1. Plastic 'twist' ties.
2. Metal (plastic coated) 'twist' ties.
3. Plastic 'zip' ties.
4. Metal 'zip' ties.
5. Other______.

What's the best way to fix / locate the cables?
1. Loose.
2. Stuffed into throughports / holes etc; loose.
3. Stuffed into throughports / holes etc; tied with the method above.
4. Stick on locator points; tied with the method above.
5. Small holes cut in the case to run ties through; tied with the method above.
6. Other______.

I can see good and bad points with all options - just wondering what people would choose to do if they had the option. (Cable extensions will be used in part; so some cables will be the correct length and some will be too long [PSU cables no doubt])

[xXDeltaXx]

Hey,
Figure it's best to add here as opposed to the PSU section (as you can flick back through the nutty project lol)

I'm after some brand suggestions on the PSU(s) for this rig. I've got a load of stupid connections in this build, so no standard PSU that I can find comes with the right connections - so I'm going to have to use / make adapters... (i.e. 6x FDD / mini molex)
For a laugh, I put this system (as close as I could) into Thermaltake's PSU calc and came out with 2500W. Now it's unlikely to be anywhere near that high as Ivy and Keppler are both more efficient (apparently); but it is likely to be more than 1 PSU can muster.

I'm kind of lacking in good PSU brands at the moment - I may need 1250W or even 1500W units and would prefer fully modular. Suggestions please

[dirtylarryuk]

xXDeltaXx, on 30 December 2011 - 10:15 PM, said:

Hey,
Figure it's best to add here as opposed to the PSU section (as you can flick back through the nutty project lol)

I'm after some brand suggestions on the PSU(s) for this rig. I've got a load of stupid connections in this build, so no standard PSU that I can find comes with the right connections - so I'm going to have to use / make adapters... (i.e. 6x FDD / mini molex)
For a laugh, I put this system (as close as I could) into Thermaltake's PSU calc and came out with 2500W. Now it's unlikely to be anywhere near that high as Ivy and Keppler are both more efficient (apparently); but it is likely to be more than 1 PSU can muster.

I'm kind of lacking in good PSU brands at the moment - I may need 1250W or even 1500W units and would prefer fully modular. Suggestions please

before you buy now I would wait a bit to find out what connections 28nm AMD or nvidia will take at the high end (2x 8 2x 6 etc) may save you hassle in longrun. Also Silverstone showed a case with PCIE extensions so they may make a super dooper PSU for people stuffing tons of cards in for folding. So we might see some new breeds of PSU from mid year for exactly this! uptil now the limit for 99.999% of peeps was 2x 590 4x 580 or AMD equiv, things are changing and I suspect we will see that reflected in PSU's to come and they may not break the bank.

In theory some of the current monster 1200-1500w PSUs may run 4x 28nm GPUS and a CPU no issue. Much of this may depend on CPU and or GPU OC.

Edited by dirtylarryuk, 31 December 2011 - 12:36 AM.

[xXDeltaXx]

I do have a PC P&C Turbocool 1200W ESA PSU - but it's not modular... In someways; I want both PSUs to be the same, but in others; I could make use of this one in the new rig.
Specs: +5V @ 30A, +12V @ 90A (115A peak) [Single Rail], -12V @ 0.8A, +3.3V @ 24A, +5VSB @ 4A, 1200W Continuous Power / 1300W Peak Power.
Cables: 1x 24-pin, 2x 8-pin CPU, 1x 4-pin CPU, 3x 6/8-pin GPU, 3x 6-pin GPU, 8x SATA, 8x Molex & 1x mini.
All are wired and most won't reach their intended destinations.

I'm thinking modular; so I can make my own cables to the needed lengths and remove as many adapters / connections as possible.

I estimate that I'll need the following (depending upon GPU and Motherboard selection):
Specs: unknown, need to find out the values; probably high +12V amps and decent +5V amps
Cables: 1x 24-pin, 2x 8-pin CPU, 7x 6-pin GPU, 5x 8-pin GPU, 9x SATA, 16x Molex (although 5 are just +12V)& 6x mini.

But, yeah, I understand where you are coming from. Wondering about the AX1200W (2 off) as it's fully modular and uses a single rail... then again, I think I'll be e-mailing PSU manufacturers to check what's acceptable under their warranties, if they know part numbers for connectors etc - that may influence my purchase. I seem to remember one company telling someone (here or Nvidia forums) that the PSU wasn't covered / may not be covered under warranty if they used it with a second unit.


*additional* Now I'm having 'Delta ideas' - the Turbocool 1200w (ESA) is not available for sale any more, but they do have it in the 'recertified' section... thinking about buying 2 and turning them into modular ones... (yes, even I know that's a bit dumb) - still thinking it though. I love the ESA function (currents / voltages / heatsink temp) for the PSU - so this would allow PSU monitoring as per the current one I have. Failing that, I wonder about geting 2 ESA boards and attaching them to whatever PSUs I get.

Edited by xXDeltaXx, 31 December 2011 - 02:54 AM.

[xXDeltaXx]

So...

The UD9 really is now old hat now & I'm not seeing anything close on the radar for Ivybridge

Anyone know of a solid Ivybridge motherboard coming with 7 PCIe x16 slots at a minimum of x8 connectivity?? Best I've seen so far is the MSI Big Bang-XPower II but details are still sketchy...
It appears to be x16, x8, x8, x8, x16, x8, x8 from the photos - but that could be max and lanes get shut down with others in use... so, technically lacking over the UD9's connectivity when only utilising 5 slots.

[xXDeltaXx]

I'd say case update, but it's more of a query...

Anyone know of some case manufacturers who may tackle this type of nonsence?? - I was thinking of Mountain Mods for the base case & then just modding the rear panel, but now that it's the front, rear and sides... it's practically a full custom case.

Has anyone bought custom cases / panels from other manufacturers?

[aussiejunior]

For psu's take a look at the enermax ones I had a galaxy 2 1000w unit and it was just superb and faultless. Some of the newer models like the platimax or even the max revo range are according to reviews some of the best units on the market atm.

[Nofear]

Righthooks, on 27 September 2011 - 12:21 AM, said:

You have captured my attention, and I really want to see where this is going in the long run. I loath PCI extensions, so if you can get me to see a finer purpose...I shall buy you a drink.

You hate PCI extensions? Maybe this can change your mind:



http://rog.asus.com/...y-ban-nguyen/5/

[Kauw]

great lord, i want one like that. like now.
this a damn piece of art.

Edited by Kauw, 04 February 2012 - 10:24 AM.

[xXDeltaXx]

... and so it progresses - redesigned the front to give better airflow to the parts that need it


Only I could fill a 24"x18" case front lol
Top down:
3x 120mm fans to direct air at the GPUs (& CPU cooler)
6x 5.25 bays - fan controller, DVD, Blu-Ray, memory card reader / front USB (something the standard case lacks is front panel connectivity), 2x blank (for when I get liquid cooling probably), and a SSD holder (4x SSDs with dual 40mm cooling fans towards the CPU cooler)
3x 120mm fans to direct air over the motherboard / CPU cooler
6x 5.25 bays - 2x HDD holders (4x HDDs with a 120mm cooling fan each); directs air towards the PSUs

Needs a bit of tidying up (I've got an idea on that ) & needs the rear updating as well... the mental design continues :D

[xXDeltaXx]

Yeah, this case is getting completely revised again lol.

Possibly got a unique GPU mount - got some test parts on order before I finalise the design (ref the dimension thread I had)

Anyway, since it's a redesign - thought I'd ask about case layout.
The case is going in a corner under a desk - so there is going to be the probability of a hot air pocket behind it... Been wondering about creating a to box (if room) to pull air from the back of the case and throw it out the front. As it'd be at the top, it could also take rising hot air from within the case with it...
Dumb idea or not?

[xXDeltaXx]

Query...

Temperatures; how much heat does a PSU normally chuck out? - bit difficult to tell on my case due to the way it expells it's air.
Also, what (if any) part of a PC is able to take slightly elevated temps? Can an optical drive take more heat than a HDD / SSD before encountering isues / reducingit's life span???

[WestSideBridge]

xXDeltaXx, on 23 March 2012 - 11:56 PM, said:

Query...

Temperatures; how much heat does a PSU normally chuck out? - bit difficult to tell on my case due to the way it expells it's air.
Also, what (if any) part of a PC is able to take slightly elevated temps? Can an optical drive take more heat than a HDD / SSD before encountering isues / reducingit's life span???

ODDs are cheap, so even if it gives out --$50 for a BDR.

That's my money.

[xXDeltaXx]

I presume that a rad on the front of a case pushing air towards the PSUs is bad for the PSUs...? (custom layouts are a pain to plan lol)

[WestSideBridge]

xXDeltaXx, on 24 March 2012 - 11:40 PM, said:

I presume that a rad on the front of a case pushing air towards the PSUs is bad for the PSUs...? (custom layouts are a pain to plan lol)

Your PSU should intake clean, external air. That's non-negotiable for me.

[xXDeltaXx]

Debated new thread in water cooling assistance or adding to this one...
(posted from work PC with TERRIBLE LAG!)

So, the current case design is aircooled for the moment - but with the probability of liquid cooling further down the line; so here's planning the liquid cooling setup...

The front of the case can take 3x 480 rads (vertical), but there is clearance issues with the motherboard tray: only 55mm(ish) gap, so a thick rad would have no fan on the lower mount (pull on the other 3) / a thin rad would only have push (as opposed to push/pull) on the lower mount.
Or
The front of the case can take 2x 360 rads (horizontal), as there is clearance issues; no rad below - just fans...

There is room for a 360 rad on the rear and possibly a 240 rad as well. (I'll post renderings when I get home and finish the 360 version)

What are your thoughts?

The 3x 480s couldn't be replaced with 3x 360s as I want good airflow over the motherboard in aircooling mode - the bottom of the rad would intersect the lower fan hole and 1. be messy & 2. stop me putting anything in there.

Setup is to cool motherboard, 1x CPU (possibly 2 in the future), 2x GPUs (possibly 4 or even 5 in the future) & any other parts that I may get down the line.

Edited by xXDeltaXx, 02 April 2012 - 07:09 AM.

[mihapiha]

2x CPU + 5GPUs in the future I'd not look past an extrenal cooling. I don't think even a 360x3 setup can cool that amount of heat down. I would suggest you look at one or maybe even two WaterCool MO-RA 3 radiators to put them on either side. Maybe even the 140.9 radiators, just to be safe. But you need at least one of those. Optionally you could then add them 360 radiators like you planned, or you settle with two MO-RA 3 radiators, and no internal radiators.

If that computer will be in another room, you could possibly even think about a chiller. The big powerful units are quite noisy so they should be in a seperatre room.

If you're willing to spend the money and don't want to work off your a$$ with water cooling, you could get (for starters) one Koolance 3K3UC external watercooling unit and maybe add a second one or more radiators as you add hardware to your build.

The more hardware there is going to be in this thing, the more sense a watercooling makes.

[duelistgamer]

I'd suggest using a water-chiller in your setup.