My current system specs are as follows:
CPU: Intel Core i7 940
RAM: OCZ 12GB Memory
Mobo: Asus P6T6 WS Revolution
PSU: Cooler Master 1000Watt
GPUs: Dual GTX260's
Case: Lian Li PC-X2000
Displays: Two Dell 30" 3007WFP-HC's
I intend to keep all the same components but I'll be upgrading the GPU's from GTX 260's to GTX 480's
So this is my build as it was a few months ago. Everything is basically the same except I changed the CPU cooler to the H50 a few weeks back and swapped the white cable braiding that I did for NZXT single-braid extension cables.
And this is my desk with my monitors as it is currently.
I don't yet have the GTX 480's or the Blocks for the 480's but I have everything else. The prices of the 480 cards has fluctuated wildly over the past month. I saw the price go from £380 per card to £350 which when your buying two is quite a substantial saving, the blocks I want (EK Blocks) are out of sale at everywhere I've looked so waiting for them to come in to stock has worked in my favor with regards to the 480 price drops. Hopefully I can order the cards and blocks before the end of the month.
Start off with one of my favorite components of this build the Danger Den DD-RAD-Reservoir. This part will mount to a 120mm radiator or fan with the included mounted bracket which you can see below. Those brown parts are just removable tape. It has a nice fill cap at the top and two G1/4" connectors at the bottom. I'll be using 3/8" Inner Diameter tubing for this entire build with compression fittings.
Here is the pump it is a 18-Watt 600-LPH Laing DDC1+ pump with a XSPC acrylic top.
The reason I got the Acrylic top was not purely for aesthetics. I merely wanted an inlet on the top instead of on the front and the XSPC top was affordable moved the inlet to where I wanted and it looked better than the other tops available to me.
Next is the Radiators. As I said previously I am using the Lian Li PC-X2000 case which has 3x140mm fans on the front and 1x140mm fan on the back. Due to how the case has three compartments I would have to modify the case (remove rivets and take a saw to a large piece of the aluminum lining the bottom) to fit in a 3x140mm radiator. I decided instead to simply use a 2x140mm radiator at the front and a 1x140mm radiator at the back. I'm using the Hardware Labs SR-1 series of radiator. There are cheaper radiators available but these are designed for low speed fans as I want this build to be quiet. I'll be using 900RPM 140mm fans, the same ones that come with the case in-fact. The reason the SR-1's are so equipped for low-speed is because they feature only 9 fins per inch and they include a shroud which removes dead air spots which occur when the fan has no space between it and the radiator.
For the CPU Block I decided to use the XSPC block due to its high flow rate. This is important to me as I'll be using dual video cards in the system. Some other blocks I considered were the Koolance X360 but its flow rate was simply to constricting and the performance was only 3-4c lower than the XSPC. In the picture below the copper looks dirty but that is just because the film is still on it. It has a completely clear mirror finish.
And finally just some images of all the compression fittings and barbs.
And here is another picture of the tiny Koolance Dual Video connector. This little thing came this morning:
So once I start building it I'll take lots of pictures and post those and of course when it is all finished. Just to leave with some answers to some questions that may come up:
Question: How are you going to place a 120mm mountable Reservoir in a case with only 140mm fan holes?
Answer: I already have a 140mm to 120mm adapter for that!
Question: Why so many fittings and 90 degree connectors?
Answer: Some of my 90 Degree connectors are for blocks/pumps/rads but four of them are for Tubing to Tubing. I intend to mount the reservoir externally on the back of the case on the exhaust 140mm fan mount and have the tubing go inside the case at a steep 90 degree angle and I intend to use them in a few other parts of the build as-well. Just to note the Lian-Li PC-X2000 has four ports pre-drilled for external water cooling solutions situated right underneath the 140mm exhaust fan.
Question: Why not mod the case for 3x140mm Radiator?
Answer: I just didn't want the hassle to be honest. Having to dismantle the entire tower to get the piece that needs cutting out, removing all the rivets, cutting it then getting it back in and secured. This way I don't need to bother and the radiator choices I've made are more than adequate to cool a Core i7 and two GTX480's
Question: Why is this project called Ivy Mike?
Answer: As I intend to use GTX 480's which are code named Fermi (After the Nuclear Physicist) I decided I'd run that theme through with the name of the project. Ivy Mike is the name of the first Nuclear experiment resulting in Nuclear Fusion.
Oh man,you defo heading for space now.
