[Project] The Last PC!

Jan Kyster · 09-08-10, 08:37 AM

I saw this desktop case when it was released and I knew that would be the one:

But it "never" showed up in Denmark.
Pestered my favorite dealers for it and even the Silverstone HQ, but it wasn't until some months ago I incidentally stumbled upon it.
Used it temporary for the "old" system, but that was transferred to another case for watercooling, and now the new pieces have finally found it's way into this case...

Here's what I did and how it turned up...

There are two bays for drives in the case, but the build will only have room for one. The graphic card's too big to fit otherwise

The drive bay will have a 8cm fan and the graphic card will have a 12cm fan. Hole's too small - first modding was to cut a larger hole:

Why do Silverstone "ruin" such a beatiful case with such big and very white letters?

I masked them, sprayed a light coat of matt paint, polished it and here's the result:

A first look at the cables to be managed... omitted are the two bunchs coming in from the front (USB/FireWire/buttons/Audio)

Inspired by the Fractal Design case, I decided to try and make a plate for hiding the cables...

The two 8cm fans at the back both had some +40cm wirings... cut back and merged into one:

The sidefan is placed exactly where Asus has placed the ATX powersupply - a tiny cut was needed:

In place - a tight fit:

Cables managed and coverplate in place...

Fill'er up!

Packed:

After initial testings, I've found the graphics temps to run between 80 and 90 degree C and have decided to swap the graphic cards fan with this one from Artic Cooling:

Components used:
Silverstone LC10-E case
Asus P6X58D-E motherboard
Intel Core i7-730 cpu with stock fan
3x2 GB Kingston HR-1800 RAM
Thermal Take 850W powersupply
Sapphire Radeon HD5970 graphics card
2 x 8 cm fan
1 x 12 cm fan

It runs Silent Hunter very, very well

and after enabling Intel's Quiet scheme it even runs reasonable silent...

And The "Last PC" part?
Yes! No more upgrades for me. This is the last build.
I only use my pc for SH and racing sims like GTR2 and GPL and the system has plenty of overhead for those.
GTR3 is just around the corner, but can't imagine that to not run well too.

Should I one day need some extra juice

then the cpu can easily be overclocked to outrun even the Core i7-965 Extreme (according to tests) and the graphics card can be overclocked too.
Or I can plug one more 5970 in as the motherboard supports two PCI 16x cards... and even a third as PCI 8x

So no more filling up the forum with projects from here!

Gerald · 09-08-10, 08:44 AM

good work

Konovalov · 09-09-10, 09:55 AM

Nice one Jan Kyster. Some nice modding there.

And I have heard that before about "this will be the last build". It's an addiction.

By the way you really get to appreciate just how much of a monster the Radeon HD 5970 is when it is in a case.

Jan Kyster · 09-10-10, 11:22 AM

Picked up the new fan today - the result:

Cleaning the "old" part:

Adding new thermopads:

The bad and the (hopefully) good:

Sideview:

Loaded and ready:

Been running the thing for ~1 hour now, temp is stable at 39-40 degree in idle.
Fan speed is running between 0 and 1%??

Tonight I'll take the Silversides up the Korea Strait and we'll see how temps evolve then...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konovalov

...I have heard that before about "this will be the last build". It's an addiction.

I know! Been bying the crap for the past 25 years

but this time it is really different.
The heaviest load is by far Silent Hunter and even there, there's a major overhead, so I am confident.

Only thing that I probably will add to the system is a SSD drive once it's down in price (and reliability?).
Cables are already in place for both power and SATA 6...

Thanks for the kind words!

Jan Kyster · 09-10-10, 06:15 PM

4 hours later with Silent Hunter:

gpu max 75 -> cools to 44
cpu max 58 -> 44
MB max 48 -> 43

We're not unhappy, but can't help contemplating water... maybe something on the outside of the building...

_

Jan Kyster · 09-11-10, 08:04 PM

Just reporting!

But back to square one here! Desperately fighting facts... damn you, truth!

There is simply not enough airflow through the case. There are no stability issues, but anything above 75 degree is not acceptable.

New Fractal Design case has been ordered. Again!

As a first step, then probably top it up with water cooling. We'll see...

Ahh, the waste!

Sailor Steve · 09-11-10, 10:50 PM

Dang! And that looked so good too! I have never considered a 'flat' case, and you had me interested. I'm looking at building soon, or at least having one built. Thought this one looked kind of cool:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811103011

Arclight · 09-12-10, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jan Kyster

Just reporting!

But back to square one here! Desperately fighting facts... damn you, truth!

There is simply not enough airflow through the case. There are no stability issues, but anything above 75 degree is not acceptable.

New Fractal Design case has been ordered. Again!

As a first step, then probably top it up with water cooling. We'll see...

Ahh, the waste!

It's a dual-GPU card. Those temps are to be expected.

Running 85C is normal for 5970.

Jan Kyster · 09-12-10, 09:00 AM

Yeah, 85 degree with standard cooler, but not with the ArcTic cooler: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coo...reme-5970.html

Alas, the cramped desktop case doesn't allow enough air to pass through it to see the full potential of the cooler...
The scenario was lurking in the back of the head, but ignorance's a bliss at least as long as it lasts...

Now the case Steve shows, that's an entire different matter! Looks very efficient! And a nice pricing!

Once the components have been transferred to new case, I'll show the readings... stand by!

Arclight · 09-12-10, 09:10 AM

What about using some proper paste, instead of those thermal pads? Never been impressed by those.

Lot cheaper than a new case and whatnot.

...

(sorry) And get a decent cooler for that bloody CPU, seriously.

Jan Kyster · 09-12-10, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arclight

What about using some proper paste, instead of those thermal pads? Never been impressed by those.

Lot cheaper than a new case and whatnot.

...

(sorry) And get a decent cooler for that bloody CPU, seriously.

Hey! It's a genuine Intel cooler!

No seriously, that was my initial thought as well.
But it's actually 1½ times larger than the "normal" Intel coolers and as these normally runs very silent, I wanted to give it a try.
It is doing a very fine job.

Until the new case arrives, I've removed the lid of the case and temps are much better now.
Cpu max. 60 and Gpu max 70 degree... even after a couple of hours SH IV.

Also agree on the thermal tape - but once settled in, they too works well.
And they ensures a thermal contact to the heatsink for all components, even the ones that may be a bit "mis-aligned".

Gotta love those weekend-working internet stores! Case should arrive tomorrow!

Arclight · 09-13-10, 04:16 AM

Actually, for a graphics card those pads might be better, yeah. At least to avoid something not making contact. I did replace the pad for the GPU with grease on my 8800; shaved off some 5C in idle, probably more under load.

My point about the Intel cooler is that it creates turbulence. Air is forced down and out in all directions as it is forced out the sink. A good portion of the hot air trying to move towards those exhaust fans will get drawn into the cooler again. If you can get a small tower-design in there, you can have the air move through more cleanly, straight towards exhaust fans.

Anyway, good luck with the new case.

Jan Kyster · 09-15-10, 09:42 PM

- some last night scriblings...

Jan Kyster · 09-17-10, 04:06 PM

What the postman dragged in today...

Herr-Berbunch · 09-17-10, 04:09 PM

All this money spent on this rig and I think you should get a new keyboard!

09-08-10, 08:37 AM	#1
Jan Kyster Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,151 Downloads: 152 Uploads: 0	[Project] The Last PC! I saw this desktop case when it was released and I knew that would be the one: But it "never" showed up in Denmark. Pestered my favorite dealers for it and even the Silverstone HQ, but it wasn't until some months ago I incidentally stumbled upon it. Used it temporary for the "old" system, but that was transferred to another case for watercooling, and now the new pieces have finally found it's way into this case... Here's what I did and how it turned up... There are two bays for drives in the case, but the build will only have room for one. The graphic card's too big to fit otherwise The drive bay will have a 8cm fan and the graphic card will have a 12cm fan. Hole's too small - first modding was to cut a larger hole: Why do Silverstone "ruin" such a beatiful case with such big and very white letters? I masked them, sprayed a light coat of matt paint, polished it and here's the result: A first look at the cables to be managed... omitted are the two bunchs coming in from the front (USB/FireWire/buttons/Audio) Inspired by the Fractal Design case, I decided to try and make a plate for hiding the cables... The two 8cm fans at the back both had some +40cm wirings... cut back and merged into one: The sidefan is placed exactly where Asus has placed the ATX powersupply - a tiny cut was needed: In place - a tight fit: Cables managed and coverplate in place... Fill'er up! Packed: After initial testings, I've found the graphics temps to run between 80 and 90 degree C and have decided to swap the graphic cards fan with this one from Artic Cooling: Components used: Silverstone LC10-E case Asus P6X58D-E motherboard Intel Core i7-730 cpu with stock fan 3x2 GB Kingston HR-1800 RAM Thermal Take 850W powersupply Sapphire Radeon HD5970 graphics card 2 x 8 cm fan 1 x 12 cm fan It runs Silent Hunter very, very well and after enabling Intel's Quiet scheme it even runs reasonable silent... And The "Last PC" part? Yes! No more upgrades for me. This is the last build. I only use my pc for SH and racing sims like GTR2 and GPL and the system has plenty of overhead for those. GTR3 is just around the corner, but can't imagine that to not run well too. Should I one day need some extra juice then the cpu can easily be overclocked to outrun even the Core i7-965 Extreme (according to tests) and the graphics card can be overclocked too. Or I can plug one more 5970 in as the motherboard supports two PCI 16x cards... and even a third as PCI 8x So no more filling up the forum with projects from here!

09-08-10, 08:44 AM	#2
Gerald SUBSIM Newsman Join Date: May 2008 Location: Close to sea Posts: 24,254 Downloads: 553 Uploads: 0	It feels like a good and powerful rig, good work __________________ Nothing in life is to be feard,it is only to be understood. Marie Curie

09-09-10, 09:55 AM	#3
Konovalov Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: High Wycombe, Bucks, UK Posts: 2,811 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	Nice one Jan Kyster. Some nice modding there. And I have heard that before about "this will be the last build". It's an addiction. By the way you really get to appreciate just how much of a monster the Radeon HD 5970 is when it is in a case. __________________ "In a Christian context, sexuality is traditionally seen as a consequence of the Fall, but for Muslims, it is an anticipation of paradise. So I can say, I think, that I was validly converted to Islam by a teenage French Jewish nudist." Sheikh Abdul-Hakim Murad (Timothy Winter)

09-11-10, 10:50 PM	#7
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Dang! And that looked so good too! I have never considered a 'flat' case, and you had me interested. I'm looking at building soon, or at least having one built. Thought this one looked kind of cool: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811103011 __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

09-12-10, 09:10 AM	#10
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	What about using some proper paste, instead of those thermal pads? Never been impressed by those. Lot cheaper than a new case and whatnot. ... (sorry) And get a decent cooler for that bloody CPU, seriously. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

09-10-10, 06:15 PM	#5
Jan Kyster Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,151 Downloads: 152 Uploads: 0	4 hours later with Silent Hunter: gpu max 75 -> cools to 44 cpu max 58 -> 44 MB max 48 -> 43 We're not unhappy, but can't help contemplating water... maybe something on the outside of the building... _

09-11-10, 08:04 PM	#6
Jan Kyster Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,151 Downloads: 152 Uploads: 0	Just reporting! But back to square one here! Desperately fighting facts... damn you, truth! There is simply not enough airflow through the case. There are no stability issues, but anything above 75 degree is not acceptable. New Fractal Design case has been ordered. Again! As a first step, then probably top it up with water cooling. We'll see... Ahh, the waste!

09-12-10, 09:00 AM	#9
Jan Kyster Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,151 Downloads: 152 Uploads: 0	Yeah, 85 degree with standard cooler, but not with the ArcTic cooler: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coo...reme-5970.html Alas, the cramped desktop case doesn't allow enough air to pass through it to see the full potential of the cooler... The scenario was lurking in the back of the head, but ignorance's a bliss at least as long as it lasts... Now the case Steve shows, that's an entire different matter! Looks very efficient! And a nice pricing! Once the components have been transferred to new case, I'll show the readings... stand by!

09-13-10, 04:16 AM	#12
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Actually, for a graphics card those pads might be better, yeah. At least to avoid something not making contact. I did replace the pad for the GPU with grease on my 8800; shaved off some 5C in idle, probably more under load. My point about the Intel cooler is that it creates turbulence. Air is forced down and out in all directions as it is forced out the sink. A good portion of the hot air trying to move towards those exhaust fans will get drawn into the cooler again. If you can get a small tower-design in there, you can have the air move through more cleanly, straight towards exhaust fans. Anyway, good luck with the new case. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

09-15-10, 09:42 PM	#13
Jan Kyster Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,151 Downloads: 152 Uploads: 0	- some last night scriblings...

09-17-10, 04:06 PM	#14
Jan Kyster Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,151 Downloads: 152 Uploads: 0	What the postman dragged in today...

09-17-10, 04:09 PM	#15
Herr-Berbunch Kaiser Bill's batman Join Date: May 2010 Location: AN72 Posts: 13,203 Downloads: 76 Uploads: 0	All this money spent on this rig and I think you should get a new keyboard! __________________