Hello SFF Forum
my name is Ecki, I am from Germany and I would like to share my build with you all for feedback and tips on improving the result.
There is lots of things I learned with this build, and there will be lots more in the future. Not everything will be perfect out of the box and if you have suggestions, feel free to post them.
If you need any measurements from any part of this build, just ask. I will try and help out as i can.
This is my first watercooled PC. Not my first ITX build though.
1) How or where to put a pump and Reservoir in this case
2) Will cables from the PSU prevent mounting a Pump on the CPU side of the case?
3) Will the 1070 with the block fit without hitting the radiator on top?
4) How to route all the tubes in this case
I quickly learned why all the photos i found at the time only had a 240 AIO for the CPU.
When you never worked with watercooling parts like me, you don’t really get the size of things and how tight everything will be in this case.
After researching for hours on the internet, I decided to go for a EK DDC pump with the built in reservoir, as a D5 plus reservoir seemed not to fit anywhere in this case.
Here is a picture of the first fitment. I strapped two Noctua fans together to get a visual and dimensional feel for the radiator and fan combo on top of the case, as I had not yet decided on a specific Radiator.
After that i made the cables next, to make sure they can clear the pump without issues. I think they turned out good for my first attempt at making custom cables.
Don't mind the crappy cooler on the CPU as it was just for testing purposes and did not fit very well anyways.
Next up was looking out for clearance to the glass panels. Really tight...
Cool. Worked out as i hoped. Tight in some areas but possible. The other side of the case was waaaay worse in terms of being tight.
After seeing that i opted for the thinnest radiator i could find, made a paper mockup, checked again and ordered the TX240. When it arrived and I assembled it in the case..
So everything fits.
my name is Ecki, I am from Germany and I would like to share my build with you all for feedback and tips on improving the result.
There is lots of things I learned with this build, and there will be lots more in the future. Not everything will be perfect out of the box and if you have suggestions, feel free to post them.
If you need any measurements from any part of this build, just ask. I will try and help out as i can.
I7 7700k
Asus Z270i Gaming
GTX 1070
16 GB DDR4-2400
Samsung 250GB M.2
Samsung 500GB SATA
Corsair SF600 PSU
Watercooling Stuff:
EK Z270i Strix Monoblock
EK GTX FE RGB VGA Block
EK XRES 100 SPC DDC
EK Fittings & PETG Hard Tube
XSPC TX240
Noctua NF F12 industrial
Custom Cables made by myself
Asus Z270i Gaming
GTX 1070
16 GB DDR4-2400
Samsung 250GB M.2
Samsung 500GB SATA
Corsair SF600 PSU
Watercooling Stuff:
EK Z270i Strix Monoblock
EK GTX FE RGB VGA Block
EK XRES 100 SPC DDC
EK Fittings & PETG Hard Tube
XSPC TX240
Noctua NF F12 industrial
Custom Cables made by myself
This is my first watercooled PC. Not my first ITX build though.
Previously i built a little Media PC in a Jonsbo V6, an entry level gaming system in a Phanteks Shift and a „one game only (iRacing)“ one in a Raijintek Metis which i modded to have two 120mm fans on top for cooling the GTX760 in it. The Metis one was mainly build for using it on an single 1080p Display and to be portable, as my current PC (Jonsbo W2/i7 8700k/GTX1060) is a bit heavy and bulky. I mostly don’t care about noise as long as the pc just works well and doesnt get too hot as i got a closed up Headset which blocks noise really effectively. Used it on the Simracing Expo this year as we were driving with live audience in the background and you couldn’t notice them a bit.
After using the Metis one for almost a year now my needs in iRacing were growing, hence the Upgrade to the „new“ specs posted above. This system will most likely also only be running iRacing. For now on a single 1080p monitor but already planning for a triple 1080p setup in the near future. Tested a triple Setup on my 1060 which worked great and made me hate my single setup..
Parts mostly consists of stuff friends had sitting around.
Why even go through the hassle of watercooling it? Why not? I just wanted to try it out and i like the look of it.
Is it going to work just as good or better as air cooling in this specific case? I don’t know yet. I based my idea on the EK A240G Set as this seemed to be fine for a 7700k and a 1080 according to some researche on the internet.
After using the Metis one for almost a year now my needs in iRacing were growing, hence the Upgrade to the „new“ specs posted above. This system will most likely also only be running iRacing. For now on a single 1080p monitor but already planning for a triple 1080p setup in the near future. Tested a triple Setup on my 1060 which worked great and made me hate my single setup..
Parts mostly consists of stuff friends had sitting around.
Why even go through the hassle of watercooling it? Why not? I just wanted to try it out and i like the look of it.
Is it going to work just as good or better as air cooling in this specific case? I don’t know yet. I based my idea on the EK A240G Set as this seemed to be fine for a 7700k and a 1080 according to some researche on the internet.
I saw the Ophion Evo at Youtube when it was first presented and immediately wanted it just for the looks. As soon as it was availible at one of my preferred online shops, I bought it.
Special Thanks to your Forum, as it supplied me with some measurements before starting this Project.
Biggest concern for me were the following things:Special Thanks to your Forum, as it supplied me with some measurements before starting this Project.
1) How or where to put a pump and Reservoir in this case
2) Will cables from the PSU prevent mounting a Pump on the CPU side of the case?
3) Will the 1070 with the block fit without hitting the radiator on top?
4) How to route all the tubes in this case
I quickly learned why all the photos i found at the time only had a 240 AIO for the CPU.
When you never worked with watercooling parts like me, you don’t really get the size of things and how tight everything will be in this case.
After researching for hours on the internet, I decided to go for a EK DDC pump with the built in reservoir, as a D5 plus reservoir seemed not to fit anywhere in this case.
Here is a picture of the first fitment. I strapped two Noctua fans together to get a visual and dimensional feel for the radiator and fan combo on top of the case, as I had not yet decided on a specific Radiator.
After that i made the cables next, to make sure they can clear the pump without issues. I think they turned out good for my first attempt at making custom cables.
Don't mind the crappy cooler on the CPU as it was just for testing purposes and did not fit very well anyways.
Next up was looking out for clearance to the glass panels. Really tight...
Cool. Worked out as i hoped. Tight in some areas but possible. The other side of the case was waaaay worse in terms of being tight.
After seeing that i opted for the thinnest radiator i could find, made a paper mockup, checked again and ordered the TX240. When it arrived and I assembled it in the case..
So everything fits.
Last edited:
