Log My Humble NCase M1 (Dual 240mm Custom Loop)

[legit]

Guess I won’t be upgrading cases anytime soon then!
Though at least there’s still alternatives for people planning a similar loop to this in the V6, like the Apogee or that low profile DDC pump/block that’s hopefully set to release this year with the Frozen Q reservoir.

Do you have more information about this? Hadn't heard about a FrozenQ version of the Iceman res/pump.

I am attempting quite a similar, if not the same project qith my v6 later this year. I might come up with some questions at that point

Same here, though the v6 no longer has the 80mm fan holes that the Iceman reservoir uses to mount. Will have to see if it can just be mounted through the new fan grate or have to 3d print a 92->80mm adapter

 

[HottestVapes]

It's almost been a whole month since I I placed the side radiator inside the case and screwed it in, completing my build.
You know what that means? Time to fuck with it some more.

I got a file for some custom feet off Google. Seen them a while I go, always thought they were quite a good looking design. In any case, I've got a friend that recently got into to 3D printing and he hooked me up. They're a little bit taller than the feet I'm propping my case up with currently, but the quirk to these is that they allow enough clearance for external 15mm fans. So I'm thinking, no one has ever done push/pull on the bottom radiator in an NCase loop, have they? I've never seen it done at least So I figured it would be a neat little thing to try out. Maybe the extra clearance and fans will eek out a noticeable bump in performance.

 

[paulesko]

Very nice thread and build, congratulations!

 

[HottestVapes]

Fitted the new feet. Liking them a lot, looks much cleaner than the jury rig of stock feet stacked on top of hifi feet I was using.
Eventually I'll get around to buying some extra slim fans and going push/pull on the bottom radiator, but I'll hold off until I need to drain the loop for a good reason.

 

[Wyd4]

Hey mate. I love those feet.
I did try push pull on the bottom with the ncase on its side to test before I invested in feet. I found the results to be minimal difference in temps, but the fan speed had less of an influence. But in saying that push pull in a slim rad isn’t going to net huge benefits.

I would be more excited about running a bit thicker rad in the bottom and external fans . I chopped the bottom out of my case to free up air flow for that.... then upgraded gpus to an air cooled gpu I am not willing to risk my warranty by putting a block on it lol so no more custom loop for me

 

[HottestVapes]

Hey mate. I love those feet.
I did try push pull on the bottom with the ncase on its side to test before I invested in feet. I found the results to be minimal difference in temps, but the fan speed had less of an influence. But in saying that push pull in a slim rad isn’t going to net huge benefits.

I would be more excited about running a bit thicker rad in the bottom and external fans . I chopped the bottom out of my case to free up air flow for that.... then upgraded gpus to an air cooled gpu I am not willing to risk my warranty by putting a block on it lol so no more custom loop for me

I'm surprised by that to be honest. I was reading an article recently that advised that if space limited, use a slimmer rad in push/pull over a thicker rad in pull or push as the push/pull slim rad set up resulted in a quieter and cooler system, marginally, but still.
Generally my thought process to going push pull is to just brute force intake through the bottom rad, I'm running it in an exhaust config currently and as the PC is close to my mousepad, my hand gets awful toasty while playing games. Be nice once winter comes at least, but I'd still rather stop toasting my hand. Alternatively I could just flip the fans inside currently to intake and see how it fairs given there's a good deal of clearance under the case for airflow now.

I'd try external fans and a thicker rad in the bottom, but I'm not sure what would fit that would really be worth trying. I think the max thickness would be 45mm, but I don't imagine a radiator that thick pushed against the GPU block would perform all that well. a 35mm would fit, but the only one I can find is an XSPC unit that apparently only has a 30mm core to it, so is that sense a normal 30mm would be the same-ish.
If i were going to hack up the bottom of the case though, I'd go all in and cram a 280mm rad in the bottom. I've seen that done before as a WIP but don't think I ever saw the end result of it.

 

[Wyd4]

Yeah If I had my time again with a full loop I would go with the xspc 20mm rad in the bottom with full sized fans and brute force the hell out of it. But they weren’t available when I built mine. I must say though I love yours man. Super clean and well done. Mine was a hack job of bits I already had and trial and error.

 

[paulesko]

Could you comment a bit on how do you compare de DDC pump and the alphacool cpu+pump combo noise wise? I know the alphacool is not as powerfull, but I´m interested to know as I´ve read that the DDC pumps are noisier...

 

[HottestVapes]

Could you comment a bit on how do you compare de DDC pump and the alphacool cpu+pump combo noise wise? I know the alphacool is not as powerfull, but I´m interested to know as I´ve read that the DDC pumps are noisier...

At 20% speed, the noise is near inaudible. Perfect for idle/browsing.
At 35% (the max I run it at) it’s about the same as the DC-LT. if I concentrate hard enough, I can hear it over the fans at 1500RPM.

Beyond 35%, even 1% over it becomes very noticeable and I would call it loud at 40% or over.

Percentages are the PWM curves. So 20% = 2000RPM, roughly. 35% = 3300RPM.

Edit: I was on break earlier, rushed the post a bit. To go further in depth, the DC-LT I found to be pretty quite, but it did cause a slight vibration noise that I could hear when it was under load with just the "standard" curve set in the BIOS. On the silent profile, it was lessened but still there. It wasn't distracting, I'd notice it rarely but it was still a thing. It was quieter than an Asetek Gen 5 pump, for reference (545LC is my comparison point).

The DDC, compared to the DC-LT doesn't cause any sort of vibration noise. Possibly due to the mounting being more secure along with rubber washers between the case and reservoir.

 

[x1zz1x]

Nic build! Did you overclock the 9900K? What are your temps? Thanks

 

[JaPeMo]

Congrats, nice job!!!! ?

 

[KronDestroyer13]

dude this is amazing! literally what i envisioned my M1 build to be like. thank you so much for the fitting guide. there isnt anything else you would potentially suggest would you? i was already going to go with the 5/8OD, 3/8ID ZMT tubing and pretty much am doing the same components which is funny. same mobo, cpu, gpu are the main peices anyways, i was going to go with a aquacomputer NEXT for my 2080ti though and hope that it fits. would you possibly have any feed back on that for me? a few of us on here think it might not but if i dont buy the active cooling backplate i think i can get away with it. the connection ports on the gpu block are pretty flush with the block it self(before you add the card) but it looks like that is a super tight fit for your gpu block and the fittings to the side RAD. what kind of temps are you getting also if you dont mind me asking? again thank you for doing this build log man its helped tremendously as a sorta blueprint i can go off of.

Do you have more information about this? Hadn't heard about a FrozenQ version of the Iceman res/pump.



Same here, though the v6 no longer has the 80mm fan holes that the Iceman reservoir uses to mount. Will have to see if it can just be mounted through the new fan grate or have to 3d print a 92->80mm adapter

Also really interested in this pump res combo. do you have any idea about the possibilty of making it fit with the V6? i dont see why you wouldnt be able to just modify the new M1 to make it fit. and what pump did you end up grabbing?

 

[HottestVapes]

dude this is amazing! literally what i envisioned my M1 build to be like. thank you so much for the fitting guide. there isnt anything else you would potentially suggest would you? i was already going to go with the 5/8OD, 3/8ID ZMT tubing and pretty much am doing the same components which is funny. same mobo, cpu, gpu are the main peices anyways, i was going to go with a aquacomputer NEXT for my 2080ti though and hope that it fits. would you possibly have any feed back on that for me? a few of us on here think it might not but if i dont buy the active cooling backplate i think i can get away with it. the connection ports on the gpu block are pretty flush with the block it self(before you add the card) but it looks like that is a super tight fit for your gpu block and the fittings to the side RAD. what kind of temps are you getting also if you dont mind me asking? again thank you for doing this build log man its helped tremendously as a sorta blueprint i can go off of.




Also really interested in this pump res combo. do you have any idea about the possibilty of making it fit with the V6? i dont see why you wouldnt be able to just modify the new M1 to make it fit. and what pump did you end up grabbing?

I'm not sure what the dimensions are for the Aquacomputer block, but for what it's worth, there's a couple mm of clearance between the G1/4 terminal on my Phanteks block and the side panel. According to OCUK, the dimensions for mine are "124 mm x 260 mm x 16.5 mm (W x H x D)". Roughly eyeballing it, I'd say you wouldn't fit a block on a standard height 2080Ti if it's wider than 126mm, without modifiying the case or the G1/4 terminal on the block at least. That also lines up with what I've read about some of the EK blocks not fitting inside the case, which measure at 127.6mm, but can be modified slightly to fit. I don't see why the backplate would interfere with it fitting or not, though.

As for the clearance between the 90 degree fittings on the GPU and the side rad, the perspective is quite deceiving there. I haven't got an exact measurement for it, but I can fit my full finger tip between the 90 degree fitting on the GPU and the radiator on the side bracket. The side bracket itself overhangs the rad by roughly 5mm? Maybe more, hard to get ruler in their to measure it.
I wouldn't worry about it either way as the 90 degree fittings are rounded, their tallest part is below the radiator, where there is more clearance than under the side bracket itself, which is quiet thin and fits quite snuggly against the side panel. I really don't see it being an issue.


Temps are really quite good all things considered. MY 2080Ti at 1900mhz (undervolted) maxed out at 55c playing that new Call of Duty at 4K yesterday. Fans all at 60%, no higher.
Without the undervolt and at the same fan speed, 63-64c. 100mhz difference in clockspeed for 10c lower temps. I can and have ran at 80% fan speed without an undervolt, which results in 58-60c, depending on the game.
CPU temps, I don't really monitor to be honest. Last time I checked, it topped out at around 84c in a stress test. That's at 4.7Ghz, no power limits or undervolting done to it in the BIOS.
I do recall running the CPU on the Eisbaer LT240 was slightly cooler than it was on the loop, but I was also using different fans and at a higher RPM so it's hard to compare the two results.


As for the Iceman Coooler pump/reservoir combo, I recommended someone to use a 80mm to 92mm fan bracket to use it with NCase V6, but after checking the thread it appears Iceman Cooling are making a V6 compatible model. No idea on the release of it though.

IceManCooler pump/res combo

I just ordered this from a friend. Should solve the v6 mounting problem. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3713987 Hope the pump-res is not too heavy but I guess you could support it through the fittings. It’s got some weight to it, but I reckon that should hold it without issue

smallformfactor.net

 

[HottestVapes]

Oh and the pump!

I used an EK DDC 3.2, along with the EK DDC heatsink. I used the screws that came with the reservoir to mount it as the screws that came with the pump were the wrong thread size. Nonetheless, no issues with doing it that way. The fit is flush and there's been no leaks or drips.

 

[KronDestroyer13]

@HottestVapes Really appreciate you getting back to me man. so i'm pretty sure i'm going to go with EK's DDC 3.2 too but get the PWM version unless you dont think its necessary. its only a couple bucks difference but i dont know if i need to be able to control it in the bios or just set it to a certain speed and forget about it. lol
are you saying you dont think you would be able to fit a standard height 2080ti with a block on it in the case UNLESS its within those dimensions? did you just get lucky with yours or did you mod it? so if i stick within those measurements from your block it can work?
Im requesting the dimensions on the aquacomputer block, i didnt even think that i would have any issues with it hitting the side panel until you mentioned it so thanks for bringing that up. Im really hoping it will fit, i know any block is ultimately going to be good but i like the temps this block provides and the fact its a full cover version. i forgot to ask, i saw you mentioning that you would have gone with a 35mm radiator on the side if you could do it again and might even switch it out in the future, did you happen to do that? i want to get the best temps i possibly can(obviously) so i kinda wanted to grab a xspc 240 ultra slim for the bottom and a EX240 for the side. do you think that's going to be a issue or should i just go safe and grab a 30mm?

 

[paulesko]

You can get the 35mm because it will fit, but which one, because the HWlabs nemesis gts is already better than some thicker radiators.

 

[KronDestroyer13]

I really have no idea. I was just thinking xspc's version the ex240? Let me know what you think the best 35mm 240 is

 

[paulesko]

Hardware Labs Nemesis 280 GTS Radiator Review - Page 5 of 6 - ExtremeRigs.net

Hardware Labs Nemesis 280 GTS Radiator Review, thermal performance tested vs Alphacool UT60 ST30 XT45 EK CE Nemesis GTX SR2 rads 360 240 480 420 140 560

www.xtremerigs.net

Look at this review, the némesis gts is probably better or on pair with the xspc ax. I know this review is about the 280mm versions but I guess is more or less the same to their 240 counterparts.

Honestly I would go with the 30mm gts, I think it looks to be the best option, if you add the xspc tx240 below, you should be fine.

 

[HottestVapes]

@HottestVapes Really appreciate you getting back to me man. so i'm pretty sure i'm going to go with EK's DDC 3.2 too but get the PWM version unless you dont think its necessary. its only a couple bucks difference but i dont know if i need to be able to control it in the bios or just set it to a certain speed and forget about it. lol
are you saying you dont think you would be able to fit a standard height 2080ti with a block on it in the case UNLESS its within those dimensions? did you just get lucky with yours or did you mod it? so if i stick within those measurements from your block it can work?
Im requesting the dimensions on the aquacomputer block, i didnt even think that i would have any issues with it hitting the side panel until you mentioned it so thanks for bringing that up. Im really hoping it will fit, i know any block is ultimately going to be good but i like the temps this block provides and the fact its a full cover version. i forgot to ask, i saw you mentioning that you would have gone with a 35mm radiator on the side if you could do it again and might even switch it out in the future, did you happen to do that? i want to get the best temps i possibly can(obviously) so i kinda wanted to grab a xspc 240 ultra slim for the bottom and a EX240 for the side. do you think that's going to be a issue or should i just go safe and grab a 30mm?

Yeah definitely go with a PWM controllable pump. Mine is the DDC 3.2 PWM, I set mine to 20% for idle/browsing and then straight to 30% once the CPU/GPU are under load. I had some issues with fine tubing the pump and fan speeds via BIOS, so I tried speedfan. Wasn't pleased with that software so I was recommended to try Argus Monitor, which is absolutely perfect but it's not free. I think a paid £16 for a 3 year license, but I swear it is invaluable.
It allows for full fan and pump speed control, and allows you to set curves based on either CPU or GPU temps, or a combination of both. If you have a water temp sensor, I'm pretty sure it allows you to control them via the water temp too (though I can't confirm, see I don't have one...yet). Highly recommend it.

As for the GPU and block height, pretty much, yeah. Ideally you'll need a standard height PCB card with a block that's no taller than 126mm, otherwise the terminals will collide with the side panel. The EK block diagram I posted above has that issue from what I read when I was planning my loop, but the trim around the terminal can be removed to fit.
There's also some outlier blocks, like the XSPC block that will have no issue with the side panel but will like cause issues with any fans or rads below it.

I'm still using the TX240 20mm radiator at the bottom and an Alphacool 25mm on the side, I plan to go with the either the Alphacool ST30 or HWLabs Nemisis GTS eventually for the side radiator, but for now I'm quite happy. I looked into the XSPC 35mm radiator a little bit a while ago, and it uses a 30mm core and as
paulesko said, doesn't offer any improvement over some slimmer 30mm rads, so I scrapped the idea of going with a thicker than 30mm rad entirely.


On the topic of things I would do differently a second time around, I would use a T fittings on the bottom radiator with a stop-cock or QDC to use as a drain valve. I use the bottom G1/4 on the reservoir with a stop-cock currently and it's just not a great set up for draining the loop, something I had to do a few times when I was prepping the system. My life would've been so much easier with a drain at the bottom of the loop.

 

[KronDestroyer13]

thanks for the feedback, ill just stick with the super slim xspc on the bottom and grab a nemesis 30mm on the side. was that fitting guide you gave that last guy who asked accurate? im getting ready to put a order in, happy you mentioned the drain idea. so i should just get a EK-AF T-Splitter 3f? they have the four female and the 3 version . i kinda wish they had a two also but oh well. do i just put a cap on the other one that i don't use? and would you just get a super small male-male adapter to attach the ball valve? or would you put a short amount of tubing? i was thinking if i do this maybe get a rotary extender just in case i need to spin the valve if i don't attach it with bit of tubing. let me know if im not making sense. lol

i still haven't heard back about the NEXT gpu water block dimensions yet but i'm hopeful about it. i feel like i'm pretty limited on choices by the way you put it which surprises me. if you have any ideas of full cover blocks that you think would work let me know.

so with the pwm pump, do i just plug it into the pwm fan header on the mobo? im pretty sure we are going to be using the same motherboard. you have the asrock z390 phantom gaming right? ill totally look into that program, 19 bucks for 3 years isnt bad for something that allows me to control everything without being in the bios. and you mentioned grabbing a temperature sensor? where do you plug that into?