Log Newbie, or not to be - A FormD T1 Watercooled Build Log

eedev

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Original poster
Apr 23, 2020
154
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Hey mate!

I feel like I'm closing in on this build, enough that I can share a few things with you, especially if you're one of these people who fell in love with the T1 or SFF in general and wants to do a watercooled build.

This whole process started on March or April 2020...

I had not built a computer for quite some time so I started by catching up on current tech watching YouTube videos (LTT, GN, ...) and then I stumbled upon Optimum Tech's channel and to be honest, that's how I discovered the SFF world and that's how I started wanting to do a watercooled build.


At the time the cases I had in mind were the Dan A4 and the Ncase M1.
I had known for a while the FormD T1 was the case I wanted but it was not available to the public back then that's why I was leaning towards the Ncase M1.

This was the period 10th gen Intel processors were about to get released, so I decided on a build and then started asking for advices on Reddit:
And then the FormD T1 preorders were announced ?.

I was able to preorder the T1, for the 2020-07-31 batch.
I started building on August 17th (1st delivery attempt was 1 or 2 weeks before that, I was on holiday at that time).

A little while later, I wanted to find a waterblock for my GPU so I took it apart and asked Reddit again:
Note that I could've used the T1 in 3 slot mode and call it a day, this is totally unnecessary here and actually pure madness, but you will find out I'm quite the madlad.

Now let's talk numbers...

When I ordered the parts, I used the following spreadsheet to keep track of the prices, I didn't order everything at the same place to get the better price (delivery included).

Here's what I paid then:

PartNamePriceShippingAdditional CostsSeller
CPU AIOAlphacool Eisbaer LT240 CPU90,74 €11,90 €Aquatuning
LP DDR4 RAMCorsair Kits de mémoire VENGEANCE® LPX 32 Go (2 x 16 Go) DDR4 DRAM 3200MHz C16 – Noir184,99 €4,98 €Corsair
SFX PSUCorsair SF Series SF750 — Alimentation SFX hautes performances 750 watts certifiée 80 PLUS Platinum157,90 €4,98 €Corsair
CPUIntel® Core™ i5-10600K Processor359,99 €4,95 €TopAchat
MOTHERBOARDGigabyte Z490I AORUS ULTRA289,99 €4,95 €GrosBill
CASEFormD T1177,61 €29,60 €23,00 €FormD
M.2 SSDSamsung Serie 970 EVO 1 To224,99 €0,00 €Amazon
Total1 486,21 €61,35 €23,00 €
Total with shipping fees1 547,56 €
Total with shipping fees and customs1 570,56 €

Also note that I already owned the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GAMING OC 8G (rev 1.0) which I paid 792,90 € from LDLC on 2019-08-20, shipping included.

There you have it! 2 363,46 € or 2794,48 $ USD for the start of this build.

Oh, I almost forgot, you need to add some Noctua Chromax fans to this:

NamePriceShippingSeller
Noctua NF-F12 PWM chromax.black.swap, Ventilateur Silencieux Haut de Gamme, 4 Broches (120 mm, Noir)21,91 €Amazon
NF-A12x15 PWM chromax.Black.Swap, Ventilateur Silencieux de Faible Épaisseur, 4 Broches (120x15 mm, Noir) x374,70 €Amazon
Total96,61 €0,00 €

Note that I bought three 15mm fans, but you would only need one or two at that point, depending on how you build.

Now let's actually see what this is all about!

The unboxing of the FormD T1:



Around the same time I recieved the GPU Waterblock from Aquatuning, and it was broken...



I decided to test fit it before sending it back to get a new one:


It happened to be a perfect fit!

Note that I had to pay myself (I might have done it wrong?) for the RMA shipping expenses, for something that arrived broken.

Here are a few assembly pictures:



So here we are with a working computer that won't close on the CPU side panel (but still, it's kitten approved):



That was the first time I built the T1, in 3 slots mode so that the GPU would fit. It stayed like this for a while.

Until I decided to tidy up my desk, then I switched to 2 slots mode:





So now, the CPU side panel would close, but the GPU side panel would not.

Until I recieved get the new GPU waterblock and used an extension set from Aquatuning I had bought with the one that arrived broken. Here are the prices I paid for these:

PartNamePriceShippingSeller
GPU WaterblockAlphacool Eisblock GPX-N Acetal Gepource RTX 2080/2080Ti M02 (2070 & 2080 Super) - avec Backplate103,43 €11,90 €Aquatuning
Tubing extensionAlphacool Eisbaer GPX Extension Set 90°13,02 €N/AAquatuning
Total116,45 €11,90 €
Total with shipping fees128,35 €

Let's see how it went:







I think it went really well!

Then I had to bleed the AIO, and while doing this I realized that I had too much tubing and that the quick-disconnect fittings were taking too much space in the case anyway. So I got rid of them and tubed directly to each components:











That's definitely better! That's also not really an AIO solution anymore, more of an assisted custom loop lol...but hey! the case is closing, on both sides:



Here you can see how I routed the tube, how I oriented the PSU, which fan I used and how:



Then I came accross a post by wispy-matt on Reddit and how he used the fillport on the LT Pump/Block as an Inlet, and I did the same because it helped with my tubing route and I think airflow too:



I even added a side fan:





It looks like we're done with that build, no?

But there's something bothering me a little, look at that bend:



It turns out the screws on the backplate of the waterblock are too thick. We'll leave it like that for now, but we definitely will come back to fix this!

MAGNETS!

Also, I ordered some magnets and epoxy glue so that the panel would not fall anymore when you remove the top panel.



Here's what I bought to do it.
I think you can get a better glue because once opened this one became really hard to use a second time.


I also tried out a few configuration tweaks to see how I could put hard drives or solid state drives in:



Turns out you would need specific eblowed SATA power cables for the one hidden in the front panel.

Okay, so we have that case built, both CPU and GPU are watercooled, we've put so many fans, so how's performance?
Well, you have to know that if I bought the i5-10600k it is certainly to run it overclocked to at least 5Ghz.

And well, I don't have exact numbers from then, but I can remember the numbers weren't that great IMHO.
Also, I ran into a problem which is that while I could setup the Fans RPM/PMW configuration from the CPU Package °C, I could not adjust RPM from the GPU temperature.
So after looking here and there (mostly fabio, Goatee and matt builds), I noticed that Aquacomputer Quadro thing, and choose to order one along with a fluid temperature probe and I put it on my radiator :





A the same time, I decided to move to three slot mode again because of the GPU waterblock bend we talked about earlier:



Can you see the damage the waterblock screws have done to the riser cable? ? So yeah, I decided to use the 3 slot mode but to move the riser position so that the GPU would be near the side panel.

Oh and you can see the Quadro:



By the way, here are the prices I paid:

NamePriceShippingSeller
Aquacomputer Contrôleur de ventilateur QUADRO pour ventilateurs PWM40,24€11,90 €Aquatuning
Aquacomputer Temperatursensor filetage intérieur / extérieur G1/49,10€N/AAquatuning
EK Water Blocks EK-CryoFuel, 1000ml premixed fluided fluid - Clear8,99€N/AAquatuning
Total58,33 €11,90 €
Total with shipping fees70,23 €

From there, I was able to use Aquasuite software to parameter a fan curve from the liquid temperature. I must say it is really cool.
A temperature sensor is already bundled with the Quadro but I prefered to have a fitting with the proble inside. I will use the one that was included for ambient temperature probably.

I'm pretty sure you didn't notice, but a few months have passed and we're now in November mate!
And I did order a few things...

SCREWS!

So yeah, do you remember that bend on the GPU waterblock? Well I ordered some screws (actually I ordered all M3 screw sizes lol), some are also for the T1 because when you rebuild all the time like me and you're a brute well, they get damaged.

Let's make that waterblock better and also add an M.2 at the back:





This went great, I'm able to put the riser cable near the motherboard again, and I have no more bend on the GPU waterblock!

Also, I've found a nice spot for my Quadro:





OK that's quite awesome, but you know what would be?
Better temperatures!!
And from lurking around from quite some time now, I figured the way people like fabio, Goatee and matt added more radiator volume to their build was what I wanted to try out.

Note that you could just use an AIO on the CPU and run the card on Air and call it a day, but I told you already that I'm mad mate! And I like learning new stuff.

So yeah, if I want to add radiator volume, I need a stronger pump, like a DDC one.
And it happens that Nouvolo released a CPU block which fits the T1 in 3 slot mode that you can put a DDC pump on.
You need the T1 in 3 slot mode to add a radiator on the side.

Here comes the Aquanaut and the M2426!



NamePriceShippingAdditional CostsSeller
Aquanaut - CPU+Pump Water Block (Intel) × 154,08€24,50€30€Nouvolo + Fedex (15€ Fedex Fee + 3€ Fee VAT + Aquanaut French VAT)
Total108,58€

J-Hack's M2426 (24 to 6 pins) is named after it's functionnality, so yeah with this you don't need that huge bloat of 24 pin ATX wires, that's even better than cable management lol!

NamePriceShippingSeller
J-HACK M2426 (Customizable Kit)43,99 €11,03 €J-HACK
PSU Adapter: ATX to M2426 Adapter Cable
Length: 180mm

PSU Model: Corsair SF Platinum
4,70 €N/A
Total59,72 €

I got myself a bunch of EK fittings, some 13/10 clear tubing, an XSPC 240mm radiator and Sytche 15mm fans (AliExpress 27.24€ for two pieces), and of course a DDC pump and a heatsink because I've read horror stories where it can catch fire...:



ItemSkuQtySubtotal
EK-DDC 3.25 (12V DC pump)38311098626291€68.03
EK-DDC Heatsink Housing - Black38311098626741€20.12
Subtotal€73.46
Shipping€13.60
Tax€14.69
Grand Total€101.75

Seller is EKWB.

NamePriceQuantitySubtotalSeller
EK Water Blocks
Bouchon EK-CSQ Plug 1/4" - Noir
(Code article 12589)
2,90 €12,90 €DocMicro
EK Water Blocks
EK-Quantum Torque Extender Rotary MM 14 - Noir
(Code article 14861)
6,90 €427,60 €DocMicro
EK Water Blocks
EK-Quantum Torque Extender Rotary MF 14 - Noir
(Code article 14865)
6,90 €427,60 €DocMicro
EK Water Blocks
Embout Métal Droit 1/4" pour Tuyau 10/13mm - EK-Torque STC-10/13 - Noir
(Code article 14384)
6,95 €213,90 €DocMicro
EK Water Blocks
EK-Quantum Torque Angled T - Noir
(Code article 14451)
9,90 €19,90 €DocMicro
EK Water Blocks
EK-Quantum Torque Angled 45° - Noir
(Code article 14445)
9,90 €439,60 €DocMicro
EK Water Blocks
EK-Quantum Torque Angled 90° - Noir
(Code article 14448)
9,90 €659,40 €DocMicro
Halloween COUPON-14,83 €1-14,83 €DocMicro
Insurance2,13 €12,13 €DocMicro
Shipping9,40 €19,40 €DocMicro
Total177,60 €

NamePriceQuantitySubtotalSeller
XSPC
Radiateur TX240
(Code article 14222)
63,50 €163,50 €DocMicro
EK Water Blocks
Tuyau EK-DuraClear 9,5/12,7mm - Boite de 3 Mètres
(Code article 13564)
14,50 €114,50 €DocMicro
EK Water Blocks
EK-AF T-Splitter 3F 1/4" - Noir
(Code article 12937)
8,90 €18,90 €DocMicro
EK Water Blocks
Embout Métal Droit 1/4" pour Tuyau 10/13mm - Pack de 6 - EK-Torque STC-10/13 - Noir
(Code article 14755)
39,90 €139,90 €DocMicro
Insurance1,27 €11,27 €DocMicro
Warranty Plus8,75 €18,75 €DocMicro
Shipping9,30 €19,30 €DocMicro
Total146,12 €

But the thing is I'm on a backorder for Low Profile 90° fittings from Koolance (ordered at highflow.nl) for quite some time now, and that I can not close my T1 because I'm waiting for these to arrive...so it looks like this right now LOL:







Here are the prices for the Low Profile fittings I'm waiting for:

Pos.CodeProductQuantityUnit priceSubtotal
1NZL-LXG2-BKKoolance Swiveling Elbow G1/4 Low Profile NZL-LXG2-BK Black6€12,95€77,70
2Verzenden na betaling GLS1€16,95€16,95
Reward points: 6Subtotal: €94,65
BTW 21%: €16,43Total excl. VAT: €78,22Total cost: €94,65

Also, it turns out the pump I ordered EK DDC 3.25 is not PWM (I just took the DDC pump with the highest version number, what and idiot!)...so I got myself a PWM one, and when I compared both PCBs they are the same...(facepalm):



So I'm gonna solder a wire to make it PMW. But yeah I have two pumps now...I might use it for something though!

I also recieved two awesome products IMHO, a reservoir and Koolance's Quick-disconnect fittings, it really make filling the loop much easier:



ProductPriceQuantityTaxSubtotalSeller
10MM (3/8 ID - 1/2 OD) Schroeffitting - Koppeling - Black - QD3-FS10X13-BK€16,492€6,92€32,98Highflow
10MM (3/8 ID - 1/2 OD) Schroeffitting - Stekker - Black - QD3-MS10X13-BK€18,142€7,62€36,28Highflow
EK-DDC 3.2 12V PWM pump€62,771€13,18€62,77Highflow
EK-RES X3 150 Tube Reservoir€43,761€9,19€43,76Highflow
EK-Torque STC-10/13 (Black)€5,742€2,42€11,48Highflow
Subtotal:€187,27
Shipping cost:€10,70
Taxes:
BTW 21% (NL001636459B34)€41,58
Total:€239,55




OK, that's it...for now!

Now, have I achieved the temperatures I was aiming for?

Yes I have! ?

I ran Prime95 and also Unigine Heaven 4.0 (1440p, max settings) and that GPU is like at 55°C when I do, as for the CPU it's like 75°C if I remember well.
The fan are not even going to 100% RPM, it's quite silent IMHO.

Was it worth it?

Well, to be honest I spent a lot more money than I should have, especially considering that I've could just stayed with a 120/240 AIO on the CPU and the GPU aircooled.
But still, I've learned a lot, and I love my build.
So yes, it was worth it, for me. Now if you ask me if you should do the same thing, well I can't say.

What's left to do?

I'm waiting for two things:
  • an order from MDPC-X / Cable Sleeving with tools to make my custom cables, rewire the pumps, etc...
  • an order from Highflow.nl with the Koolance Low Profile fittings I need to be able to close the T1
OMG! I just got this email: "HighFlow.nl: Order #XXXXXX has been processed" NZL-LXG2-BK are coming soon mate!!

Oh! and I forgot to mention this but early in the build I started using these to protect the fans, turns out I also use them to protect my radiators while I'm flipping the case to chase air bubbles:


I hope you can learn from my experience on this build mate!

See you soon! 🤟
 
Last edited:

thelaughingman

SFF Guru
Jul 14, 2018
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Awesome log man! I'm also waiting on the Koolance low profile fitting, but at this point it's more for backup / future 2nd rad ?
 
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eedev

Cable-Tie Ninja
Original poster
Apr 23, 2020
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Thanks man! I hope it gets delivered soon!

I've been busy yesterday, I have sanded down EK's DDC Heatsink until it matched the length of the screws.
Here are some pictures of the (very long) process:















Here you go!



Now a little bit of soft sanding and black paint:







The sanding started around 9 AM and ended near 12:30 PM...I was exhausted.

To be honest, I think that it looked awesome like this, I thought about keeping it that way and I should have lol:



Now I know I'm a shitty painter; it looks like poop:



I think I should sand the paint and paint it again from scratch.
What do you think?

See you soon! ?
 

jouz

Trash Compacter
Oct 9, 2020
51
92
@eedev nice job with the sanding, I did like it a little better before painting though ?

Looking forward to see how it fits inside the case/between the panel!

Interestingly, /u/wispy-matt said that for him it fit without sanding - not sure if he has a slightly smaller pump model, or, as he suggests, the motherboard construction (/cpu top height) is slightly lower in his case.

EDIT: Read up on your build log - brilliant idea going to 3-slot but moving the GPU to 2-slot mode - I'll do the same thing for my build now so I can keep both motherboard and gpu backplates on! Surely will also benefit thermals of the passively cooled components a little!
 
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eedev

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Apr 23, 2020
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@eedev nice job with the sanding, I did like it a little better before painting though ?

Yeah me too ?

Interestingly, /u/wispy-matt said that for him it fit without sanding - not sure if he has a slightly smaller pump model, or, as he suggests, the motherboard construction (/cpu top height) is slightly lower in his case.

Oh...LOL!
I think it's the same pump...To be honest, because I'm still waiting on the low profile fittings and I am using the computer, I just eyeballed at the heatsink from a Ninja angle and figured it would be hard to close the case without having a slight bulge. I did not try to put the panel on tho.
Now that I read this it might have fit in the first place...LOL?

I'll let you know once I can finish the build.

EDIT: Read up on your build log - brilliant idea going to 3-slot but moving the GPU to 2-slot mode - I'll do the same thing for my build now so I can keep both motherboard and gpu backplates on! Surely will also benefit thermals of the passively cooled components a little!
Yes! I took that idea from someone else here or on reddit ? it might be useful if you have thick backplates or screws, might even help with your 16/10 tubing!
 
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eedev

Cable-Tie Ninja
Original poster
Apr 23, 2020
154
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Mate I'm back with some good stuff for you!

So, let's see how low profile these fittings are:





Let's drain the loop:



Unscrew the pump, change the heatsink and try the fittings...OK so I messed up this part, the fittings are so low profile that you can't plug other fittings into it unless you aim for a specific direction because else, Aquanaut's in the way. So thankfully, I could use some extender from my EK Reservoir, and then just use whatever I had.

I tried a few combinations, until I found a way.









On the left side, I have used koolance's low profile fitting + ek res. extender + ek quantum torque 45° rotary.
On the right side, I used two koolance low profile fittings and then a compression fitting.







OK, now we have to be able to join both radiators tightly together.
In order to this, I must remove the front panel and lots of other things...





Flat! Of course we'll need to remove the external fan grills I used to protect the radiator while working on this build.



I used Koolance's LP and EK's Quantum Torque MM 14 Rotary Fitting like this:









It's done, it fits!
I had to use a little bit of strength to align everything and screw the fitting -which got me a little bit nervous- but everything went OK!

I wish I had received my package with the materials for my custom cables...but it's not here yet. :( So much bloat to remove!



I tried a bunch of other things, like adding another fan which I could not and trying to see if there was a way to use the case's fill/drain port with some T fitting.
I think I could be able to use that port, but that's too much for today, I'll be back at it someday.

I don't really need it because I have that pump+reservoir combo and I empty the loop using the reservoir.


I had to move the Quadro because I couldn't put back the front panel the way it was before now that both radiators are so close together.
Once I was done NOT managing those cables, it was time to fill the loop again with the external reservoir and pump, chase down air bubbles and watch out for any leaks.







We're done with the liquid, let's start closing the case:



Maybe I didn't need to sand down the DDC heatsink...I don't regret it tho, it's fine.



The side panels fit alright! No bumps as far as I can tell!



Let me introduce you to the FormD T1 (and some bananas ?):





Yes!!!

Next time we open the beast, it'll be for rewiring and managing those cables. I'll keep you updated mate!

See you soon! 🤟
 
Last edited:

jouz

Trash Compacter
Oct 9, 2020
51
92
thanks for this update & the pics! This is impressive, mad props for your dedication to making this fit!

I'm really curious to learn how much of cooling capacity the side radiator looses due having so little intake.
I have a feeling that it will be just as (in-)efficient when removing the fans and run it "passively"/off the airflow from the top rad ?

Edit: also, how did it turn out with the pump heatsink? Was sanding down necessary?
 
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eedev

Cable-Tie Ninja
Original poster
Apr 23, 2020
154
288
thanks for this update & the pics! This is impressive, mad props for your dedication to making this fit!

I'm really curious to learn how much of cooling capacity the side radiator looses due having so little intake.
I have a feeling that it will be just as (in-)efficient when removing the fans and run it "passively"/off the airflow from the top rad ?

Thanks mate!

I think it would be easy to try with fans off and on and/or in a push configuration instead of pull.
I'm planning on running some benchmarks in the near future.

I'll let you know!
 
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eedev

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Apr 23, 2020
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Mate, I have been busy!

I benchmarked rounds of 20ish minutes of Heaven 4.0 and let liquid reach a normal temperature in between each round.



This is what Radiator "Opened" means:



This is what "with tape" means:



As to why tape? Well, I had to use 1 bolt for each screw between the Scythe fans and the radiator because else the blades would be 100% blocked by the radiator fins when in pull position...And then since there was gap I added tape for "better airflow" 🤪

Now, the results are...as you expected:

CaseRadiatorSide radiator fansCPU Max [Max] (°C)GPU Temperature [Max] (°C)CPU Max [Average] (°C)GPU Temperature [Average] (°C)Graph
OpenedOpenedPulling air in585440,9751,28
OpenedOpenedPushing air out495440,8951,73
OpenedClosedPulling air in (with tape around fans)505543,0352,26
OpenedClosedPulling air in525543,152,7
OpenedClosedPushing air out625946,3155,58
ClosedClosedPulling air in (with tape around fans)636047,9457,06
ClosedClosedOff616249,557,92
ClosedClosedPushing air out606250,0358,78

When in push configuration I noticed the side panel was really hot while gaming/benchmarking, in pull configuration it doesn't happen.
It also doesn't happen when the side fans are off.

Now, there is something else and it's fan noise I have a soundmeter app on my phone, I put it on my keyboard, here are the decibels I get:
  • when all fans are 100% RPM: Average 59db
  • when only top fans are 100% RPM but side fans are 0 %RPM: Average 51db
This is with 100% RPM but when I play, let's say STAR WARS Jedi Fallen Order it's pushing the computer hard to get that 1440p 90fps, so the sound decibel must be almost the same, for only a few degrees...which is disappointing!

I play with headphones, so I don't really notice it. But man when I remove them, lol!!!

What I'm going to do from here is monitor the liquid temperature to adjust the fan curve, right now with fans à 100% RPM the liquid sits at 39.8°C after 30 minutes of benchmark.

I feel like I can go to 45°C~ (maybe 50? somebody does that?) liquid temperature (as long as GPU and CPU temps stays fine) and try to lower the fan decibel volume either by turning off the side fans, or lowering RPM for both top and side fans.

See you soon! 🤟
 

jouz

Trash Compacter
Oct 9, 2020
51
92
great work, and I'm sure a lot of work!

So basically, if you close the case, the side rad barely contributes to the cooling right now, no matter how fast the side fans spin (or don't spin)? Super interesting!

I don't have much experience with WC either, but I think pushing to mid to high 40's should be fine if it helps your noise level.
Since you might as well turn off the side fans completely (if I understand the data correctly), why not just remove them and try to improve the venting so that the side rad helps a little through passive cooling?
 

eedev

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Original poster
Apr 23, 2020
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Hey mate! They are 12mm (SY1212SL12H-P).

So basically, if you close the case, the side rad barely contributes to the cooling right now, no matter how fast the side fans spin (or don't spin)? Super interesting!

Well as it turns out, if you want to reduce noise the side fans do matter.

Unigine Heaven 4.0 several 30 minutes rounds.
Note that my soundmeter app seems really limited and nothing is better than my ears to chose which is better :p

All fans 100% RPM = 59db average

Top Fans RPM%Side Fans RPM%Liquid °CGPU °CDecibels Average
80%70%436553
80%0%466846
70%60%44,86649
70%50%45,26747
60%50%47,36846*

*: I think the mobile app isn't accurate enough because this is less (and nicer) sound than 80% top fans and 0% side rads.

This last bench sounds actually great for "load" because the top fans are ~1280rpm and the side fans are ~1123rpm which is still nice to hear, more RPM not so much.

Something between 4th and 5th profile should be great for my games.
Now I just have to fine tune this while actually playing them!

I'll let you know! 🤟
 
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thelaughingman

SFF Guru
Jul 14, 2018
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nice testing you've got there! I suspect the Scythe 12mm fans do not have enough static pressure to go with such a restrictive rad as the TX240. I just finished testing them vs. A12x15 on the Leviathan SF240 and the performance gap is really noticeable
 
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eedev

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Apr 23, 2020
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Hey mate!

I think the two radiators do not have the same height and FPI, can they be compared?

Let's try with 2x A12x15 side fans since they fit and there is still a gap:





Extended test (1h):

Top Fans RPM%Side Fans RPM%Liquid °CGPU °CDecibels Average
60%50%4869Sounds good

Normal test (30min):

Top Fans RPM%Side Fans RPM%Liquid °CGPU °CDecibels Average
60%50%48.170Sounds good

The sound is nice for load, I don't have precise mesure because I lack the tools. It is comparable though.
The temperatures are worse during this benchmark.

I suspect two things.
It can be that the airflow isn't sufficient or it can be that the ambient air is warmer at the time of testing, or both.

I think the best thing I can do right now is add an ambiant temperature sensor and benchmark again with both fans, we will then compare the temperature delta.

I'll let you know how it goes! 🤟
 
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thelaughingman

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Jul 14, 2018
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1,566
I think the two radiators do not have the same height and FPI, can they be compared?
yes, TX240 has higher FPI, thus more restrictive than SF240. so I expect the performance difference to be even higher. I do have a couple of TX240 stashed away waiting for when I upgrade my GPU though so that will be at a later date. For now you can refer to my testing here

Spent a few hours testing my current build. Summary of my setup:
  • Mounted all 3 fans, then (1) disconnect the push-pull fan to simulate 2 slim fans, or (2) disconnect the slim fan PSU side to simulate 1 full + 1slim fan setup
  • All fans are exhausting air out of the top, all panels are fully closed
  • Results are taken after Cinebench R23 10 min Throttling test, then let the system cooldown between 10-15min for coolant temp to reset (39C)
  • For reference my ambient is 28-29C, the Scythe Slipstream fan used is the 2000RPM version, the radiator is Bitspower Leviathan SF240 and A12x15s were shaved off 2mm to fit the case without bulge
Here are the results:

Push-pullCoolant tempCPU (Tctl/Tdie)CPU PPTPumpFans
MB sidePSU sideOver PSU(T_sensor C)(Max C)(Max W)(Max RPM)(Max RPM)
A12x13A12x13A12x2544.083.0148.328241573
SlipstreamSlipstreamA12x2544.083.3148.528001700
A12x13A12x2545.083.8148.929471670
SlipstreamA12x2545.084.1148.929341804
A12x13A12x1346.085.3149.732211660
SlipstreamA12x1347.085.5150.132291656
SlipstreamSlipstream48.086.3150.433331783

Observation:
  • Obvious #1: more fans and bigger fans is better 1 full + 2 slim > 1 full + 1 slim > 2 slim
  • Obvious #2: the Scythe fan is no match for the king of slim fan A12x15. each fan loses by 1C in terms of coolant temp
  • Not so obvious: the A12x25 is so powerful that it normalises and cancels out any differences between the slim fans - both in 3 fans and 1 full + 1 slim config
Conclusion:
  • For best temp, always go 3 fans and the bigger the fan the better - did not have a 3rd A12x15 or a 3rd Slipstream but don't think they will ever be able to match the A12x25
  • For balanced temp and convenient, go 1 full + 1 slim fan if you can make sure the slim fan clears the edge of the motherboard
  • For slim fans, always go Noctua A12x15 so just stick to 27mm or slimmer rad
@Wahaha360 this is a long way in saying I really want you to make that ultimate SFF rad happen - 17mm core, high FPI & multi-ports 😇😇😇
 
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eedev

Cable-Tie Ninja
Original poster
Apr 23, 2020
154
288
Thanks for sharing this @thelaughingman !

Here are my results for 30 minutes benchmark each round:

A12x15 PMW


SY1212SL12H-P


I'm choosing the Scythe fans as it seems to be better in my specific configuration.

I will fine-tune the fan curve while playing real games now!

See you soon! 🤟
 
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eedev

Cable-Tie Ninja
Original poster
Apr 23, 2020
154
288
Hey mate!

I've been tinkering with my setup again and started running a few benchmarks, so far this is what I'm getting at 100% RPM.

CPU_COOLINGGPU_COOLINGMAIN_RADIATORSIDE_RADIATORFAN1FAN1_CFGFAN2FAN2_CFGFAN3FAN3_CFGFAN4FAN4_CFGFAN5FAN5_CFGCPU °C MaxGPU °C MaxAmbiant °C MaxLiquid °C MaxT Delta °C MaxCPU °C AverageGPU °C AverageAmbiant °C AverageLiquid °C AverageT Delta °C AverageNoise (dB) Average
WATERWATERLT240TX240NF-A12x15PULLNF-A12x15PULLN/AN/ASY1212SL12H-PPULLSY1212SL12H-PPULL566125,440,515,147,9257,3825,238,8113,6166
WATERWATERLT240N/ANF-A12x15PULLNF-A12x15PULLNF-A12x15PUSHN/AN/AN/AN/A576225,940,314,448,3859,3225,1838,6613,4863
WATERWATERLT240N/ANF-A12x15PULLNF-A12x15PULLN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A636225,34216,749,7158,0424,8939,6614,7763

I have a lot more tests to run (some other fans, TX240 as main radiator, etc), but you can see the point here, that side radiator with fans while the case is closed is actually hindering the main radiator cooling performance.

What do you think about these numbers?

See you soon! 🤟
 
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