Log RAAM version of the A4-H20, 280 AIO, 13600k, RTX 4070 X3, starting today:)

[RAAM]

Noctua 92mm black chromax 4-pin just arrived. It has a very short lead then a nice sleaved cable to use if needed which I did not use. I have two 4-pin to micro 4-pin adapter cables I bought on AZ to use with my GPU 120mm fans I no longer need due to switching to the Siverstone SF fans and using the 7" cables mentioned above. I was able to just plug in the fan to the adapter cable then into the socket in the PS and tuck it in, a tight fit along side the fan so no cable blocking air flow, very clean result!

6" (measured out to be 5 7/8") adapter cable.

I had already removed the grill over the PS so keeping it that way for the best airflow I could get and as mentioned opened up the PS mount to one large hole prior to this.

 

[RAAM]

Fans, happy or unhappy at the moment?
1) Ordered two 120mm Shark Force fans for the GPU, did not arrive, replacements being sent.
2) Ordered one 92mm Noctua black for PS, both are 4 pin, it does not work with known adapter cable being used.
3) Ordered one 40mm Noctua 3 pin fan for VRM cooling, solding on connector from original 30mm fan, it does not turn on.

So, looks like I need to double check my wiring while wondering why standard pin outs not seemed to be used by Asrock......

Pretty bad luck, three fan orders, nothing worked out so far, LOL (not)

 

[RAAM]

FAN FUN...

Converting 4 pin micro connector on the Noctua 40mm fan to the not sure what is is called but smaller 4 pin on the MB for the VRM fan did not work out, does not spin up, need to sort out that out, move pins in connector to get it right.

UPDATE: I reread the 92mm Noctua for PS mod, pin out is listed, yeah!!!! I will do that next as already have an adapter cable from another project.

The 140mm Silverstone SF are great on the radiator, no issues there but going to mod the cables so much shorter. In fact I will do as I did for the 120mm fans except use the regular PMW 4 pin connector to the leads from the water pump that run the fans on the radiator and the 6" or so jumpers to the fans, far less wiring and more efficient, less wiring loss.

The 120mm were lost by USPS, Amazon sent out two more right away for two day delivery, it took 5 days, USPS is going to sheat......

Cool thing is the fans a more modular and come with short jumpers I rewired to go between GPU and fans, had to reverse pins and add one more as it was a 4 pin mail with one four pin and one 3 pin connector. I robbed two pins and wire off one of the longer cables I was not needing and to solder it to the connector wire so now I have two 6" or so cables with small ends instead of 18" of cable with bigger connectors going to thicker adapter cables I already had.

I will have very short cables for all fans, removed excess connectors from the PS modular cables and the rest tuck in well and not impeding air flow, getting very neat and tidy")

Not much left to do to really get this system dialed in, not much fun time fun left in modding it unfortunately....

Rick

 

[RAAM]

Dang, great news, the 40mm fan in the modded VRM heatsink is working, just noticed it turned on, will have to see what it is set at and also if it helped the temps....

 

[RAAM]

Thanks to NRG on the PS fan mod thread his pic worked, looks like I have the same cable.

Now all my new fans are running, just need to retune the curves on those I can do so.

Very hot here today and humidity is quite a bit higher than normal so the evap cooler not keeping it very cool, will have to wait until later this evening or in the AM, 86 degree ambient temp not so good for testing PC cooling....

I guess I need to add another small evap cooler, like the one we now use, very low power draw, just 1.5 amps and when in the wall one unit was enough but not into the RV ducting just not quite getting the job done. Two units, 3 amps, not a big deal compared to when we used to run two RV A/C units at 24 amps!


Rick

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

While watching one of the C4-SFX builds (one by optimum tech) I remembered you mentioning that you wanted to modify the PSU holding plate. What would be really great in general would probably be the ability to easily lower or lift its position. Any ideas so far?

Just looked at it and: Maybe removing the embossed bottom and top mounts, adding screw holes along of the PSU mount and then just using two thin but solid steel plates, eg. 2 x 18 or 20ish cm (guessing the thickness of the PSU mounting parts at roughly 1 - 2 mm), where one adds matching screw holes in regular intervals. Then one can attach the PSU bracket at whatever position required, even nearly at the bottom, and everything would still fit perfectly together

Edit: Just did a quick sketch in Inkscape. My idea would look something like this:



So you could move the PSU up and down, and use flat screws at best. Obviously much smaller holes etc, this is really just a rough scribble / sketch, nothing accurate.

cu, w0lf.

 

[RAAM]

I appreciate your input on this, as always

Two things done:

1) cut out the middle of it so no more holes for the air to pull through.

2) used approx 3mm spacers and longer screws to move the PS down a bit inside the mount, in my case just to center it better over the now much bigger opening.
I did not think of what you are suggesting, it would be good if needed to move it very far

I wanted to keep it up higher so I could tuck the cables in around it and out of the air flow from the bottom of the case and up so my simple mod was just right for my build.

------------------

NOTE: Still to hot here but ran some tests with all the new fans, gained much more noise with the SF fans and the temps not much different than with the BioniX fans

BUT: Not finished testing it all yet, bottom was left open, no filters or fans/filters as planned to at least test. Also no 120 or 140mm fan over the CPU area.

I did test with all the covers on and off, only made about 1-2 degrees difference which I am pretty surprised about. I do not recall doing the same test setup with the BioniX fans, the SF are quite a bit higher pressure so that might be what makes them worth while to use.

It was a lot louder side panels on or off than the BioniX, looks like more testing to do, BionIX compared to SF, covers on/off, filters on/off, additional fans or not.

Bottom Line: Must be filtered, run cool enough once I get another Evap up and running and not be too loud, simple enough

Rick

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

The bad thing about AIO is: You cannot measure the temps of the liquid, except with a thermografic / infrared cam. Because if the liquid was much cooler with the Silverstone Fans, that'd be a great thing = bigger margin for the CPU power.

My comparison is gonna be between the Silverstone + the be quiet SW 4 Pro, might be next to equal, but as I ordered the Silverstone ones with ARGB, I'd get the chance of a) better cable management and b) blinkenlights

cu, w0lf.

 

[RAAM]

I guess one of the nice things about the iCue app is that it shows the water temp and I can see it change, slowly, when I speed up the fans or pump. During testing yesterday it was 75-81 F in here, warms up while testing and heating up outside, water temp was around 38c then got up to 42.3c running Cinebench for 30 minutes when the ambient room temp was 81 degrees F. I was testing different water pump speeds and fan speeds over the radiator and GPU.

I did not even notice when I ordered the SF fans the 140s have the ARGB and the 120s, which cost more, did not have it. funny that cannot see the 140's fans but can the 120's, good thing not planning to use ARGB

When doing GPU stress testing the fans can get pretty loud but sure blow a lot of air, huge amounts of it. When doing the CPU stress tests the fans also get really loud but seem to flow much less air but the air goes through the radiator as well and the air coming out is quite warm if not hot.

Temps are fine in all tests, I have done some with the other fans in 68 degree ambient temps, fans run slower and temps much lower but still they are fine now even when hot in the space.

When doing anything else the temps and sound level are quite acceptable.

Rick

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

I did not even notice when I ordered the SF fans the 140s have the ARGB and the 120s, which cost more, did not have it. funny that cannot see the 140's fans but can the 120's, good thing not planning to use ARGB

I intentionally bought the 140s with ARGB - it was a smidge of a difference, and also am curious if they're as good or even better than the SW 4 Pros - RGB usually means: less sturdy material, hence lower fan speeds etc. But the spec sheet for ARGB and non-ARGB is identical. Well, we'll see

My 120s came in ARGB as well - but I didnt buy them. Those are the ones that come with the Silverstone Vida 240
Now the Vida 240 sits in - or more correctly, ON - my S300 mod, and is using regular 25 mm fans (Silverstone AirBlazer RW).

cu, w0lf.

 

[RAAM]

I should of kept better account of all the parameters testing different fans, speeds, air filters or not, case covers, etc....

It seems to be pretty consistent running the SF fans without covers and filters the temps are around 3 degrees cooler and within tolerance to not be a real issue.

I am looking forward to your results with the SF and SW-4Pro.

Quite a bit of work to swap back to the other fans I have ran so going to skip that for now. I can run custom fan curves and get good temps and lower the fan noise a lot with what I have setup now but dang, I should do it all over again and use a dB meter.

Glad you got your fans in ARGB in case you want to use that feature

Rick

 

[RAAM]

Off on other projects lately like repairing the Fiesta ST, taking a break from it though nearly done and from computers, working on the RV remodel. Washing machine broke, again, parts hard to get, used only now, $255 for a used control board....time to move on.

Researched a great deal and decided to buy used full size LG high end front loaders, gas dryer, will be much better than the compact machines and especially the 110volt dryer my dear wife as had to suffer with for to many years. Used instead of new which only have one year warranty and can have big delays getting repairs done if needed. I picked units that are known very reliable yet all major parts easy to get new and most used as well. Also I made sure I could download free full factory repair manuals which I did before buying them. The washer needed a repair, paid $350 for it, seller paid for parts, I fixed it in about 20 minutes. Dryer is like brand new, still a current model that sells for $1200 on sale, paid $240 for it!

$590 for W/D dryer set that is modern, works very well, easy to repair, easy to get parts, not having to wait for service which I can do as well as anybody anyway, new would of been close to $3k, I love buying used stuff, do as often as I can which is nearly always. Environmental issues are as important to me as cost. (It is setup now for propane, not natural gas, it has its impact but so does electricity where we are located)

I lost a lot of time from health issues, why I build computers and other easy things, feeling better, catching up on mods more important now than hobbies....but it is all fun to me

Rick

 

[RAAM]

Been awhile! Busy on remodeling our full time RV, full size front load washer and dryer and replaced, updated, moved, nearly all the plumbing, including gas line for dyer, remodeled the half bath which now has soapstone backsplash and counter top, fossil sink, french oak wall and ceiling, LED lights... Everything takes 3-4 times longer than in a regular house, I know from decades of experience.

-------

As for my computer, almost decided to sell it and the parts from the other case build and keep the upgraded Optiplex 7080 which runs what I need just fine(not a gamer) it came out better to just sell the two Dells and whatever parts I do not need and keep the A4 H20 i5-13600k as it works great except....

I just do not need a 4070 GPU so going to sell it as well as the 3060 ti FE I have as it will not fit due to design.

All I need is something not to tall, not to long, shroud and fans removed, and going by PC Builds Bottleneck Calculator one of these cards would match or be close enough to the CPU performance and some are dirt cheap locally.

RX 6700XT (Costs more than I want to spend)

GTX 1070 or Ti (would be OK since not a gamer, found a non Ti for $100)

RTX 2060 Super (Looking at a local one for $150)
2070 or Super (looking at local not super, $150)
3060 or Ti (here and below cost more than I want to spend)
3070
3080

Price ranges from just $100 to $300 and if I can find a $100 card that does all I need then going for it.

Recommendations and why would be greatly appreciated)

Thanks,
Rick

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

3060 or Ti

I'd go for a 3060 Ti / 4060 Ti, in the ITX format (eg. StormX). Depending on the case, you can actually add another fan, eg. I added a 120 to my S396, as the 3050 is just so short

Bonkers version: 3050 KalmX - no fan, 100% passive cooling. Sure, the GPU power is not that nice, but for occassional gaming, its totally ok

cu, w0lf.

 

[RAAM]

Thanks

I am looking for a non FE version of the 3060 Ti if I can find one cheap enough, I will install mine just to test it in this case but not really the right card design for the build.

I am good on fans, two 120's for the GPU, two 140's for the AIO, Noctua in the PS with the grill and whole area around the fan opened up, good air flow everywhere even with dust filters.

 

[RAAM]

I am running my 3060 Ti FE at the moment and it works just as well as the 4070 for what I use the system for. I wish if fit in my build as I would keep it. I was about to buy a 3060 Ti 3 fan card as soon as I find one I like the price of and it can fit properly. I was going to get one but found a clearance deal on engineered oak flooring for our RV wall covering and had to grab it at the price, I had been looking for months for the right deal.

I am also looking into a 3060 with 12GB instead of the 8 the 3060 TI has, might be better for my needs.

 

[RAAM]

Made some changes, 4070 was more GPU than I needed, my 3060 TI SE was not the right fit for the build, traded the 4070 for a 2.5 slot triple fan Gigabyte Elite and cash, working great!

Swapped PS fan for an 80mm black Noctua, removed grill and cut out PS mount for much better air flow.

This system is far more than I need as not a gamer but it should give me a number of years of great use. It is very quiet even during a stress test not that loud, very stable, looks great as well at least in my opinion

I am going to sell off all the parts no longer needed, funds going into our all out full time RV remodel, just bought a very nice clean burning high quality wood stove and piping, recently installed full size front load washer and dryer, finished the half bath including fossil sink....

Rick

 

[RAAM]

Minor mod update:
Swapped out 1TB 980 Pro for a 2TB 990 Pro I picked up for just $75 cash, no tax....
Going to sell the 1TB 980 Pro and 1TB 870 Evo and get one more 2TB 990 Pro for my backup drive.

I spend most of my time on our all out RV remodel, just finished installing soapstone hearth for Eklo Apple Pie wood stove, very impressed with the stove, double wall cast iron, three levels of air flow for super clean burning and of course adjustable damper. Still waiting on the fresh air intake parts or I might just make weld up my own.

Also adding 1.5" of high grade foam insulation to all the interior walls, custom metal slide out covers with 3" of insulation on top of the slides, engineered hardwood flooring on all walls which are becoming R21 rated as I finish each area.

I am only using the SFF computer for updating, changing, etc the plans as we move along on the RV project, using my laptop for posting until I get to the part of the plan and build my desk.

Rick

 

[RAAM]

Final update and many thanks for all the support here

This is far more computer than I needed but it was fun to build, tweak, tune, etc and since I do not game it is very quite sitting on my desk though when I finish the remodel in this part of the full time RV it will be on the floor under the desk.

Case, A4-H20
Motherboard, ROG Strix B760 (I have a Z790 but went back to the B760 as more than enough for my use)
CPU, i5-13600K
GPU, Gigabyte RTX 3060 Ti Elite, 2.5 slots, triple fan, deshrouded, 2 Silverston SF 120mm fans blowing up, controlled by GPU (was running MSI Ventus 4070 but it was more than I needed) GPU is also facing up, under the fans, top of the case instead of using a 240mm AIO there.
RAM, 2x16 G.Skill RipJaws 6000
Drive 1, 2TB Samsung 990 Pro
Drive 2, 2TB Samsung 990 Pro
AIO, Corsair i115 280mm AIO with two Silverstone SF 140mm high dynamic pressure fans. Side mounted, perfect fit.
Power Supply, Corsair SF600 with Noctua black fan, grill removed, mount opened up, far better air flow.
Riser cable, low cost Ebay one, works just fine. 300mm, Gen 4, stock riser was just a bit to short.
Thermal past MX-6
Filters, nylon mesh for all air intakes, other openings sealed off except exhaust.

Notes:
There is a gap above the radiator about 20mm tall the width of the case where air flows into and up to the GPU, there is a diffuser above the AIO to separate the air flow to it.

SF600 stock cables are great, much easier that ribbon cables and I cut off all
not needed extra connectors and wires which made for a cleaner install and better air flow.

I bought several honeycomb grills I was going to embed into the case covers for better air flow but just do not need it. When running stress tests the fans got quite noisy with the stock mesh case covers installed, taking them off made a huge improvement. Now I am not doing any testing nor gaming I am just going to skip that rather arduous step in the build.

I built this computer with mostly used, highly discounted, etc parts and have under $1000 USD invested.

Thanks for all the support here, greatly appreciated!

Rick