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Finally wrapped up my build, which involved too many fitting re-orders and waiting several long weeks for the 7800X3D (that ended up getting lost in the mail).


[MEDIA=imgur]a/CAGU6Ys[/MEDIA]


Specs:

  • 7800X3D w/ Heatkiller IV
  • Gigabyte B650I Aorus Ultra
  • 64GB G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo (EXPO 6000 30-40-40-96)
  • 3080 FE w/ EK Vector
  • Silverstone 850R w/ DreamBigRay cables
  • Phanteks R160C Glacier reservoir & EK PWM DDC pump
  • 2x Alpahcool ST20 280mm radiators
  • 4x LianLi UNI Infinity fans
  • Aquacomputer Quadro fan controller w/ alphacool temp probe
  • Corsair XL8 Coolant and Satin 12mm tubing

Special thanks to Baka who I found on reddit and had already solved many of the same problems I was facing, they were a great help with figuring out what EK fittings to use with this radiator configuration (although my particular setup necessitated a micro-90 behind the GPU PCI bracket).


This case was a treat to build in and an even bigger joy to display! The infinity fans in particular are mesmerizing, I was worried the effect wouldn't show behind the tinted glass but it's better than ever. Cable management was surprisingly chill with room to tuck header cables behind the PCI-E riser and a decent amount of volume to shove extra length between the PSU and 'roof'.


Some things went wrong which were fun to work around and keep in mind for the next iteration:

  • My plan to do a direct run between the Res and GPU was so close to working flawlessly, but unfortunately ran into space issues. The only way I could come up with to fill the reservoir was to attach a QDC to a micro-90 rotary at the left (and only) fill port, which is right up against the exhaust fan. I then had to push the GPU and spine of the case all the way to the right for the ports to line up, but unfortunately they are about 1-2mm off with the PCI bracket already bumping into the intake fans. As a result the short run between the two components is a little askew but structurally sound. All the more reason to slap a waterblock on a 5000-series card when they release and re-do my runs 😈

  • I noticed after everything was put together that the reservoir isn't fully parallel with the case on the front-to-back axis, I think the fins on the DDC are bumping up against the spine and pushing it out of alignment. Again something to fix with the next revision when hopefully working with a shorter GPU and more room.

  • Due to the orientation of the motherboard 24-pin port, the cable has to do a 180° flip which does not look great. Cutting my own cable to size might help but that's low on the list since that side's not on display (same reason I went with ZMT there).

  • The Quadro wouldn't stay in place when double-sided taped to the spine, it's a little askew but you can't really tell behind the tint.

  • Should have gotten cable combs for the GPU 12-pin! I 3D printed my own but it's not the same.

  • Temps would probably be improved if all fans were intake, but they're already plenty low with no noise as it is. I run the front fans a little faster for some positive pressure.

The only things I wish this case had were 5mm extra length (or provisions for a fill port at the top rear) and better glue for the side panel magnets!