jeff3f's new build thread

[Jeff3F]

I'm building my first new system since 2017/18!!

My last build thread is https://meincmagazine.com/civis/threads/jeff3fs-little-nano-s-wc-build-thread-warning-big-large-dumb-images.1412251/. I built a nice custom water loop into a Fractal Design Nano S using a GTX1080, an Intel i7 8700k, using a 550 watt power supply and a single 280mm radiator. The biggest error I made was not putting in a coolant temp sensor, and something to get that information to the PC :-/

I built in 2017, then rebuilt in 2018 when I sourced a GPU. This build has 8 year old twistix in it!! I'm using it to post now!! It worked super well, at least until "Palword" taxed the water loop more than I expected!

Last time it took me a few months to get the GPU but it started with a steeply discounted case. This time, I have the GPU (RTX 5080 FE) on order, along with a 1000 watt power supply. I am thinking I want to build into Fractal again, either Meshify 3 or Torrent. Torrent is attractive because it's completely open inside. I'm super unsure about whether I'm water cooling again. I kinda want to but maybe unwilling to.

I dunno. Anyone here got thoughts about Meshify 3 vs Torrent, and maybe non-Fractal cases that are as nice to build in? Fractal isn't perfect (I have twistix in my build because they didn't get everything right). @Black Jacque or @Jehos would be awesome to hear from but they're both maybe mostly not here any more. The others (@steelghost and @continuum and others you're still around and always good to hear from you!).

 

[whoisit]

https://meincmagazine.com/civis/threads/perpetual-pics-of-your-rig.1406931/page-23#post-43668780

Here is my system in a NZXT H7 Flow (2022 model). I've built in a few Fractal cases, but never the Meshify or the Torrent. I like the Flow. It's easy to work on. Cable management is great. Panels are all snap on, and they are still secure after 3 years of use. Filters are easy to access. Temps are ok, as in GN review was pretty happy with them at the time. I'm sure the Torrent has lower temps, that one is hard to beat.

If you aren't a fan of RGB, my case didn't ship with RGB fans. I did that. There used to be a SKU with standard metal side panel, instead of glass. The included link is of my system with a RTX 4080 Super and a 9800X3D on an ATX motherboard to give an idea of the space inside.

Down side, NZXT has been doing some scummy things regarding rental computers. GN did report on it several months ago.

EDIT: One last thing I will add. If you do like, or plan to do RGB, getting a powered fan/lighting controller makes cabling things much easier. I'm using a 8 port Asus unit that is powered by two SATA power connectors.

 

[continuum]

Anyone here got thoughts about Meshify 3 vs Torrent,

Both are good, which reviews have you seen about them? Lian-Li has some good ones too but knowing more of what your requirements are wouldn't hurt.

What other components are you thinking of aside from the RTX 5080 FE and which 1000W PSU do you have?

 

[Arbelac]

Torrent is good, but don't get it if you are going to do a custom loop. Defeats the purpose; the Torrent is designed as an aircooler case.

I've used the previous Meshify cases; they work for both, although for a custom loop, they can lack big radiator space. Definitely go with an XL case if you are looking to put in multiple radiators.

My last (and current) build used an Lian Li O11D. It's in the watercooling thread. This case is specifically designed for custom loops. It may be hard to come by these days, last I looked, a lot of the Lian Li stuff was on backorder.

 

[steelghost]

I'm super unsure about whether I'm water cooling again. I kinda want to but maybe unwilling to.

So, I think this is a big thing you want to decide on; as @Arbelac points out, a good air cooling case is not necessarily the same as a good custom loop case, or even a good case for use with an AIO.

Custom loops only really make sense (IMO) when you're using them with a GPU. Your new 5080 FE doesn't seem to have a particularly quiet cooler, but it also doesn't seem to have a readily available block! For instance, it doesn't look like the latest Alphacool blocks support it (and they support a LOT of other GPUs). EK do list a 5090 FE block, but whether you want to buy from EK at this point is probably a question to consider carefully (and I'm not even sure if the 5090 FE block would even fit the 5080 FE, they are quite different cards). Bykski don't seem to offer blocks for any FE cards in the 5000 series. Bear in mind that the FE card is not a "reference" card. So if you do have your heart set on a custom loop cooled GPU, the 5080 FE is probably not the one to pick. If you wanted to go with a different 5080 card then there is support from Heatkiller and also Alphacool, but given how much a 5080 goes for, you need to think about your appetite for buying a block on top of that.

For what it's worth, my son was running an OC'd 8700k and a 3080 with a single (45mm thick, pushpull fans) 280mm rad until quite recently. It wasn't particularly quiet under load but it also wasn't a hairdrier. We recently added a separate 240mm rad to help keep temps under control under heavy load. You could totally re-use your existing 280mm rad, res and pump in a new loop, if you decided to go that way. You'd need to add another radiator to the loop, but that's one of the charms of custom loops, they are modular and you can mix and match parts as you like.

If you decide to go air cooling, I do like the look of the Torrent series cases, but I have no practical experience in building with one. In addition, the 180mm fans are a special custom size from Fractal. If one of those things fails in a few years time you better hope they are still selling them, or I guess you can mod your case to install Noctua 200mm fans (or you could put 140s in the front, but if you're gonna do that, probably go for the Meshify 3).

The biggest error I made was not putting in a coolant temp sensor, and something to get that information to the PC

Look out for a board that has a built-in header for a temp sensor, or buy a Aquacomputing Quadro.

The other question is probably, do you want RGB? I have softened on it since it was shoehorned into everything, but it's definitely not something I would bother with. My builds tend to be fiddly enough that I certainly can't be bothered trying to wrangle a load of additional cabling. Plus the layout (and typical state) of my office means that showcase builds are just not worth it. But I can totally admire a well done RGB build.

 

[steelghost]

As a follow up - here's the board shots of the 5080 FE and 5090 FE (courtesy of TPU). I'd say your SOL on getting a block for the 5080FE, since the only FE blocks for the 5000 series seem to be the 5090 ones. So you're at a crossroads, you'd need to either return the 5080 FE and buy a card based on being able to get a GPU block for it, or just build in a case with really good airflow.

 

[Jeff3F]

Looks like I messed up the link to my old thread and here is the corrected link. Sorry for wall of text.

I'm going to cancel my 5080 order, it looks bad the more I learn. Thanks @steelghost for clarification I was trying to figure out compatibility and I wasn’t finding good answers.

@whoisit thanks for the suggestion re: NZXT. I like RGB but not much, will reuse my magnetic LED lightstrip.

@continuum as always thank you for being here with great insight and questions! I want a quiet PC for general office work, and gaming. For gaming I plan to revisit older games with good graphics (newly updated GTA5, Cyberpunk). I also found that Palworld absolutely thrashes and heats my current system. I play a lot of Factorio, but not yet to the point where my factory is CPU limited. I haven’t decided on a monitor but will spend a lot here, probably a wide format with high refresh rate, and as many pixels as is available. I might go standard aspect ratio (ie not wide) if I found a good and large monitor I liked. I fear it’ll still be 1440k but 4k would be nice. I’m aware that the 5080 might be overkill for my 1440k needs and 5080 might not be enough for 4k glory. I think I’m fixated on 5080 because my GTX1080 has been so good for so long, partly due to only using it for 1080p. I’m unwilling to splurge on 5090 and I’ve traditionally always gone for second/third best GPU and it’s been okay for me.

Power supply - I bought a Be Quiet! Dark Power 13 in 1000 watts (Tom's Hardware likes it). Pricy but supposed to be hard to hear. They’re ambiguous with regard to ATX 3.0 vs 3.1 but hopefully okay and I won’t suffer a melted GPU connector. Hopefully won’t break GPU by seating the cable too aggressively.

I think I will eventually build a custom loop; I already have many parts (sunken cost fallacy), and I also have unfinished business regarding a proper setup with coolant temp driven fan curves, proper fill and drain ports, and better build in a roomier case with more than one radiator to truly silence things.

I feel a need to call out @Black Jacque for his great non-clear tubing build thread (here) and previous commentary/advice. Much respect!

@Arbelac thanks I will look at Lian Li. They've earned that and I do like the case - power supply off in the back somewhere, side radiator #1, and room for a bottom radiator (with the GPU doing whatever it wants). I do see availability for some stuff albeit at higher prices than before.

@steelghost you always have great advice that's backed up with fabulous builds. Agree that without getting the GPU on the train, the water cool loop will go nowhere.

I like the Torrent for water because it's super open inside, like my Nano S only larger (acres and acres!). Wide open front for big if non-standard fans. I'm not a fan of its "alienware" aesthetic. And also I'm used to my "Nano S" size...but the Fractal cases I mentioned are NOT so nearly space constrained as the Nano S. I built a Meshify 2 system in 2020 and liked it a lot though found fan placement constraints that were annoying plus that stupid power supply shroud. I realize now that I don't think I "published" that build, but I have to call out @continuum's excellent Meshify 2 build thread.

I haven't researched how Meshify 3 is different (front ports??). But for Torrent.... no power supply shroud in the way, no un-necessary HDD shite up in the front/in the way, one could radiator the bottom and the front. @Arbelac’s Lian Li also has power supply out of the way and I like that too.

Okay, I started this reply last evening and it went long. I don’t know if folks will care but maybe I’ll add a “coda” post to my old build. It was (is) a great PC and I didn’t have to do much to maintain it.

 

[Arbelac]

With the LianLi, (or most dual chamber cases), I went with the Corsair SHIFT power supply versions, which rotate the power supply for better/easier cable management. I highly recommend it.

The O11D has room for 3 rads technically; top, side, bottom. My build uses top and side for rads, then used the bottom for intakes.

 

[Jeff3F]

I went ahead and ordered a PNY 5080 for same price as the one I cancelled ($999). I also ordered the $250 alphacool block for it. It looks like that card gets much, much shorter once the water block is installed.

I'm probably going to temporarily install the GPU on air in my Nano S after taking down the old loop, with my old system (intel 8700K 16GB RAM)...I still have an air cooler for that. To make sure it's okay with regard to coil whine and not DOA.

I figure I can re-use the Koolance 280 radiator, and maybe get a second 420 radiator and see where I am with that. Koolance was awesome though a tight fit last time.

Cases I'm puzzling out. I like small as possible, but room for 420 and 240 radiators with room for one more is hard to do in small form factors. I did good work making a Nano S work out with a 280mm radiator and super-bulky separated D5 and radiator! I need to measure and see.

Madness could mean jamming two more radiators into the top and back of my Nano. a 240 up top and a 120 in back, maybe marginal for heat dissipation though (280 up front still).

I'm looking hard at Lian Li O11 stuff, HVN 420 will probably be too large and pricey (heh), Fractal meshify3XL. I could maybe use the meshify 3 without its floor "ramp" so I could fit the D5 down there. Not sure if possible to put reservoir up on wall (like in my old build). The PNY5080 is really short once waterblocked.

 

[continuum]

For that many radiators, should you go Meshify 3, I'd definitely go with the Meshify 3 XL as opposed to the regular - I don't know which reviews you've read, but it looks like the sizing is a bit smaller on both now vs the Meshify 2. To me the Meshify 2 was a good size for a single large radiator and large GPU... but for your proposed setup, not so much. Ergo, I'd look at Meshify 3 XL.

I've actually spent a fair amount of time with the Meshify 3 and 3 XL in person... But I wasn't planning on a custom liquid cooled build in either when I was going my evaluation, so consider I may have missed things that are important to you.

 

[profanum]

Yea, I went looking for a while at smaller case that would fit a 420 and a 280 and finally decided I’d go a little bigger and ended up with a HAVN HS 420. Definitely not tiny but I’m really happy with it for building out a custom loop. Plenty of space and lots of options for radiator sizes and super flexible mounting options.

I also appreciate the sort of chamber and a half design, giving a decent space for cable management.

I ended up doing a 420 on the bottom, 280 on the side, and originally a 280 on top but I just switched that one to a 420 also in the past week. A 420 can also fit on the side but the routing would get a little difficult.

 

[Jeff3F]

The HVN might be too huge but I'm seriously looking at it because I could pop two radiators in, and add a third if I wanted to.

I figure the Meshify 3 will be far too small for me. Maybe it's roughly equivalent to the Meshify C I used previously.

The Meshify 3XL and the HVN 420 are both pretty pricey but are good contenders. As is that Lian Li O11. I need to measure my space and decide. These are some great sounding cases! I'm partial to Fractal as they're familiar, but I'm not blind to their faults I do have my D5 pump tied down with twistix in my Nano S

 

[Arbelac]

I did a watercooling build in a regular Meshify 2. It worked, but getting 2 rads in it, at least with the flat pump I had, was impossible. I'd highly recommend getting an XL Meshify 3 if you want to use that case with multiple rads.

I really like Fractal cases, but for a custom water loop, if you go that route, I'd really suggest getting a dual chamber case designed with loops in mind.

 

[steelghost]

I think there's also the question of whether you want the inside to look "pretty", because the dual chamber cases, as well as allowing more radiators, can also do a good job of hiding the messy bits of a custom loop build. I like the idea of such a case but their typical dimensions are impractical for my space. But if you don't have to work within such constraints, then they're well worth looking at, both for ease of build and the attractiveness of the end result.

(As an aside, it's interesting to me that Fractal has never made such a case aside from the now-ancient Node 804).

 

[N00balicious]

(As an aside, it's interesting to me that Fractal has never made such a case aside from the now-ancient Node 804).

I did a build that resembles that remark.

 

[Jeff3F]

Edit to add - I’m leaning heavily toward Meshify 3 XL, black (no rgb) but with window side. It’s on the larger side and may stick out too far in front of desk but I can probably angle it. Width and height are okay. I think the clincher for me is that there is that whole side wall of potential fan space - I can put a radiator there, AND I can hang a reservoir there too. Will again try (like Charlie Brown and the Fractal football) to put my chunky D5 on the floor where that air ramp is. The air in the case, I don’t care where/how it flows just that it eventually leaves!

 

[Mental Gear Reduction]

I like small as possible,

Small cases are just such a PITA to work on. Even when they're well designed, they're always so much harder than a medium or large case that's equally well designed.

Me, I don't move my computer around enough to make that pain worth it. AFAIC, something big and comfortable to work on is much better, because it will most likely be literal years before I move the machine more than a couple of feet.

 

[N00balicious]

... It’s on the larger side and may stick out too far in front of desk but I can probably angle it. Width and height are okay. I think the clincher for me is that there is that whole side wall of potential fan space - I can put a radiator there, AND I can hang a reservoir there too. ...

I once had a boss whose solution to growing bigger was to buy "bigger" suits. I guess you could buy a bigger case?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're going to "angle it"?

"Angling It" with a build is like being in an economy, middle, seat on the LA to NYC "Red Eye", with 300 pound, hirsute, fat men wearing tank tops on either side, whose garlic saturated perspiration is soaking your shirtsleeves, and both of them are hogging the two middle armrests. "Have a nice flight." You'll remember that, every time you log onto that fat pig, squatting on the end of your desk that you're banging your elbow on.

And about "hanging over the edge", like a fat gut, its going to be right in front of you every time you do your business.

Why has nobody mentioned boutique cases?

The folks on Ars now all seem to want to buy their case kit the same way they buy their underpants-- at WallyMart?

What happend to cases like the corporate Lian Li A4-H2O? Or... digging deeper, how about the REAL Dan C4 SFX? I did an air-cooled build with an M1EVO - Angle. That case was as dark, tight, and sweet as real builders like their sexual partners. Frankly, it felt roomie with air. If you're really edgy, there's the GEEK G1 PRO MINI-ITX CASE. This case is a bargain at the price (when in stock). Its also tighter than a rat's egress-port on a cold night. (It certainly was tight on air.)

Finally, stop faffing about with graphics cards-- spend money. It was never any fun tearing down an expensive graphics card, and wondering if you'd gotten the water-cooling kit assembly right anyway? You want an RTX 5080? Buy an AORUS GeForce RTX™ 5080 XTREME WATERFORCE WB 16G or similar. Slot it, plumb it, and forget it. Just buy one, that meets your usage model the first time.

A real builder wants a challenger, a case with ≤ their last plenum's volume in liters.

HTH

 

[continuum]

Why do you think you're here?

Why has nobody mentioned boutique cases?

 

[steelghost]

Setting aside the mismatch between these two statements

stop faffing about with graphics cards-- spend money. It was never any fun tearing down an expensive graphics card, and wondering if you'd gotten the water-cooling kit assembly right anyway? You want an RTX 5080? Buy an AORUS GeForce RTX™ 5080 XTREME WATERFORCE WB 16G or similar. Slot it, plumb it, and forget it. Just buy one, that meets your usage model the first time.

folks on Ars now all seem to want to buy their case kit the same way they buy their underpants

...I really can't recommend building a custom loop involving a 5080FE and a CPU capable of driving it (9800X3D?) in a case that has, at best, room for a 280mm normal thickness (30mm) radiator. Why?

Trying to dissipate the thick end of 450W (maybe a little more) through such a relatively small surface area is going to involve a lot of airflow, and even though they would be 140mm fans, they still make plenty of noise once you get past 1500rpm. But what if you don't care about noise when gaming because you have fancy noise cancelling headphones?

Well, the other issue is that unless you go for high fin density radiators, slim rads don't really scale cooling performance all that well with fan speed; past a certain point you're just making more noise for minimal or no gain. With only a single slim radiator, there's a risk you get into a heatsoak situation where the radiator cannot dissipate the heat no matter the airflow, and you end up with a loud system that still thermal throttles.

To quote myself from upthread:

my son was running an OC'd 8700k and a 3080 with a single (45mm thick, pushpull fans) 280mm rad until quite recently. It wasn't particularly quiet under load but it also wasn't a hairdrier

This particular combo was workable, but only because the cooling could be scaled with fan speed, and the case in question had room to mount a huge cooling stack with a total depth of 95mm (rad + push/pull fans). The fluid temps were still in the mid-high 40s C, which is OK but a bit higher than I'd like. As I noted above, we added a 240 to the loop and now fluid temps are in the low 40s.

Sure, you can undervolt the GPU to save power but your success with that approach is quite dependent on silicon lottery for the GPU die. So your build needs to be able to cool the full TDP of all components IMO. So you probably want two radiators, given you already have a 280 and are looking to use 140mm fans across the build, I'd recommend something like the Hardware Labs Nemesis GTR 420, paired with fans that have a good PWM-controlled rev range. That way you can use the increased fin density to your advantage and scale teh cooling performance (albeit with increased noise) when required. If you really wanted a single rad solution you could even go for something like the HWL SR2 series, which are 60mm thick and coupled with push pull fans would definitely allow you to scale your cooling with fan speed!

 

[Cool Modine]

Cases don’t matter when you MoRa.

 

[steelghost]

This remains one of my favourite builds on Ars, and probably the only way to watercool really beefy hardware in a small case.

@N00balicious is this 'real builder' enough for you?

@Jeff3F how's that PC budget build holding up?

 

[steelghost]

Thinking about it, you could do a sort of mini MoRa with one of these monsters, if you have enough wood or metal working chops to build it into an enclosure to mount somewhere out of the way.

Aaaaand now I've given myself An Idea*. Dangit.

(*namely, I could probably attach a big fat radiator like that to the underside of the plywood shelves that sit above my head in my office, and then run power and tubing up to it. I'll put that on the list labelled "one day, perhaps"!)

 

[Jeff3F]

Thanks for the great comments. The pre-blocked cards are always neat to see, but they're never available. I cancelled that FE and have a PNY 5080 coming in, along with an Alphacool water block. I don't think it's excessive faffing to run the card out of the box, to look for things like coil whine and not being DOA. Also, I won't have time to build the loop right away AND I need supplies, and a radiator or two. That usually takes a few weeks.

I ordered a Fractal Meshify 3 XL and I don't think I'll need to angle it. I like to get the case and "play" with it to see how/where things fit and will work.

Two questions for the group -
1) soft 16/10mm tubing is what I'll use, I have those fittings already. What kind of tubing do you all prefer? I'm okay with clear or a matte black option; previously I used a Mayhems clear tubing and it has held up wonderfully (I still have nearly a meter of it left but it's 8 years old).

2) radiator talk:

In the Meshify 3XL, I'm looking at 420 up top, and 280 on side and front. I would prefer one rad to be 45mm and the other 30mm; I think 30mm fits best up top, and 30mm fits best on side (avoids conflict with GPU and with top rad). I was hoping to put the thicker one on side though because noisewise maybe better it's facing away. OR, maybe all three are 30mm and then I have plenty room for chonky d5 pump and separate reservoir.

I'm not a fan of thick 60mm radiators with push/pull fans. I'd rather wallpaper the inside of the case with more radiators and big quiet fans. I don't think I'll do any exhaust rads (ie in back). I don't want to do a floor rad as the case sits on carpeting.

I made edits (sorry).

 

[steelghost]

What kind of tubing do you all prefer?

Clear tubing is pretty much always going to be some sort of PVC, which needs a plasticiser to be flexible, and will leach said plasticiser into your coolant. Some PVC is less liable to this but it's basically inevitable. I've also had PVC tubing go all weird and sticky, get stained a strange colour, etc. In short, it's cheap but it's a bit crap (IMO).

My personal favourite if you can get it is Tygon Norprene (not neoprene! ) which is phenomenally durable. A close second is EPDM rubber tubing, most commonly known to custom loop builders as EK's ZMT. Alphacool also do an EPDM tubing under their own name, as everyone has realised how much better this stuff is than PVC.

Bear in mind there is also black PVC sold for watercooling, you can usually tell the difference because the black PVC tubing is still glossy whereas norprene and EPDM are more matte.

Some good pics and data of the different sorts here. For clamps I really like barbs and clamps (especially the self tightening spring steel ones), much as @Cool Modine used in his MoRa build. You can probably get the clamps much more cheaply if you can find an industrial supplier somewhere, who'll charge you pennies for each one rather than a buck apiece or so from a "proper" watercooling shop.

As long as you install the barbs firmly so as to compress the gasket properly, such joints are much more resistant to leakage (particularly if they have been moved about) than "normal" fittings. They're a damn sight cheaper, too, even if you're buying the clamps from a watercooling supplier.

2) radiator talk:

Between the 280 up front, 360 in the side and 420 up top, I think you'll be able to go 30mm all around no bother. I really like Hardware Labs radiators if you can get them, I think they OEM for Corsair as well.

If you do go 45mm in the side because your GPU is short enough, a) that would be boss and b) I'd go push-pull for that rad, because running x6 120mm fans at low speeds will be quieter than spinning up x3 120mm fans. Also it will help you get the best out of of the thicker rad. If you don't want to go push pull there, I'm not sure how much better the 45mm fad will be than just going with a 30mm....

the case sits on carpeting.

If you have a PC that would ordinarily sit on carpet, one way to avoid many of the downsides of such an arrangement (which I do understand is sometimes inevitable) is to get a piece of timber (plywood, MDF, whatever you like really) cut to the right dimensions and potentially painted / oiled / stained to the preferred finish. If you want to be fancy you could use a chunk of nice timber, or you could get bevels or chamfers cut, etc.

Then you can just sit the PC on it, it makes it more stable and reduces dust accumulation by any low mounted fans or filters, especially the PSU. I have used an absolutely naked and unadorned piece of 18mm ply for this, which didn't look at all fancy but my young lad didn't care.

 

[Jeff3F]

sorry @steelghost I made edits after you wrote your post. I think maybe 280 in side would be okay as that's the fan hole size. Then I'm 140 fans everywhere!

I think best place for push-pull would be front; I need to think on that. If it bought me more cooling under load at lower fan speeds I might do it and then if doing it then why not a 60mm radiator instead of 45?

I will know more when I tear down my old loop and have the 31mm (curses!) old 280 plus fans to move around. Like paper dolls, moving it around and see how it all fits.

I did not consider a floor plate but that may be something to try out.

 

[profanum]

My go to for tubing is EPDM from McMaster Carr; https://www.mcmaster.com/9776t11/

I’ve used EK ZMT and Watercool Heatkiller EPDM and for the price and availability the EPDM from McMaster wins for me. Watercool EPDM is around the same price but the 16/10 goes OOS fairly often and was hard to find for a while without ordering from overseas.

 

[Cool Modine]

I also got my EPDM and spring clamps from McMaster. The barbs are XSPC from Titanrig.

 

[Jeff3F]

It’s rated to 300F too! Last build I had to contort the loop a bit to make sure no tubing touched the hot metal GPU backplate! Thanks for the tip!

I unboxed the Meshify3 and it’s a bit bigger than the Nano S.

 

[drnick1]

I think you made the right choice. Unless you are severely space constrained, it's always better/easier to build in a big case. One of the most nagging issues with small cases is radiators or tubes obstructing access to motherboard headers at the top and bottom. I personally use an O11 XL case and an external radiator, because airflow is kind of difficult to manage properly with more than one or two radiators in a case. (Unless you use a case with a radiator chamber.)

And if, like me, you put the case under a somewhat large desk, the footprint of the case is largely irrelevant.

 

[Jeff3F]

The 5080 FE isn’t being supported by water block makers, and I was able to get a PNY 5080 OC for the same price ($999).

For power supply I got a Be Quiet! Dark Power 13 1000w. I think it’s overkill and snake oil (metal designations gold plat titanium)…but it was discounted and it is supposed to be a very good part per Toms Hardware and my only goal for this part is to slowly forget that it exists and that I overspent.

Case is Meshify 3XL. Looks super roomier than I was expecting, I forgot how tiny the Nano S was when I first got into it. Prior to the Nano my previous build case was an Antect 1080G which was roomy.

I have an existing 280 mm rad (high density fins, 30 mm thick), and mostly EKWB parts (fittings, D5 pump, separate reservoir). I’ll need more fittings but won’t overspend on them.

I once had a rather nasty hose clamp coolant failure in a 1979 Ford LTD and it’s soured me on the barb/metal clamp hose interface, so I’m okay overspending for the compression fittings!

 

[Mental Gear Reduction]

I once had a rather nasty hose clamp coolant failure in a 1979 Ford LTD and it’s soured me on the barb/metal clamp hose interface, so I’m okay overspending for the compression fittings!

It's pretty cheap compared to the components you're protecting.

 

[steelghost]

If you're not a fan of the barb / clamp solution, a spot of threadlock in the thread of the "normal" fittings would be a good idea, I think. As MGR points out, you don't want to leak coolant on your $1,000 GPU...

 

[whoisit]

A real builder wants a challenger, a case with ≤ their last plenum's volume in liters.

HTH

I got tired of tetanus and slicing my fingers open.

 

[Jeff3F]

I tore the old build down. Decent amount of green corrosion on fittings and the insides are cloudy (tubing and water blocks). Pump, rez, and radiator look okay though. Not bad for minimal maintenance for about 7 years though! I’ll prob post pictures in a few weeks in the old thread as a coda. Overall I was pleased at the condition of the build after so long. And a little bit of neglect. Little bit.

Given the hassle of replacing orings I may never clean the water blocks up but I will convert the cpu to air and may also make the gpu back to stock air too so I can possibly donate it or something.

I should replace the fittings’ o-rings though they’re available in packs of 50+ nothing exotic like for the blocks.

 

[steelghost]

I was looking back at the build thread for my son's system, and I thought it might be useful to consider here.

Firstly, some context; this system is build in a Fractal Define S which is essentially an open box with a lot of fan mounts. Measuring the actual box (not including the front panel) the depth front to back is 480mm. Best I can tell, this is about 45mm less than the Meshify 3 XL.

The first picture shows the system when it was air-cooled. Lots of room in the front.

The next picture shows the completed build. This is with a 1080Ti and an EK block with is 265mm long. With the pump-res combo attached to the fans, there is minimal clearance between the GPU and the reservoir. However the PNY 5080 waterblock from Alphacool is tiny, so you won't have such tight clearance issues, in fact you should have room to do a thicker radiator, even 60mm, as well as push-pull fans.

If you do go that way at the front, the side mounted radiator will be almost entirely hidden. This may be a feature or a bug depending on how you look at it! I also don't know how much clearance there would be between the two and if this would have an effect on the airflow of the side rad.

I would definitely consider a pump/res combo for your new build. It just makes things that much easier, as well as reducing the number of potential leakage points. I don't have a recommendation for a specific one, the Alphacool model in the picture below is fine but they don't seem to make it anymore. If I was buying now, I'd look into an Aquacomputer Aqualis D5 and the relevant bracket.

As a recap, the system in question looked like this:




First of all, here is the end result.




There is not a lot of clearance between the end of the GPU, and the reservoir, maybe 5mm.

 

[Jeff3F]

thanks @steelghost. I got into the new case and basically took it all apart. I played a little "paper dolls" with my watercooling components and there is a LOT of room inside. Figuring 110mm for two 25mm fans and a 60mm radiator...that's spicy though it'd be limited to 280mm so the only interference that could happen might be side rad and I'd likely need to ditch the cute air-guide panel on the floor. THough, they did a good job of keeping that panel out of the way of both the side and front. Not sure if it would interfere with a full 420mm top rad either. I need to fabricate something to simulate these radiators!

I tore my old loop down and looking at my GPU block I think I got lucky - it looks like it leaked a very little bit and some cracks in the plexi probably overtightened screws. The beautiful copper fins are jet black now!

I had the usual PC building safari so I could test my GPU card. Everything from getting thermal grease cleaner inside the Intel socket to possibly overtightening the air cooler to discovering that my new GPU is 3 slots wide and won't fit into my Nano S. I figured out that the GPU wouldn't fit AFTER doing the power supply swap and doing the difficult work of unplugging then replugging power supply cables into the cramped motherboard area. Anyway I ended up putting the old mobo into the new case which wasn't part of the plan. Despite all the room in the world, I still struggled with the mobo connections and plugging in the power supply cables (both ends). I now have my bitlocker recovery key memorized, it asks for it every reboot (I'm in the process of decrypting the drive).

The new case is QUIET except for the cheapie coolermaster CPU HSF. That fan runs 700rpm at its slowest and I can hear it like nails on a chalkboard. The 3 included Fractal fans are silent as is the 120mm Noctua on the back. I took pictures but don't have time to post stuff. I put the case back together but if anyone out there has specific questions about the Meshify 3XL I'll try to answer them. I did not get around to installing the GPU tonight.

 

[Jeff3F]

I’m too wordy and I know this. I will try to break up the text wall with pics. Captions will be underneath pics, if I can figure out imgur again (it's been a while!)

The Fractal Design Meshify 3XL, in non-RGB black with glass wall. It's roomy and I'm familiar with Fractal and it's mostly good. I prefer all natural rainbows over LED ones, mostly. Mostly.

Okay, this is maybe underspray? As in when they painted this part they didn't successfully paint it entirely. It's hard to photograph, but I can see this from outside the case in proper lighting. Not a huge problem but this is a premium case and this is the sort of fit and finish issue I don't expect from Fractal Design. This is the metal cover that hides the openings one would use to route power supply cables to the motherboard.

Okay so this is the floor of the case, after I've removed the back side panel, the inside plastic side panel, and the floor "ramp" panel (that would guide air from front fans up and into an air cooled GPU). This appears to fit the 120mm fan mount I bought but never used for my EKWB D5 pump in 2018. I didn't take a picture, but the pump mount bracket DOES fit when the ramp panel is in place. The Lophroaig shaped case holes are where the plastic airguide ramp piece slots in (it's also held down by the plastic side panel and maybe requires inconvenient PC parts disassembly to remove after the fact). Like I'd probably need to pull the GPU to get the cable shroud off then the plastic side panel then the ramp. I plan to not use the side plastic though.

Also please note (above pic) the lower 120mm fan bracket that's attached in the middle of the 140mm 3-fan cutouts in this photo. The screws protrude a bit and I have no need for 120mm fans in this build, so I removed those and they're going into the parts bin. Unlike the cable shroud (which I can see from outside the case), this hidden away part was perfectly painted. Just saying.

Okay, so this is great access to the power supply, but as I noted before this is normally covered by an airflow ramp shroud, which isn't removable unless the inside plastic side panel is also removed, and possibly also the partly painted metal cable management shroud which might touch a GPU backplate. This is a thoughtful case design, but not flawless. The case is complex, and playing paper dolls (putting components into case prior to affixing them and assembling properly) is probably a must. I struggled later on playing with the power supply with the ramp shroud in place, though you have good access from behind the mobo wallfloor. You can pull the power supply out the back of the case, but cables are never long enough to permit careful seating like that. Especially not the high power GPU cable. I struggled with the power supply connections in this case despite thoughtful design and wide open looking spaces. I also don't build often so maybe partly a "skill issue".

Okay so super open, perhaps to the point of being less rigid. This case felt quite solid to me at all times though. It's a great looking and open design despite some small flaws to pick at.

Okay, @N00balicious there is no angling, and no overhanging PC gut here. It fits and it's great. I might prefer 90 degree angled Displayport cables or adapters but that would also mean I could put the case closer to wall, making the poor Noctua exhaust fan tired. (this is my old CPU/mobo with new power supply in new Meshify 3XL case. A day after this was taken I added in the PNY RTX5080 GPU AND my RGB magnetic lightstrip.

Measure twice, cut thrice? Also it hurts to see what flipping my Nano S around did to my nice Ikea pleather desktop surface. This card is huge (three slots wide and 329mm long (longer than the meshify 3XL's soft max length when putting a side radiator into the case). A quick eyeball suggests that it might fit anyway. Maybe with a hammer.

You can see the GPU encroaches onto the installed plastic side panel ever so slightly (maybe 5mmish). You can see the underpainted metal cable shroud sorta touching the GPU backplate. Note that this GPU is super short when shorn of its OEM cooler, but I still worry that the Alphacool backplate I have will still engage in inappropriate unwanted contact with that problematic partly painted shroud piece. Also I had zero intention of properly managing my cables with this strictly temp build.

Yet with these surprisingly helpful clips, despite not wanting to I still found my cables being super nicely managed. Bravo on these back cable clips!

Okay. @steelghost is egging me on with regard to enbiggening the front radiator. How dare they! Noctua fan pairs aren't cheap!
You can see roughly 2 inches (~5cm) distance from the fan to the beginning of the plastic side wall... a 60mm thick push-pulled front rad might encroach on a side radiator but not entirely sure. It probably also encroaches on the floor 120mm pump mount holes. Side note - WHY do pump mounts only happen in the center, when it would be better to recess them back to give extra room in front for tubing?? In my Nano S I had to abandon the provided 120mm mounting holes because of this issue. Maybe it's more of a pump design issue.

No, that 329mm GPU doesn't really encroach into the side radiator area. Not one bit! Maybe.

I think these are reflections and not marring of the GPU after I peeled the plastic stuff off of it. Not that it matters...

The new block is here! I won't have time to order in more parts and get it set up for probably a couple weeks though and also I want several days on air to ensure the GPU part isn't coil whining or not working well. ON A SIDE NOTE...this looks like a 2-slot wide cover. It's not too late to pop this into a quick 280mm rad loop in my Nano S!! I kid, I kid!

This is what I'm dealing with; my fittings are green as are interior surfaces that I can see. I think I will soak parts (including radiator) in mild detergent then flush with distilled water - I don't know if it's okay to flush with something harsher (diluted vinegar) to descale a bit, the radiator isn't plated. The nickel plated parts I'm not going to use anything other than mild elbow grease (plastic dishwashing scrubber), diluted Dawn detergent, and maybe metal polish if I need to.

I don't want to post the picture (old build) but the cracks in my 1080 block were definitely not there immediately after installation of the water block. I think there may have been flexing of the board. Given the short size of the blocked 5080 I wasn't planning to prop the board up (horizontal layout) with a brace, but should I?

Edit - THANKS and sorry my premature publish happened. THis is the end of tonight's post!

Moar edits - holy typos batman!

 

[Jeff3F]

double post

 

[continuum]

Finally, a detailed build! I'll try to refrain from too much for now-- let us know how it goes when you get further along!