I'm done with the restrictions of gaming laptops. Building a little monster instead.

Yeah,and so is 980m gtx SLI, buddy.

 

Where did you buy the parts?

I feel like I am wanting to take the same route as you as my 780Ms don't quite do the job for me anymore.
I also want a CPU that is easier to overclock.

Newegg UK seems to be out of stock of all the GPUs I want...

 

I tend to order parts from all around the usual haunts, OCUK, ebuyer etc. Any place that does free delivery especially.

 

Nice setup. Would you have traded your laptop for a setup like this?

Case: Enthoo Primo Black
MB: MSI MPower Max
CPU: Intel I5 4690K
Ram: G.Skill RipjawX 2133 16gb (2 x 8 ) (encore emballer, si veut monter a 16G)
Ram: G.Skill RipjawX 2133 8gb (2 x 4 )
GPU: 2 x ZOTAC 980
PSU: Corsair CX750.
10 x Sharkoon Shark Blade
SSD OS HyperX 120GB
HDD Seagate 4X500GB RAID0 1.5TB 7200trm
Pioneer Blu-Ray Combo Drive/Writer

water cooling
CPU block EK Supremacy Acetal Clean CSQ
GPU Block 2 x EK-FC980 GTX - Acetal clean CSQ
Ram Block EKWB - EK-RAM Monarch Acetal clean csq.
2 x backplate Clean CSQ black
res: EK-DDC X-RES 250 CSQ - Acetal DDC
Pump MCP35x PWM
EK DDC x-res
16 x Bitspower C47
EK Tubing
Rad: 2 x RX360
EK pump heat sink
EK UNI holder DDC V2
Custom color Cable (extension)
Coolant, Pastel Yellow

 

I would have done it in a heartbeat... Would need to buy a new monitor, keyboard though

 

Didn't you start a thread on this already? In any case I don't get this desktop at all. I mean there's some serious watercooling kit setup, acrylic tubing and all, but then the guy throws in a pitiful i5-4690K?? And that 750W PSU and pathetic SSD?

I would ask some pretty detailed and pointed questions before trading anything. Something is just off about this rig.

 

If you have not yet done it, have a look here: Extract and Flash GTX 970 and 980 Firmware - NOLIMITS and GameStable

I'm using Gamestable vbios on both my 980's (should bring the Power limit up to 139%, even if in AB it still shows 124%), i keep them 1506Mhz GPU / 7800 Mhz Ram for every day use. Gigabyte G1 Gaming cards.

 

I'm tempted, but I might abstain. I think my cards are at a point where getting them much faster would take a lot more voltage. It just seems that some games are far more stable than others.

Right now, for everyday use, I'm running my 980 at the same as you, 1506/7800, with a small overvolt (+12mV) to ensure stability. Some games/apps were happy at 1540 core with around +30mV, but others just hate it and make the graphics drivers repeatedly crash.

I might try the custom vBIOS down the line but I get the impression that to run it at 1550 or 1600, I'd need something like +50 and maybe even more than +100mV respectively and I'm not sure if the reference board - or even the GPU itself - is good enough to run that sort of overvolt for years. I'll also be considering an upgrade to the inevitable 980Ti or Titan 2 through EVGA's step up program if they're out within the time limit, so I don't want to risk screwing anything up at this point.

 

What's your card's stock voltage?

 

I believe it's 1.2V give or take a couple of dozen mV. I'm not sure exactly and don't have the time right now to load it up and find it unfortunately.

 

Cool, I was just interested how it lined up with how the mobile chips were clocking. Very similar which I suppose is not too surprising.

 

Just thought I'd update this as I'd like to ask a bit of advice from you guys.

I want to try to get more potent CPU cooling in here. I'm not expecting to be able to overclock much higher than I'm already at, but temperatures are getting a little uncomfortable on the CPU if it's hit with 100% load for a long time - it's not far off the 90C mark, and I don't like that.

The main issue in this case is, of course, height. I have about 88mm of clearence for the CPU cooler, with further restrictions from the VRM right above the socket (about 40mm tall) and the RAM (44mm tall) to the right of the socket. I already have pretty much the biggest heatsink I can get in a case of this size.

I'm currently looking at closed loop liquid coolers instead. I'm still very restrticted on room, though. I can't find a single unit with a 120mm radiator that will fit in with a 120x25mm fan as well. I've thought of a few alternative configurations though, and wanted to see what you guys think. Specifically, I'm looking at the Corsair H55, as it has a low profile pump/block (gives me more headroom for a fan above it) and shorter tubes. Routing the tubes will still be a PITA though. Here are my options for mounting it:

1. Not elegant, but I can screw a 25mm thick fan to the outside of the case instead and have the radiator attached to the inside, with either a slim 120mm fan or a thick 92mm fan attached below it for push-pull. I'm not too keen on having a fan attached outside the case though.

2. Mount a Silverstone 15mm thick, pressure optimised intake fan (they can push about 1.5mmH20, not much less than the stock H55 fan) followed by the radiator and then a Noctua NF-A9x14 fan (92x14mm, as a full 92x25mm fan won't fit in this configuration). Probably the most effective configuration that doesn't involve fans outside the case, but it will also be by far the hardest to route the tubes on as the radiator will be lower and will have a fan below it that I have to route the tubes around.

3. Mount the radiator to the intake and bodge in a 120mm fan below it where it will fit. There is room for a 120x25mm fan in the socket area but not directly aligned with the radiator/intake slot, as the RAM is in the way. Not sure how effective this would be.

Whether I give any of those a go or stick with air cooling, I'm also thinking of getting a couple of 40mm Noctua fans to stick above the rear I/O to help a little bit with exhausting.

I'm also considering a full custom liquid loop (including GPU), I believe I should be able to fit in a 240mm radiator with two 120x25mm fans on the GPU intake area if the GPU has a waterblock that's only one slot tall, which should be sufficient to cool everything - perhaps with an extra 120mm radiator with a slim fan above the CPU. I haven't done a watercooled system before but would be entirely happy doing so - my largest concern, however, is how well the fittings and radiator would hold up to being transported. I built a small system because I want it to be portable, and I will be transporting it back and forth in a suitcase (well padded, with other things in the case) several times a year. Is there much of a risk of leaks forming when the system is being moved like that? I'd be particularly concerned about wheeling the suitcase over bumpy surfaces with my computer in it.

 

The smaller all in ones do tend to be not as good a decent air cooler is the only issue.

 

A decent air cooler won't fit in this case. The best that fits is the Noctua NH-L12 with the top fan replaced with a slim one.

 

Can you squeeze a H80i in there?

 

It would be hard enough squeezing a H55 in there. Like I said above, I won't fit a H55 with a standard fan inside the case, I'd either have to go for just a slim fan and/or mount a standard fan externally.

 

Might be worth having the external fan with grill to get a larger heatsink area. It would help keep things quiet.

 

Just buy another 970GTX, SLI it, and call it a day. :^)

 

He has a 980 but I think putting another one in isn't the problem here...

 

Yep it's about fitting everything in nicely and having it run efficiently.

 

Mini-ITX system. Only fits one graphics card. Plus, fitting a second wouldn't help to improve my CPU temperatures...I'm not looking for extra performance in games, I really don't know of anything out there that's going to be bottlenecked on a 980 by a 4.4GHz Haswell quad, but I would like that quad to run a little cooler.

At the end of the day though, I think I'm going to leave my system as-is. I don't particularly want to fit a fan on the outside of the system - kind of defeats the purpose of having a slim system, to an extent - and trying out the watercooler would be both an expensive experiment and a very difficult one, seeming as I'd have to pretty much completely disassemble the system to fit it (can't access the rear of the motherboard while it's inside the case). A lot of effort and money when at best I'll get maybe an extra 300MHz out of it, most likely less than that.

I might try sticking a couple of small 40mm fans above the rear I/O though, it might help to remove some of the hot air which doesn't seem to be exhausting out of the case very effectively. (I suspect some of the air is being recycled as there's a gap between the intake fan and the heatsink.) I might also see if I can get hold of a 20mm thick intake fan, something like a Yate Loon, to not only increase airflow but also decrease the gap between fan and heatsink to reduce the recycling of air.

 

I had the same problem before. What I did is to replace the stock fans to PWM fans and do a push pull configuration.

I made a mistake. Thought he got a 970.

This is a portable gaming PC that will make sure you run games at 60fps.

Paolo11's Completed Build - Intel Core i7-4790K, EVGA GeForce GTX 980 (2-Way SLI), Corsair Air 240 - PCPartPicker

Small yet powerful. Cooling is amazing based on this set up.

 

The fans I have in there are already the most powerful in airflow and static pressure that I can get without going much louder, and I've already set them to maximum RPM all of the time.

The only change I can make is swapping the 15mm thick intake fan for a 20mm thick intake fan.

Well, I appreciate the suggestion but, firstly, 60fps at what - 4K? My single 980 already manages 144fps at 1080p in almost every game out there, the few that it can't manage that in still stay well above 60. I've considered upgrading to the ASUS Swift monitor (1440p 144Hz) just to get the most out of my 980, only reason I'm holding back is that the Swift monitor is ridiculously expensive.

Secondly, I'm not about to buy a new case, motherboard, and power supply just to stick a second 980 into my system.

Thirdly, the Carbide Air 240 case is much larger than the Raven RVZ01 I'm using here. It's about two and a half times thicker (with about two and a half times the volume), which will take up a lot more room when I'm travelling with it in a suitcase. Simply put, the RVZ01 is console-sized, the Carbide Air 240 is not. It's a great case, it just isn't what I was looking for.

 

I have to say that your "story" push me towards mini-ITX. I'm almost 90% convinced...
Any regrets?

 

I love my desktop no doubt and everyone who's into POWER needs one. But it is hard to replace a good powerful ski gaming laptop also. You need both!!!

 

I agree. Ideally I'd like to have 3 computers:

- a monster desktop that will handle anything I throw at it without batting an eyelash
- a power DTR laptop (17" or above) that will have at least 70% of the desktop's capabilities for when I need power on the go
- a mobile solution (15" or below; and yes BGA crap tolerated) for when mobility is much more important than raw power (such as when I attend conferences or external meetings)

 

Ths project is exactly what I will be doing once I abandon my Alienware's as they slowly die in interest. Probably in a year or so. Im waiting for DDR4 too, TBH

 

I might regret not waiting for the Titan 2/980Ti when it comes out...I'll consider getting one through EVGA step up if it's out soon enough though.

Other than that, none at all. The CPU cooling isn't brilliant in such a small case but it's a difference of a few hundred MHz at most, and in return you get something far, far smaller than any case that would offer much better CPU cooling. And I know of no other case that can match the GPU cooling (on air) with the two 120mm intakes pointed straight at it.

I would if I had the cash. And if there were any multi-GPU laptops out there actually worth buying right now. My experiences with Alienware in the last few years have put me off the idea of buying any pre-built computer, laptops included.

 

You should have kept the AW18 you had.. You really let it go for too little and sold it to that louis whoose peddling it for £2000 now..

 

If I were doing it I would get the ITX ROG impact board and get that full cover water block for it.

 

Now that they are discontinuing the line I would say their prices will skyrocket

 

*shrugs* More power to him if he can actually find a buyer at £2000. I wanted it gone quickly and I'm not complaining about getting £1050 back considering I bought the original system (prior to replacement) for £2400 over two and a half years ago. Louis might be able to wait for a long time for a seller, I wanted it gone quickly, and unless he's upgraded it in any way, he's going to be very lucky to find someone willing to pay even close to £2000 for it.

I'd already be planning a custom loop if it wasn't for my fears about the fittings coming loose when moving the case. I went for something small so I can transport it from place to place a few times a year, and I'm not sure a custom loop would remain intact while being moved back and forth in a suitcase a few times a year.

 

Thought I'd update this to say that my new CPU intake fan has just arrived. The standard 25mm thick fans are just barely too thick to fit in here on top of the Noctua NH-L12 cooler, and the 15mm thick fans that come with the case are like an asthmatic blowing gently through a straw, I got a 20mm thick fan to use as an intake instead. Yate Loon seem to be the only company that manufactures 120x20mm fans, they're a manufacturer that not many people will have heard of (I hadn't) and they're not widely available, but the fan certainly feels high quality. This is the quiet model rated for 1350RPM, it's spinning at about 1200RPM on the header it's currently connected to and pushes through a lot more air than the stock intake fan did (while being quieter as well). The fan is rated for 44CFM which is the same as the NF-F12 with its low noise adapters (spinning at about 1200RPM) and it has a similar impeller design too, so I'm assuming it also has decent static pressure.

Peak load temps dropped by 5-10C giving me some more overclocking headroom. I'm now running at 4.6GHz at 1.200V. Compared to the voltages some reviewers needed to run 4.6GHz (I think that 1.250V was about the average that I saw) I'd say that I've done pretty well in the silicon lottery. Seems to be stable, it happily ran OCCT for 20-30 minutes and an hour on the Intel XTU stress test, and it's run all day at that frequency through gaming and general use. An extended OCCT session gave a maximum temperature of 90C on the hottest core which some might be uncomfortable with, but this chip will very, very rarely be under that sort of load for any period of time. (The closest it gets is converting 24fps video to 48fps through interpolation, which loads the processor up 100% but gives lower temperatures compared to OCCT.)

I have to say I'm really happy with that. 4.6GHz in something the size of an Xbox is pretty damn amazing, particularly when you consider that it's quiet. My laptop got pretty damn loud just trying to keep its 4710QM cool at 3.5GHz.

Unfortunately the GPU stability seems to be playing up when overclocked. This card happily runs the Unigine Heaven benchmark for hours on end when running at over 1530MHz core (overvolted) but some games are causing driver crashes even as low as 1450MHz. No artifacting, the screen just goes a single colour and freezes for half a minute or so while it recovers the display driver. It's really frustrating. I don't think it's the memory overclock, as lowering that doesn't seem to help and it's been running fine on its default core boost clock of 1404MHz with the memory set to 7800MHz. Any advice?

 

I think the GPU issue with the screen freeze etc, is related to the driver being crap. I am running a mini iXT build and will suffer the random screen freeze to a solid color etc. closing the program in task manager fixes it since it seems be a soft freeze most times, my 980 is running a modded vBios at 1506/1400.

 

Hey EviLCorsaiR,

I also decided to can the old lappy in favour of a Raven, and hoping you can give me some advice (sounds likely from the content of this thread so far).

I'm upgrading to get ready of Oculus Rift (super stoked!), and it looked like the only 2 portable options for that were a good Alienware or the MSI Shadow. But, with either of these, I would have needed an external GPU, and the reviews I was reading for either of these options were not great -- essentially, good idea with promise, but not quite there yet.

Anyway, I'm about 90% through my build now, which is very similar to yours, but toned-down a bit in some areas -- and I won't be OCing -- too worried about the overheating issues.

My build so far:
Silverstone RVZ01
i7-4790
Gigabyte GA-Z97N-WIFI
G.Skill 16GB
Asus GeForce GTX 980 Strix (the OC edition, but it apparently runs very cool)
2 Samsung 250GB SSD
Seagate 2TB 7200RPM
Silverstone 500W SFX
LG GS40N Optical Drive

As you can see, 1 glaringly absent component is a CPU cooler. I planned to put a Zalman cnps8900 Quiet in, but it would have touched my RAM. So, I currently have the stock Intel fan on it.

I should mention that I don't have it up and running past BIOS yet because I need another connector for my DVD drive -- stupid mSATA... So, I haven't run any test to see if this is enough for the CPU. It is only 3.6 GHZ, and I won't be OCing, so I"m wondering if it'll be enough. If I use just the stock Intel cooler, I'm planning to put a good case fan over that too (plenty of room). Think that'll be good, or can you recommend a good cooler? That Noctua still working well for you?

Also, question on the case fans for the gpu -- did you run any tests with the stock SilverStone fans, or did you chuck them right away? I was set to get some better fans, but with the cool temps you're reporting on the gpu, not so concerned with that now, unless someone else has other experience/thoughts on this?

And are you running all 3 case fans as intakes? I was planning to use the CPU and front GPU fans as intake, and the rear GPU case fan as an exhaust. Or is this not needed/could screw up the positive pressure system?

Many thanks for any advice you can provide on this (or anyone else with experience/knowledge of this).

cheers!