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XPS 8930, GPU and CPU Liquid Cooler, PSU, Case Swap, Upgrade
Computer: Dell XPS 8930
CPU: i7 8700
CPU Cooler: UPGRADE: Corsair H60 (2018 Model) Hydro Series AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
Graphic card manufacturer / model number: UPGRADE: Liquid cooled MSI GeForce GTX 1080 SEA HAWK X 8GB 256-Bit GDDR5X PCI Express 3.0 x16 ATX Video Card
Bios: 1.0.12
Operating System: Windows 10 Home v.1803
Power supply: UPGRADE: Seasonic Focus Plus Gold, SSR-850FX, 850W Compact Modular Power Supply
Monitor: Samsung S34E790C - 34-Inch Curved WQHD (3440 x 1440) LED Monitor using Displayport.
Edit: 06/06/19
Case fan upgrades here
PSU upgrades here
Non-Dell GPU upgrades here
Phanteks case swap summary here
Case swap rather than case mod for more cooling options here and here and here
Motherboard connections for case swap here
Full liquid cooling with waterblock here
Tests slim 15mm fans with HWInfo.
Idle CPU Temps 32C.
Idle fan speeds intake 450-500 RPM
CPU FAN and TOP FAN = motherboard headers
***Prime 95 v2.66 CPU Torture Test, Small FFT, 12 cycles. 60 minutes:
CPU temps 66-70C. Max temp 75C (boost)
Clock speeds 3492 mHz (~10% overclock @ 65W TDP), max 4490 mHz
Voltage stable at 1.022, max was 1.3
Upper Intake Fan (CPU FAN) CPU cooler max RPM 1078
Lower Intake fan (TOP FAN) GPU cooler max RPM 1019
Upper exhaust fan fixed 1500 RPM.
Prime 95. initial boost of CPU 100% load at 4490 mHz at 110 W / 1.3v. Then tests at stable ~10% overclock 3492-3589 mHz at ~65W at 1.022 volts, temps 66-70C.
***3d Mark Fire Strike Test for system 1080P, ~ 7min.:
CPU Temps: Max 75C
Clock speeds max 4388 mHz
Voltage max was 1.31
Upper Intake Fan (CPU FAN) CPU cooler max RPM 906
Lower Intake fan (TOP FAN) GPU cooler max RPM 869
Upper exhaust fan fixed 1500 RPM.
GPU Temps: Max 79C
GPU Fan speed, 1100 RPM idle, max RPM 2822
GPU Clock max 1961 mHz
So far, CPU temps okay. But GPU temps high, will check bezel airflow.....
***3d Mark Fire Strike Test 1080P, ~ 7min
(front bezel off to test airflow restriction)
CPU Temps: Max 72C
Clock speeds max 4388 mHz.
Voltage max 1.31
Upper Intake Fan (CPU FAN) CPU cooler max RPM 853
Lower Intake fan (TOP FAN) GPU cooler max RPM 1183
Upper exhaust fan fixed 1500 RPM.
GPU Temps: Max 72C
GPU Fan speed, 1100 RPM idle, max RPM 2611
GPU Clock max at 1965 mHz
Changes with front bezel off:
CPU temps dropped by 3C
GPU temps dropped by 8-10C
CPU temps acceptable through bezel. GPU airflow through bezel needs tweaking!
==========
The install:
Tasks for upgrade in new XPS 8930:
1) Install Corsair H60 (2018 Model) Hydro Series AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
2) Install lower front intake fan/radiator with liquid cooled MSI Sea Hawk GTX 1080 HYBRID GPU
3) Upgrade PSU to Seasonic Focus Plus Gold, 850W Compact Power Supply
I need to accomplish this keeping in mind the following:
-Run the Corsair CPU cooler pump at constant 100% speed
-Requires fans connected to both 4 pin fan headers (CPU FAN) and (TOP FAN) to avoid startup error.
==========
Installing Corsair Liquid CPU Cooler:
New 2018 Corsair Hydro Series H60 has 157 x 120 x 27mm radiator and SP120 PWM fan. Pump has rotating barbs for hose placement to avoid the swinging PSU. Pump connects to a PSU SATA cable for 100% power and the radiator PWM fan to the CPU FAN motherboard 4 pin header. Optional tach cable to monitor pump speed and provide a signal to the fan header to prevent startup errors. Fan specs: SP120 PWM, 1700 RPM, 28.3 dBA, 57.2CFM.
Slim fan for tight location: Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM, 1850 RPM 23.9 dBA 55.44 CFM / 1400 RPM 16.8 dBA 41.67 CFM
The 3 pin version is a good option at fixed speed to noise tolerance for constant airflow.
Review below posted 60C temps with i7 8700K CPU 30 min stress test at stock clocks.
https://proclockers.com/reviews/cooling/corsair-hydro-series-h60-120mm-liquid-cooler-review
Nice installation guide here:
https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/corsair-h60-review.html
The XPS 8930 chassis is similar to the Alienware R5/R6/R7, but the Alienware allows for CPU liquid cooling by having an opening to mount the fan/radiator through the top of the chassis, an installation bracket, and a top cover to house the unit.
With no such space in the XPS 8930, I saw two possible locations a liquid cooler could be installed: Upper exhaust and front intake.
1) Tried the upper exhaust position first without success with the radiator in the top exhaust fan location. The problem is that the rigid hose fittings protrude into the case 20mm. The PSU bracket is not able to close.
I also tried the radiator upside down with the hoses above the motherboard. But with the radiator lined up with the top exhaust opening, a CPU power connector, capacitor and fan header block the area at the hose fittings.
2) Next the front upper intake position at the hard drive location. With intake cooling, cool air enters the radiator but warm air exits into the case. Should not be a problem if CPU temps are ok.
I found that the radiator can install with hoses up or down. With the radiator upside down, the hoses can spread on either side of the motherboard ATX connector.
Picture bottom install location:
Flipping the radiator upright, the swinging PSU bracket negates any liquid cooling in that location with the hoses up as the bracket cross bar crushes the hoses when lowered.
However, I found that by removing the cross bar off the bracket and a small corner off the bracket support leg it would work.
So I chose having the hoses up as the installation path.
1) Flatten the wire holders in that location.
2) Remove the two support legs and the swinging PSU bracket by removing screws at the leg supports and a few at the rear.
3) Used dremel reinforced cutting wheel to do about 5 minutes worth of cutting, then deburring the cut edges.
Picture dremel cuts. (Additional recommended cut to use 25mm fan here)
4) Then placed the radiator up with the hoses at the front of the chassis. The bottom of the radiator fits between the two screws that hold down the supports of the PSU bracket.
5) Attach the 15mm fan with the model label showing for pull orientation and use 4 - 1” or 1 ¼” 6-32 machine screws to attach the radiator. NOTE: The 6-32 screws used for the radiator have a different thread than the 6-32 hex head screws being used in the case. Big box stores have these screws.
Pic of screws
6) Carefully mark the location of the holes in the radiator and drill four holes to mount the radiator to the front of the chassis.
How I did this was place the radiator, then use tape on the front of the chassis to mark the sides of the radiator position.
Then put another piece of blue tape across the front of the radiator at the middle of the top holes.
With the radiator in position inside the chassis and the sides lined up with the tape, look through the rear grill at the blue tape and mark the height of that tape on the front chassis. Marks represent the height of the radiator holes.
Mark the height of the holes with another piece of tape across the front of the chassis.
You now have the height of the top holes.
7) Place a fan on the chassis between the two pieces of tape at the sides and line the two top holes with the radiator mark. Mark all four holes . Again tape off the case well to make sure you don’t get metal filings anywhere.
Mount the radiator with fan to the chassis using ¾” 6-32 machine screws.
9) Installing the pump head:
Clean CPU with alcohol. You see the 4 mounting holes here
Using th 4 double sided pins, put the lower pins into the mounting holes. No modifications needed, the unit is set up for the Dell motherboard LGA1151 CPU socket. Mount the cooler pump by placing the corner attachment brackets on the upper pins and tighten the thumb screws. You can’t overtighten these, they just won’t turn any further when tight.
10) Connect radiator fan to the 4 pin CPU FAN header.
11) Attach pump SATA power to the PSU.
12) With no cross bracket on the PSU swinging bracket, there is room for the pump hoses to flex under the PSU. There is a smooth rounded edge where the bracket contacts the hoses when closed. As an additional precaution install braid wrap on the upper part of the hose for protection at that point.
Done!
Picture again from top, note no bar on the PSU bracket and the edge of the lower part of the PSU bracket that will contact the hoses when down.
==========
Installing MSI GTX 1080 Hybrid GPU: The 151mm high radiator is installed in a sideways position with the hoses in front. The GPU is 10.5” long leaving little room for both fan and radiator at the lower intake position.
With little space to put a fan on the radiator inside the case, the slim 15mm fan was mounted in front of the chassis and under the front bezel. The front bezel is over 20 mm deep so the fan is able to still pull air from the bezel front side vents.
Picture front bezel
1) The only problem encountered was a large raised hole in the middle of the front of the chassis which interfered with fan placement. Keep turning the fan to the position centered to the radiator where the fan frame doesn't hit that large bump.
2) Check that the side of the radiator is clear of the swinging arm of the PSU bracket. Important!.
3) Drill 4 holes, attach the fan to radiator using 4- 1 ¼” 6-32 machine screws.
I also used a10mm foam compressible Phoyba radiator gasket on the radiator due to the 1" wide flange at the rear of the front chassis.
It supports the Alienware R5/6/7 front intake fan bracket that snaps in at this location. That piece of metal prevents the radiator from sitting flush. The gasket took up that space. It has adhesive on one side to attach to the radiator.
Note: In the picture of the front bezel a large plastic hollow pin sticks up that would hit the fan in that location. Trim with the dremel cutting wheel.
Picture front install, note no bar on the PSU swinging bracket.
4) Connect the slim fan on the AIO radiator to the 4 pin header (TOP FAN). (Noctua NF-A12x15 FLX 1850 RPM 23.9 dBA 55.44 CFM / 1400 RPM 16.8 dBA 41.67 CFM)
Notes
Protect the radiator fins with a piece of cardboard taking the GPU in/out. They are bent easily by the corner of the GPU.
Edit 9/18/18 GPU temps resolved here: (must read prior to installing, grillwork is removed)
Edit 02/23/19 Recommended cuts to use 25mm fan on CPU radiator here and here
Edit 03/15/19 Fixed speed radiator fan CPU temps 55°C range here
**This thread edited for accuracy, add'l pics and current information.
HanoverB
798 Posts
0
March 12th, 2019 19:00
Worked on the missing rear IO Shield issue.
Room lighting only. It looks really cool when you look inside the lit up case through the mesh!
I started by trimming off about 1/16” of the adhesive strip of the mesh on the long side closest to the edge of the case. There is only a shallow lip there. Once I did that, clearance was perfect inside the case for the adhesive on all 4 sides.
Inside the Dell case there is foam gasket which has the outline of the IO connectors.
I used that gasket for a tracing template using a fine point Sharpie on both the mesh and white paper (several pieces) underneath it. I used painter's tape on both the piece of mesh and paper underneath so they wouldn't separate or move around. Then did some cutting with a sharp razor knife and xacto knife with a straightedge as a guide. Use the straightedge, makes it a lot easier. I used painter's tape liberally to hold things down for me at every step when tracing and cutting.
Circles were the only difficult cut. I cut hexagon shapes instead and turned out fine.
As far as fit, start with the edge next to the GPU at the bottom of the IO panel. When positioned correctly, it adheres to the cross bar at that location but it shouldn't show through the PCI slot.. The GPU's PCI-E bracket will fit right over it.. No adhesive should be showing anywhere from the back of the case.
I did the fitting with the adhesive still covered and the computer on its side.
The two reference point I used were:
1) the edge of the first PCI-E slot opening mentioned above
2) the two rear fan screw openings
The right side of the mesh should be at the edge of the PCI-E slot. Then check the side where the rear fan screw openings are located. The two screw openings should be unobstructed and that mesh side square right up next to the edge of both of the screw openings.. Trim a little more of the opposite side next to the row of connectors if the adhesive is showing through those screw openings.
The only tricky part is marking the location of the rear IO ports on the mesh prior to making the cuts: There are a rows of holes in the mesh you can use to check for squareness. Try to square them up to the IO shield opening as they are helpful for making straight cuts as guides. If you are square to the edge of both the rear fan screw openings you should be good. Use the painters tape to hold the mesh in place once you have it positioned since you still have the adhesive on the edges still covered.
First, have the mesh installed inside the case with the motherboard in place. Positioning the mesh over the ports is fine, you won't damage the mesh and you need to see where the ports are. So once you have the mesh inside the case, with the edge trimmed, and taped in place exactly where you want it, put the foam gasket on the mesh over the port locations. You want to somehow mark the position of the gasket on the mesh. I used thin strips of blue painter's tape on the mesh to mark the location of the four corner/sides of the foam gasket
Then removed that mesh from inside the case, put in on my table and used those tape marks to re-position the gasket back on the mesh to trace the port openings exactly where they should be cut. Use the blue tape again this time to hold the gasket in place while you do your tracing. (see pic above). A fine point sharpie worked well for me as I was able to mark the mesh as well as the white paper underneath which made it easier for me to see where to make the cuts.
I did the final install to the inside of case with the motherboard in place, rear exhaust fan removed, GPU not installed..
Fan screw openings for the rear exhaust fan are clear and edge of mesh is squared up to the openings.
Note that it took quite a while for the mesh IO shield to get to me from China.....at least a couple of weeks.
HanoverB
798 Posts
0
March 13th, 2019 00:00
Some notes on the Phanteks Eclipse P350X case swap
I looked at the both darkFlash T120 (side airflow) and the Phanteks P350x case (front airflow) when looking for RGB options.
http://www.phanteks.com/Eclipse-P350X.html
https://www.amazon.com/darkFlash-Mid-Tower-Computer-Tempered-Pre-Installed/dp/B07DFZ7JPK
The XPS 8930 motherboard does not have built in RGB headers for LED lighting or a USB 2.0 header for a controller. Without a motherboard dedicated RGB header, LED system lighting is typically added with a software RGB controller that uses a USB 2.0 connector.
This Phanteks case uses built-in addressable RGB lighting with 5V 3 pin DRGB connectors controlled by the buttons on top of the case.. Addressable RGB means each individual LED is capable of a separate color vs non-addressable RGB lighting where all the LED’s are one color. Note that there are 12V 4 pin RGB systems and these are not compatible with the built in 5v 3 pin DRGB controller on the P350X case.
The LED lighting in this case is expandable by chaining additional fan frames or strips. Add LED fan frames to any fans which would connect directly to the RGB controller in the case. Or add another LED strip into the case. There are two connectors on each LED device. One connects to another device in the chain for power, the other is an additional connector for the next device in the chain. They are all controlled by the buttons on top of the case.
Optional:
Phanteks Halo 120mm Digital LED Fan Frame
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BGVD62T
Phanteks Digital LED Strip Combo
https://www.amazon.com/Phanteks-PH-DRGBLED_Combo_01-Digital-Adapter-Compatible/dp/B07C1ZFRWW
Things I needed before the case swap:
Before starting, make sure you have a M5 (5mm) or 3/16 hex driver around for moving a couple of the motherboard standoffs. This case, to my surprise, does not have that hex tool in the screws kit.
There are only 3 motherboard connectors in this case. Power Switch connector, the USB 3.0 connector, HD Audio connector. The POWER SWITCH connected to pins 6 and 8 in the new case did not result in any startup errors.
The USB 3.0 cable from the P350X front upper USB 3.0 ports was able reach the USB 3.0 PCI-E card at the rear of the case. I used the Inateck USB 3.0 non-powered PCI-E card again in this case. Speeds are fine.
Note the particulars here about the XPS 8930 here about disassembly of the motherboard, IO unit, wireless card, etc. Installation of the motherboard, PSU and drives is a breeze, there is a lot of room in the case.
Be really careful when removing and installing the USB 3.0 connectors on the motherboard. I hate the Intel design as the connectors are very tight and it is very easy to bend or even break a pin. Try to always go straight up of down with the connector. If you wiggle is from side to side you risk bending/breaking a pin.
I already stated the workarounds result in no startup errors and all functions are okay. I did test the P350X USB connector with the motherboard headers to see if perhaps the results would be different. As expected, there was an IO startup error when connected to the black USB motherboard header. So both USB connectors from the XPS 8930 IO panel brought into the case have to be connected to the respective motherboard USB headers. SD card header connected, jumper from pins 5 to 9 in place at the front panel connector.
The Dell IO panel fits easily next to the hard drive cage. I did put a piece of electrical tape on that mounting flange because of the sharp edge. Tie up the unused yellow HD Audio cable in that bundle.
Note where I ran two IO unit USB cables into the case as they reach okay from that hard drive area.
I mentioned before you can use the red optical SATA cable to the flat mounted SSD. If you have more than one SSD pick up another SATA data cable that has a low profile right angle (clipless) on one end to flat connector on the other end.
The PSU 4/8 pin CPU power cable (braided cable next to the PSU in pic below and above) connects to the upper left corner of the motherboard (upper right on pic above on the back of the case). I found that the best way to run that cable was to the back of the case next to to the PSU and then under the lip at the rear of the case behind the open SSD caddy and up to the opening in the upper rear corner of the case.
Also the single 3 pin Phanteks case fan that comes with the case is usable and reasonably quiet. (1200-1300 RPM if based on their retail PH-F120SP fan).
It is really helpful to have this 4/3 Pin SATA fan adapter for any of these case swaps. The fan leads are long and make any fixed fan connections very easy. The molex to SATA connectors work but they have short leads and take up more space as would the additional molex modular cable from the PSU.
If you are planning on using the Phanteks Digital LED Halo fan frame on any of the fans, they are very easy to install.. They come with the fan screws and radiator bolts for normal installations. The only thing to watch out for is if you put the Halo fan frame in the front of the radiator fan at the front of the case so you can see the LED's from the front. The 6/32" x 1 1/4" radiator screws are are fine if you use the recess in the fan frame. But when installing through the flat front of the chassis they are too short and they won't reach the radiator. You will need to get some black 6/32" x 1 1/2" machine screws to install through the front chassis into the fan frame, fan and radiator.
I also followed Alienblaster's advice and connected the 4 pin SP120 PWM fan on the H60 CPU cooler radiator fixed to the PSU at 1700 RPM for initial testing. Never really had a problem with the i7 8700 CPU with temps in the 60C's normally under load, but that fan never got above 650-690 RPM under loads when connected to the CPU FAN header. At 1700 RPM, that fan is probably the loudest fan in my system, and noise levels are barely acceptable. But the drop in temps is what I am looking for. Changing the fan speeds would drop the noise levels.
Full summary on this thread here
Testing and final configuration here.
rwgordon
25 Posts
0
March 14th, 2019 09:00
Your a busy guy HanoverB, saw the Phantek case at newegg a few weeks ago also , had it in my cart for a while! Originally had Fractal case to "test" but was physically to large for my environment! Have a Corsair 275R sitting in garage waiting for me if I get bored or decide to build a system. Are you going to stay with this case?
HanoverB
798 Posts
0
March 14th, 2019 09:00
Hi Ray
I am going to keep this case. That's why I went ahead and did the rear IO mesh shield.
I like the look of the this case. With the stock built in lighting, it's a pretty case. That strip of horizontal lighting at the base of the tempered glass is a real nice touch. The front lighting is understated, not over the top. I do like the fact you control the lighting with hardware buttons and not software, which can have glitches..
You can add more lighting as it's daisy chained and even though I really like the elegant look of the stock lighting, I am going to add 4 of the digital fan frames for the fans I have in the case. Should look nice when done and I will post a couple more pics then.
HanoverB
798 Posts
0
March 14th, 2019 10:00
I want to add that I have found an upside to having the IO panel in the case as part of the case swap.
When installing a 240mm/280mm cooler for K processors and overclocking, to utilize the full capability for fan control and lighting control you need a USB 2.0 motherboard header to connect a mini-USB or micro-USB cable to the pump for software control.
The XPS 8930 motherboard has no such USB 2.0 header.
NZXT uses a mini-USB cable to 5-pin female USB 2.0 connector on their NZXT Kraken 240mm/280mm dual radiator liquid coolers. Corsair uses a micro-USB cable to 9-pin USB 2.0 connector (using only 4 pins on one side of the connector) on their H100i PRO 240mm dual radiator unit.
Corsair 9 pin connector that has 4 pins used on one side of the connector
Corsair uses Cue, NZXT uses CAM for their software.
You can bypass the controls of the fan by going straight to the CPU Fan header and let the motherboard control the fan speed to vary with CPU temps, but you lose control of the ability to change the fan speeds manually and to change the lighting.
Having the internal USB ports on the IO panel can come in handy.for the lack of the USB 2.0 headers:
To create a single row USB 2.0 5-pin header in the case for the pump 5-pin/9-pin connectors use this cable and one of the available USB 3.1 ports inside the case (the arrow on the connector is the hot wire (red) on both sides of the connection, wires on both sides should match red-white-green-black)
https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-designed-motherboard-external-connector/dp/B000V6WD8A
https://www.ebay.com/itm/8-inch-USB-2-0-A-Male-to-1x5-5-Pin-IDC-Motherboard-Connector-Adapter-Cable/292351329924?
To create a standard USB 2.0 9-pin header you can use this cable connected to one of the USB ports on the IO unit in this machine. This may be useful as there as some devices like the NZXT Internal USB Hub which uses a 9 pin connector for stability.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q4QZW57
Instead of using the USB header for the cooler connection, you would typically use this cable from one of the rear USB ports in the back and bring it into the case. But the IO panel is already there inside the case with an available USB port.
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-USB-2-0-Cable-Male/dp/B00NH11N5A
For a micro-USB connector use this:
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Male-Micro-Cable-Black/dp/B0711PVX6Z
HanoverB
798 Posts
0
March 14th, 2019 13:00
That is a great idea!!! Then you wouldn't have any power issues that might arise from using the PCI-E slot.
Good find.
rwgordon
25 Posts
0
March 14th, 2019 13:00
Interesting thought using adapter for usb 2 from back panel. What do you think about this adapter to supply front panel on case with usb 3, instead of pcie card?
https://www.amazon.com/Sienoc-Header-Adapter-20Pin-Motherboard/dp/B018XFSVG8
or
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-2-Port-USB-3-0-Type-A-Male-to-20-Pin-Header-Male-Adapter-Cable-Cord-K4Q1/122379204576?epid=691276051&hash=item1c7e5e77e0:g:AkoAAOSwfVpYuHqC
HanoverB
798 Posts
0
March 15th, 2019 01:00
Phanteks Elite P350X testiing
Initial testing with Corsair SP120 PWM fan on the CPU cooler radiator with fixed speed at 1700 RPM after case swap:
Windows 10 Home 64 bit
CPU i7 8700
16GB stock Dell RAM
Corsair H60 (2018) CPU liquid cooler as upper intake, with OEM Corsair SP120 PWM fan, fixed speed 1700 RPM to PSU. CPU pump tach cable to TOP FAN header
MSI SeaHawk GTX 1080 Hybrid GPU with liquid cooler, as rear exhaust, OEM Corsair SP120 3 pin fan, fixed speed 1650 RPM to PSU.
(2) Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM slim fans, as dual upper exhaust, to CPU FAN header
Phantek PH-F120SP case fan, as lower intake, fixed speed 1300 RPM to PSU
Seasonic Focus Plus Gold 850W PSU
Samsung 970 EVO 1GB NVMe PCIE M.2 2280 SSD as boot drive
Samsung 860 EVO iTB SATA III 2.5" SSD
***Prime 95 v2.66 CPU Torture Test, Small FFT, 12 cycles. 30 minutes:
CPU temps at end of test run was 54C. Max temp was 69C.
Thermal throttling: NO
Clock speeds stable at 3391.6 mHz, max was 4291.6 mHz at 100% on all cores at start of test
Voltage stable at 1.004, max was 1.248.
CPU radiator fan fixed at 1700 RPM
In the Prime 95 test, the difference in CPU temps from the previous XPS 8930 case using this new case setup and the CPU radiator fan fixed at 1700 RPM was -14C. At the end of test, the highest CPU core temp was 54 degrees. That’s a big drop in temps from the liquid cooled XPS 8930 case.
The NZXT case temps were only 3-4C less than the liquid cooled XPS 8930 case. But in that testing, I had the SP120 PWM connected to the CPU FAN header, and it never got above 670 RPM.
I am certain that fixing the CPU radiator fan had a lot to do with these cooler temps to offset the conservative fan curves on the Dell motherboard. The clear path for airflow from the intake position also helped as well.
AlienBlaster’s recommendation of using a fixed speed fan on the CPU cooler radiator makes a noticeable difference, and would recommend making this change as well with the liquid cooled XPS 8930 case. Then it would be a matter of balancing noise vs CPU temps by slightly lowering the fan speed or changing to a quieter fan.
On the Firestrike benchmark, GPU temps again were the same, as the GPU cooling radiator is now in an exhaust position and using heated air to cool the radiator.
Samsung 970 Evo NVME SSD temps at end of Prime 95 Test (HWInfo64)
Drive temp 1: 42C
Drive temp 2: 64C
Edit: 03/16/19 Test temps with correct fixed speed of 1700 RPM of H60 radiator fan. NVME SSD temps added. Fan connections that are fixed speed on the PSU are with this 4/3 pin to SATA adapter.
---------
Next step was to swap the CPU cooler radiator fan from the Corsair SP120 fan on the radiator to the quieter NF-F12 PWM Chromax Black fans (same spec as NF-F12 PWM fans). 1500 RPM / 22.4 dBA / 55 CFM. MUCH quieter than the Corsair SP120 fan. 1700 RPM / 28.3 dBa / 57.2CFM
Windows 10 Home 64 bit
CPU i7 8700
16GB stock Dell RAM
Corsair H60 (2018) CPU liquid cooler as upper intake, with Noctua NF-F12 PWM Chromax Black fan, fixed speed 1500 RPM to PSU. CPU pump tach cable to TOP FAN header
MSI SeaHawk GTX 1080 Hybrid GPU with liquid cooler, as rear exhaust, Noctua NF-F12 PWM Chromax Black fan, fixed speed 1500 RPM to PSU
(2) Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM slim fans, as dual upper exhaust, to CPU FAN header
Phantek PH-F120SP case fan, as lower intake, fixed speed 1300 RPM to PSU
Seasonic Focus Plus Gold 850W PSU
Samsung 970 EVO 1GB NVMe PCIE M.2 2280 SSD as boot drive
Samsung 860 EVO iTB SATA III 2.5" SSD
***Prime 95 v2.66 CPU Torture Test, Small FFT, 12 cycles. 30 minutes:
CPU temps at end of test run was 53C. Max temp was 68C.
Thermal throttling: NO
Clock speeds stable at 3390.9 mHz, max was 4291.6 mHz at 100% on all cores at start of test
Voltage stable at 1.007, max was 1.264.
CPU radiator fan fixed at 1500 RPM
Edit: 03/17/19 Changed H60 radiator fans to Noctua NF-F12 PWM fans, fixed speed of 1500 RPM. CPU temps similar (-1C) but with noise drop 28.3.dBa to 22.4 dBA
--------
Final configuration: To get a further drop in noise, installed the Noctua NA-RC7 Low Noise Adapter (50 ohm) on NF-F12 PWM Chromax Black fan to drop the RPM from 1500 RPM to 1200 RPM. . 1200 RPM / 18.6 dBA / 43.73 CFM. Nice balance of noise/performance.
Windows 10 Home 64 bit
CPU i7 8700
16GB stock Dell RAM
Corsair H60 (2018) CPU liquid cooler as upper intake, with Noctua NF-F12 PWM Chromax Black fan, fixed speed 1200 RPM to PSU. CPU pump tach cable to TOP FAN header
MSI SeaHawk GTX 1080 Hybrid GPU with liquid cooler, as rear exhaust, Noctua NF-F12 PWM Chromax Black fan, fixed speed 1500 RPM to PSU
(2) Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM slim fans, as dual upper exhaust, to CPU FAN header
Phantek PH-F120SP case fan, as lower intake, fixed speed 1300 RPM to PSU
Seasonic Focus Plus Gold 850W PSU
Samsung 970 EVO 1GB NVMe PCIE M.2 2280 SSD as boot drive
Samsung 860 EVO iTB SATA III 2.5" SSD
***Prime 95 v2.66 CPU Torture Test, Small FFT, 12 cycles. 30 minutes:
CPU temps at end of test run was 55C. Max temp was 66C.
Thermal throttling: NO
Clock speeds stable at 3488.9 mHz, max was 4291.6 mHz at 100% on all cores at start of test
Voltage stable at 1.021, max was 1.300
CPU radiator fan fixed at 1200 RPM
Edit: 03/25/19 Using Noctua NF-F12 PWM fan with LNA, reduced fixed fan speed fixed from 1500 RPM to 1200 RPM. CPU temps similar (+2C) with noise drop 22.4 dBa to 18.6 dBA
AlienBlaster
20 Posts
0
March 15th, 2019 10:00
Good case and good job!
I was about to ask why you use H60 as a front exhaust for both Meshify C Mini and H500, but somehow forgot. I think it should work better as an intake, especially for Meshify and P350X since you have a top exhaust directly above it to direct the heated air out quickly. Your result proves it and I estimate that about 2-3 degree drop is because of this and another 4-5c is from fixing the fan speed.
On the same note, I think you probably can also benefit by placing the seahawk fan as a lower front intake to get cool air directly. In your current setup, cool air takes a really long path from lower intake and is likely mostly pulled out by top exhaust before getting to it. By switching it, you have three exhaust fans all working efficiently as exhaust too. If you want to keep the LED in the same position you can switch the OEM fan with one of the Noctuas. Those A12s should also work fine as a SP fan. If you still use the same fan, the LED may also look nice from the front panel. The only down side is your NVME may get slightly warmer, but a 970 EVO should be fine.
HanoverB
798 Posts
0
March 15th, 2019 11:00
AB, The H60 radiator has been front intake on all the case swaps. I agree the airflow out of the top of the case as well as the rear exhaust pulling air out of the back helps with these cases I've used vs the Dell case.. The P350X and the Meshify case can use dual upper exhausts.
I tried to use the Seahawk radiator as intake. That's the first setup I tried. Unfortunately there isn't enough room for two 120mm radiators stacked with the way they have the 120mm fan screw holes set up. I think I can drill new holes and make it work. But drilling holes again????
Let me know if you think of anything else.
AlienBlaster
20 Posts
0
March 15th, 2019 13:00
Oh maybe you were pulling instead of pushing on the H60 radiator in Meshify and H500? I see the fan behind the radiator instead of in between the radiator and front panel. In that case it is a smaller difference but pushing usually works better than pulling in a one-side-fan radiator setup.
The second one is a bummer. For a large case like P350X and H500, it should be designed to accommodate two 120 radiators since they can accommodate a 280 radiator. I am not sure if a Meshify C Mini can. Most likely it will since it supports a 360, but then the screw holes have to allow it too. Maybe first just try hanging it using one side screws or support it from below with something and see if it makes a material difference before drilling holes.
HanoverB
798 Posts
0
March 15th, 2019 14:00
AB, you are very astute and see all the little details in these builds. I like that.
Both the Meshify and NZXT builds had H60 as intake with the fan in the pull position. More geared towards how it looks from inside the case, especially since I had the Halo Fan Frames for those intake fans. On the NZXT build, there was room for the 120mm radiator is in front of the chassis.
With the P350X build, I was also focusing on how the lighting would look from the front of the case. Exactly as you mentioned. So the radiator is in the push position and the Halo digital fan frame would be installed at the front of the fan so the lighting would be visible from the front of the case.
I’ll take a look again at how the fan screws are set up. I know a 240mm radiator will fit fine. But the case fan screw holes don’t all line up with the added length of two of the upper hose fitting housings with 120mm radiators stacked.
HanoverB
798 Posts
0
March 16th, 2019 10:00
I initially used a Noctua RC7 low noise adapter (50 ohm) when running tests with the P350X case. The fan RPM’s listed (1250 RPM) were incorrect when doing the testing using this LNA with the Corsair SP120 PWM fan.
HanoverB
798 Posts
0
March 16th, 2019 18:00
I removed the Noctua RC7 LNA off the H60 Corsair fan today after doing the testing. It is rated to only 2.5W.
The Corsair SP120 PWM fan is rated to .30 amps and pulls 3.6 Watts.
From Noctua Website:
"The NA-RC7 adaptor is designed for use with Noctua 4-pin fans (except industrialPPC series). While it may work with many other fans, use with third party fans is not officially supported by Noctua, is at the customer’s own risk and will void the warranty. The NA-RC7 adaptor is strictly not to be used with fans that draw more than 2.5W of power."
HanoverB
798 Posts
0
March 16th, 2019 20:00
After removing the LNA completely, I again ran the Prime 95 test.
Corrected temps now shown on that test with the H60 radiator fan fixed at max RPM of 1700 RPM.
CPU temps after 30 min of testing were lower by another 4C to 54C.
https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-Desktops/XPS-8930-GPU-and-CPU-Liquid-Cooler-PSU-Case-Swap-Upgrade/m-p/7260550/highlight/true#M23069
It's now a matter of balancing noise vs temps with the CPU cooler fan setup.