Aurora R8, Experience of Buying

@Anonymous , @r72019 , @Cass-Ole , @HanoverB , @Tesla1856 :

@Dell630i wrote:

 

Wishing all a very Happy Lunar New Year!  

 

 

You too!  I almost missed the  LOL

Happy Lunar New Year to you all!

May The Year of The Rat Bring More Prosperity, Builds, and Mods

Back to business, this radiator arrived without any big online retailer box. Just the retail box like this. And there's no sticker seal on the bottom of the outer box. And no anti-tamper seal inside. Comparing to the FLT Volume 360 reservoir, the "simplicity" makes me hesitant to use it for test fitting and leak test until Performance PCs on Big Online Retailer gets back to me.

@GTS81    Just the retail box like this. And there's no sticker seal on the bottom of the outer box.

Cost cutting measures? At least there was what appears to be bubble wrap. Did that look 'new'?

I finally heard back from Corsair regarding the third EPS 4+4 CPU power cable;

"Thank you for bringing this up. The cable is available for purchase on our website but since you just bought the PSU, I'll give you a 1-time exception to get this cable free of charge. "

   should I try to get the Obsidian 4x120 fan tray too?

As I continue to make measurements and design layout configurations on the Cosmos, my radiators are getting thinner and thinner. The idea that I could have ever done a push/pull configuration in this case is debunked. For the top 120mm x 360mm radiator with a single set of 25mm fans, the maximum radiator thickness is 40mm. Any thicker and you are bumping into mobo power connectors. Now I am considering going with 140mm x 420mm rads, and I could go down to 30mm thickness and get the equivalent "cooling volume". I need to start ordering parts soon because, no matter how much I plan and measure, some of this project will end up being 'trial & error' (hopefully less of the latter).

EDIT: thankfully I did not step out and order a bunch of parts, as my previous gibberish is incorrect. For the top radiator, the fans can actually mount on the top of the fan tray, so now I can have 65mm of space before crowding the mobo. This just shows how much work I still need to do in figuring this thing out.

@Anonymous :

@GTS81    Just the retail box like this. And there's no sticker seal on the bottom of the outer box.

Cost cutting measures? At least there was what appears to be bubble wrap. Did that look 'new'?

I already knew while researching radiators that EK rads like these aren't made in the EU vs their waterblocks and D5/DDC pumps. I was just unsure if I got a used part or a counterfeit due to this being my first time buying a radiator. It looks new; the inlet/outlet ports are pristine, the tacky sticker over the EK logo looks untouched. Furthermore, the paintjob on this rad is the typical easy-to-scratch type like my AIO radiators so anyone who attempted to even do test-fitting would have left a mark or two on it. As mentioned, marketplace seller (Performance PCs) is reputable (we are going to drop a bunch of at their site for those aluminum rad grills, remember?). Just waiting to hear back from them.

I finally heard back from Corsair regarding the third EPS 4+4 CPU power cable;

"Thank you for bringing this up. The cable is available for purchase on our website but since you just bought the PSU, I'll give you a 1-time exception to get this cable free of charge. "

   should I try to get the Obsidian 4x120 fan tray too?

Reaching out to Corsair customer support was a wise choice. A lot of these companies will put in a free cable or part out of goodwill. As customers, we repay them with some loyalty, as long as the quality of their product and service continues to be great.  As for that 4x120 tray, I think you're too far down the Cosmos path. Leave that 1000D to some time in the future.

EDIT: thankfully I did not step out and order a bunch of parts, as my previous gibberish is incorrect. For the top radiator, the fans can actually mount on the top of the fan tray, so now I can have 65mm of space before crowding the mobo. This just shows how much work I still need to do in figuring this thing out.

Provided you aren't going to be severely overclocking that 10980XE and start pounding the VRMs. Look at your motherboard. That beautiful 13+1 VRMs + heatsink seated right at the top will start exchanging heat with the thick radiator. And depending on the cables you use for the 3x CPU power supply, you may need some space to loop them back behind the board. I'll share some data once I get the 4+4 connectors and complete those cables to plug them into my mobo. Here's a picture as a reference of how high the cable goes up and then back down. That, is radiator space being taken away.

@GTS81   As mentioned, marketplace seller (Performance PCs) is reputable

Agreed. I think your radiator is good.

Reaching out to Corsair customer support was a wise choice.

This is true, and they are doing the right thing for good customer service. However, as I mentioned previously, the cable set that comes with the PSU is horrible. I will probable buy an individually sleeved "temporary" cable set for about $80ish. These will be better for setting up the system and more akin to the eventual custom cable set.

That beautiful 13+1 VRMs + heatsink seated right at the top will start exchanging heat with the thick radiator.

EDIT: photo is visible now, and looking quite awesome!

Still waiting for your photo to be blessed, but that is a good point. At this time (subject to change), I am thinking of 140mmx420mmx30mm radiators for top and front, with those 900 rpm Noctua Redux fans in a push/pull configuration. With that giant PSU, it looks like the most I can get for the bottom radiator will be 140mm, so I will probably get that thicker.

I am loving the  EK-Quantum Kinetic TBE 300 D5 PWM D-RGB - Plexi   for the pump/reservoir combo (I would need two), with possibly the 200mm version horizontally for the bottom radiator.

I ordered a mobile work bench, which should be coming this week, so I am trying not to do too much screwing around while to case is just sitting on top of that box.

we are going to drop a bunch of   at their site for those aluminum rad grills, remember?

Those nautilus covers a 1/2" thick (not too bad). The Cosmos fan trays are slightly 'recessed' on one side. I flipped them around from the way they came installed to put the 'recess' pushing the fans outward. I checked and there is still plenty of clearance for the front and top covers. This gets me an additional 5mm inside the case, where space is a premium. 5mm

@Anonymous :

So I decided to wait no longer for the reply on the radiator and started using it for test fitting in the case. So muchgets done with real components in hand. Many things that were not thought of surfaced, not all bad.

Will need to wait some time for the pics to be approved but summary for the CPU cable is that for my build, it fails to clear the rad fan. My top rad tray is metal pull-out style but not flip-able without cutting off 2 notches. Alternately is to use a 240mm top rad or push the top 360mm rad all the way to the front and have a tough time connecting the tubes.

Lesson: train those 16AWG cables BEFORE using. Easy access to the back of the casing for tube pass-through.

EDIT: I just realized that this config kills off the access to the fill port of the reservoir. Need to rethink this. 

A slim 420mm in front? Maybe use some 90 degrees connectors.EKWB Coolstream SE 360 + 3x ML120 Pros. 

Test Fit.

@GTS81   So much gets done with real components in hand.

This is the truth! Your rig is coming along nicely and looking spectacular. Thanks for the heads-up on potential angle connectors for the CPU 8-pin power connectors.

A 420 slim up front will look good. Before I was like all 120x360, but now I figure if you have the width available, why not use it up with a wider, perhaps thinner radiator.

I really like the side profile look of those ML 120 PROs. But @ 2400 rpm - the 37 dBA x 18 fans would be like The Who concert    Looking at your build is really helpful. Since I am going to try to do the push/pull, and most of the fans will be more visible, I may need to re-think the 'Redux aesthetic'.

Getting restless as I have few choices in getting fluid into the reservoir and need to access the rig to see if any of below is possible:

1. Remove the first ML120 nearest to the reservoir. Hope that the fill port is fully exposed and not blocked by the radiator. This way, I can fill, test, drain, fill, seal followed by installing that fan.

2. If partially blocked, remove the floor piece to lower the reservoir by 5 mm. However, that pushes the reservoir inside the chassis and may be blocked by the fan.

3. No wasting money on 420mm rad. Move top 360mm to front. Top rad will have to be 240mm. Chassis top mount does not have native support for 140mm width.

4. Go crazy and mount both 360mm radiator and the reservoir in front. Find someone to machine a gap filler and make a whole new front piece.

I really like the side profile look of those ML 120 PROs. But @ 2400 rpm - the 37 dBA x 18 fans would be like The Who concert 

I'm thinking of these fans:

http://www.lian-li.com/bora-120-rgb/

Because I can't find these in aluminum anymore:

https://www.in-win.com/en/fans/polaris

I've come to realize that nice big cases like these tend to amplify anything. The good stuff looks great, but any shoddy work/ ugly parts stand out too.  Something I never had to worry with my R8.

@GTS81    I'm thinking of these . . .

what do you think about these . . .

1000 rpm, 15.5 dB 

20 fpi 

@Anonymous :

@GTS81    I'm thinking of these . . .

what do you think about these . . .

 

1000 rpm, 15.5 dB 

20 fpi 

Both great choices. I'd get those Silent Wings 3 are stronger fans than the 3x Pure Wings 2 that come with my case. However, Pure Wings 2 come with a ring-like profile that makes it look sleeker. Just be mindful of the lack of arr-gee-bee because it can get dark and bland quickly in a cavernous case like the Cosmos C700M.

Do consider cross-flow radiators too if you need more complex loop.

You can request for the custom cables to be held down using combs (preferably aluminum) to get a flat loop back:

Still need to make those double wires and complete the other end of the cables.

@GTS81   Do consider cross-flow radiators too if you need more complex loop.

Yes, I thought about that. Hopefully the loops will not be so complex. Your rig is coming along very nicely. I am still waiting on my work bench

EDIT: which way do those be quiet! fans blow?

Every photo I have seen of the MSI Creator, the logo and lighting have been this pink & blue color. Of course, my Creator has no power, so it is not lit up. Will that always be the color of that particular lighting, and I have to color coordinate around that scheme, or will I be able to change it to any color I want?

@Anonymous :

EDIT: which way do those be quiet! fans blow?

They blow inwards with the nice be Quiet! logo facing front.  There goes my 3x fans on the inside doing a pull on the radiator.

Will that always be the color of that particular lighting, and I have to color coordinate around that scheme, or will I be able to change it to any color I want?

Will need a few more days to confirm but our both our MSI boards has it. It's called Mystic Light/ ML Infinity and MSI website touts it as "Personalize the color with infinity design". Gonna be kicking myself so bad if I can't change the color on mine. Also a bad move by MSI to lock people in to a color scheme. Only boardmaker to get away with this today is EVGA with DARK!

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/Creator-X299#Exhilarating-And-Inspiring

@GTS81   They blow inwards with the nice be Quiet! logo facing front.

So the fans in this photo would be exhausting air out the front of the case? . . . or?

It's called Mystic Light/ ML Infinity and MSI website touts it as "Personalize the color with infinity design".

Yeah, after reading through all that I still can't tell if the colors are optional. Every photo is pink & blue. If it were changeable, you would think they would throw some other photos on their web site.

@Anonymous :

When in doubt, go search for completed builds. 

Z390:

Master Robeywankenobi (Robeytech/ Newegg resident builder): https://pcpartpicker.com/b/RYV6Mp

https://pcpartpicker.com/b/HCRJ7P

X299 Creation:

https://pcpartpicker.com/b/Yhr6Mp

EDIT: Yes, I was just aiming for good aesthetics and totally forgot the important part. 

If only I could shelf my idea of a custom loop and gotten this instead:

https://www.nzxt.com/products/kraken-z73

At $273, it enough to cover the cost of the D5 pump, tubes and fittings needed to complete my loop at least for the CPU. 

Humm, the thumbs up button under the comments has been replaced by a ranking system 1 out of 5 stars.  Wonder what that is about. 

Five Stars, and yet still the "QUOTE" function is not resurrected.

OH WAIT!! . . . does anyone know to whom I am even responding??