custom watercooling | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:30:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png custom watercooling | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Overclockers UK Infin8 Empress Mk3 System Review https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/gaming-rig/zardon/overclockers-uk-infin8-empress-mk3-system-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/gaming-rig/zardon/overclockers-uk-infin8-empress-mk3-system-review/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2017 11:09:43 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=323403 The Overclockers UK Infin8 Empress Mk3 is a high end gaming PC that comes from their Infin8 range that is ‘inspired by 8Pack’. You can see their point as the Lian Li PC-O8 case looks superb and the PC is powered by an overclocked Kaby Lake Core i7 along with a pair of GTX 1080 …

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The Overclockers UK Infin8 Empress Mk3 is a high end gaming PC that comes from their Infin8 range that is ‘inspired by 8Pack’. You can see their point as the Lian Li PC-O8 case looks superb and the PC is powered by an overclocked Kaby Lake Core i7 along with a pair of GTX 1080 graphics cards. Naturally the hardware is water cooled with a full custom loop and it is topped off with a nifty lighting system,

The price is considerably lower than an 8Pack system, as befits the fact that this is an Extreme PC, rather than an Ultimate PC, which means you’ll save £1,000 if you choose the Empress Mk3 instead of the 8Pack Comet which has a very similar specification.

Now we have established that a PC costing around £4,500 might be considered ‘budget’, let’s take a look at the specification.

OCUK Infin8 Empress MK3 Specification:
Case: Lian Li PC-O8 Aluminium & Glass Cube Case
CPU: Intel Core i7 7700K Kaby Lake (Socket 1151) Processor Watercooled and Overclocked to at least 5.0Hz
Motherboard: Asus Maximus IX Hero (Socket 1151) ATX DDR4 Motherboard
RAM: Up to 32GB (2x16GB) 3200MHz Quad Channel DDR4 Kit
Graphics: 2 x GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Graphics Cards Configured in SLI & Watercooled
Cooling: Full Custom Watercooling Loop
Visual Features: Synchronised Software Controlled RGB Lighting
Primary Drive: Intel 600p 512GB NVMe Solid State Drive
Secondary Drive: Samsung 840 Evo Series Solid State Drive
Tertiary Hard Drive: Mechanical SATA Hard Drive
Optical Drive: Optional
Audio: 7.1 Channel HD Audio with SPDIF I/O
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 64-Bit
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex Platinum 850W 80+ Platinum Rated Power Supply

Better yet, take a look at our photos and video as this PC is all about the visual bling. Though we say it ourselves we reckon the light show from the Overclockers UK Infin8 Empress Mk3 looks superb in 4K and this video works particularly well on a high resolution screen.

The choice of components in this PC is top notch and our attention was immediately drawn to the overclocked Kaby Lake Core i7 7700K CPU. OCUK guarantees a CPU speed of at least 5.0GHz and we received a PC running at 5.1GHz so the extra 100MHz was a bonus.

Before we take a look at the performance of the Overclockers UK Infin8 Empress Mk3 there are a few points we noted about the set-up. The BIOS of the Asus ROG Maximus IX Hero motherboard was version 0505 and we wondered about updating to version 0701 but were told to leave it alone as it might break the CPU overclocking.

It was a similar story with the graphics driver as the installed version was 376.53 and they didn’t want us to risk version 378.49 as it was an unknown quantity. That’s fair enough but we were truly surprised to see the pair of GTX 1080 graphics cards were linked with flexible SLI bridges – surely the new rigid high bandwidth bridges are de rigeur with GTX 1080? OCUK told us that German Overclocker Der Bauer carried out an analysis of a number of SLI bridges and concluded there was little to gain by using the new HB bridge.

Actually his full conclusion was, ‘taking into account how much you pay for two GTX 1080s … another $45 isn’t going to make a difference’ so even though it would be eye candy we expected the see the HB bridge in place.

The other thing that caught our attention is that the Overclockers UK Infin8 Empress Mk3 has a specification that is very similar to the DinoPC Raptor 2 we reviewed at a cost £3,499. The obvious differences are the case, radiators and the slightly faster overclock used by Overclockers, which seems appropriate.

The build quality is superb with an array of EKWB cooling hardware used throughout. The only exception seems to be the use of 120mm Noise Blocker fans rather than the costly EKWB Vardars we might have expected. Positioning the pump/reservoir in the front corner of the glass Lian Li gives an obvious focal point that works superbly well.

When we turned the system on we were astonished by the visual effect of the Mayhems Aurora 2 Silver as we have previously used this coolant and it looked nowhere near as good. Perhaps ours was original Aurora in which case Aurora 2 is clearly Good Stuff.

Testing


The Overclockers UK Infin8 Empress Mk3 storms along in games and does a fabulous job at 4K, however we would expect nothing less from any decent Core i7 with dual GTX 1080 graphics. The figures matched that DinoPC system almost exactly and the gaming experience was superb. Gaming below 4K on this system would be madness.

Cooling Performance.


Overclockers has employed high end EKWB cooling hardware that keeps the components icy cold. Under extreme load the CPU hit 61 degrees and the graphics cards were at 43 and 44 degrees. That is cooler than the DinoPC and shows that the Lian Li PC-O8 is able to cool very nicely. It was notable that Overclockers had the fan speeds set to run relatively fast and this undeniably played its part in the excellent cooling.

Acoustics performance.
Noise levels were our single biggest complaint about the Overclockers UK Infin8 Empress Mk3 as the fans make a constant drone. The radiator and fans in the rear compartment are a fair distance from the outside air but the two fans in the roof of the case are quite intrusive. We have little doubt you could moderate the noise with some judicious work in the BIOS however we wanted to test the PC ‘as delivered’ and not mess around with settings that might upset the overclocking.

Closing Thoughts.

We loved the Overclockers UK Infin8 Empress Mk3 and the build quality and visual appeal are top notch. If you’re looking for a chunk of eye candy with amazing lighting that acts as a visual focus for your room then you need look no further.

The performance is also amazing and we have to hope you will game at 4K with this beast of a PC.

We weren’t massively happy about the noise output of the cooling fans however we understand this is a necessary evil when you use this level of overclocking.

Our other gripe is the price. Of course you will pay a high price for this level of hardware but it doesn’t need to be quite this expensive. The fact is that the dedicated, skilled enthusiast could build this system themselves and save a chunk of money in the process.

The fact is, most people in the market for an Overclockers UK Infin8 Empress Mk3 would have little interest in building a high end PC but simply want the fun of gaming, no matter the cost.

Buy from Overclockers UK over HERE.

Pros:

  • Excellent 4K gaming.
  • Superb visual appeal.
  • Low temperature for the CPU and GPU.
  • Plenty of scope for future upgrades.

Cons:

  • It is fairly noisy.
  • You will need to dust and clean this PC regularly.
  • Fairly big and heavy.
  • The price is steep.

KitGuru says: A hugely impressive 4K gaming PC.

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PC Specialist LS-M02 Custom Watercooled System Review https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/leo-waldock/pc-specialist-ls-m02-system/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/leo-waldock/pc-specialist-ls-m02-system/#comments Mon, 23 May 2016 10:42:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=293550 Liquid Series from PC Specialist is a new range of PCs that employ a custom loop liquid cooling system to deliver maximum performance along with stunning visual appeal. The LS-M02 we have for review is an example of the way Liquid Series works and uses a mainstream gaming specification with a price that comes in …

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Liquid Series from PC Specialist is a new range of PCs that employ a custom loop liquid cooling system to deliver maximum performance along with stunning visual appeal. The LS-M02 we have for review is an example of the way Liquid Series works and uses a mainstream gaming specification with a price that comes in just under £2,000.

If you decide to configure your own PC you have the choice of Z170/Skylake or X99/Haswell-E hardware (Intel only, no AMD) and can select from a choice of 16 cases, four different cooling systems, as many as three graphics cards and a huge number of other options. The permutations are almost limitless so it makes a good deal of sense to select a pre-configured PC such as LS-M02.

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Specification:
Case: Corsair Carbide Air 540
Cooling Kit: Liquid Series Mid Kit
Coolant: Mayhems Pastel Ice White
LED: 60cm White LED Strip
GPU Block: Alphacool NexXxoS GPX
Cables: Coloured Braided PSU Cable Kit – Black/White (Cablemod)
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K Quad Core o/c 4.6GHz
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VIII Ranger
RAM: 16GB HyperX Fury DDR4 2666MHz (2x 8GB Kit)
GPU: 4GB EVGA GeForce GTX 980 SC Gaming 1266MHz core, 1367MHz boost, 7Gbps memory.
Storage: 480GB HyperX Savage SSD, 2TB WD Black
Power Supply: Corsair 850W RMx Series 80 Plus Gold
3 year warranty – 1 month C&R, 1 year parts, three years labour

GPU-Z EVGA GTX

On the other hand, if you're spending upwards of two grand on a PC you will probably want to make a personal statement and PC Specialist has a nifty configuration tool that makes it as simple as possible to select the components you want.

Those four cooling systems (Entry, Mid, High or Extreme) are a significant part of the equation and give us an insight into PC Specialist's approach to Liquid Series.

The Entry kit includes Phobya UC-2 CPU block, an Alphacool ST30 240mm radiator, two fans, a 150mm Alphacool Pro 15 reservoir and a Phobya DC21-260 pump. This set-up is intended for CPU cooling and should not be extended to include a GPU.

Stepping up to the Mid kit with a £100 premium you get the same Phobya UC-2 CPU block, a thicker Alphacool XT45 240mm radiator, two fans, a larger 250mm Alphacool Pro 25 reservoir and an Aerocool Laing D5 pump. This system can be extended to cool one GPU which will cost another £100 for an Alphacool Alphacool NexXxoS GPX block or £150 for an EKWB water block and back plate.

Add £300 over the price of the Entry kit and you can go High. This means a switch to EKWB hardware with an EK Supremacy CPU block, EK-CoolStream PE240 240mm radiator and EK-CoolStream PE360 360mm radiator, five fans, 250mm EK X3 reservoir and an EK XTOP Revo D5 pump. This cooling system with dual radiators can handle the CPU and as many as three GPUs, and clearly makes a style statement. You potentially need to factor in water blocks for two or three graphics cards.

The ultimate cooling kit is Extreme and for an extra £500 over Entry you get dual loops with an EK Supremacy CPU block, dual EK-CoolStream PE360 360mm radiators, dual 250mm EK X3 reservoirs, five fans and dual EK XTOP Revo D5 pumps. Once again you need to remember the price of any GPU blocks (and we hope you have at least two high end graphics cards to justify this sort of hardware).

As you will see in our video, the PC Specialist LS-M02 looks superb. The dual chamber Corsair Carbide Air 540 case means the power supply, coolant pump and drive bays are all tucked out of sight in one chamber which leaves the main compartment housing the motherboard and graphics card. The cooling system in our review PC looks great with Mayhems Pastel Ice White coolant, however you can talk to PC Specialist about changing the colour of the fluid, including UV colours that will glow under UV LED lighting.

When we started up the PC Specialist LS-M02 we saw a Liquid Series UEFI splash screen that set the tone rather nicely. After that we dived into the set-up to check out the overclocked Core i7-6700K. The BIOS version on the Asus Maximus VIII Ranger is 1601 and as there has only been one subsequent revision to version 1701 which ‘improves system stability' we consider the BIOS to be up to date.

PC Specialist has made minimal changes to overclock the Core i7 to 4.6GHz, compared to a stock maximum Turbo speed of 4.2GHz. Five minutes into the video my maths failed me and I said the speed was 4.8GHz. My bad. In the great scheme of things it makes no practical difference to performance whether you have 4.6GHz or 4.8GHz but nonetheless we need to be clear about the facts.

PC Specialist has set the CPU core voltage to 1.30V and CPU VCCIO to 1.2V and then raised the base clock from 100MHz to 115MHz on all four cores. That has to be one of the easiest overclocks you can imagine and during our testing the LS-M02 was rock solid and stable.

The EVGA GeForce GTX 980 SC 4GB graphics card is overclocked by EVGA to run about 150MHz faster than reference speeds. The precise number are 1266MHz core, 1367MHz boost and 7Gbps memory which compares to reference speeds of 1126MHz base and 1216MHz Boost.

While we were getting to grips with the PC our only problem was the minor annoyance of the Bullguard security software which insisted on querying every piece of software that wanted to run or connect to the Internet. These are wise precautions but after a few minutes we got bored and uninstalled the software.

There was one other question mark that we rapidly addressed. When the LS-M02 is working hardware there is a certain amount of noise from inside the rear side panel of the case. At first we wondered whether it might be coil shriek from the Corsair power supply but soon decided it was actually the water pump which is located next to the PSU.

This PC costs £1,999 in pre-configured form, which is a small discount from the £2,080 price you arrive at if you configure the same specification yourself. There is one other consideration to bear in mind as custom loop cooling requires a certain amount of maintenance.

PC Specialist offers a service pack for all Liquid Series customers that costs £149 and covers:

  1. Collection and return of the PC,
  2. Full drain of the loop
  3. Flush and clean the loop (including Pumps, Blocks, Reservoirs & Fittings)
  4. Replace all tubing and refill loop with new coolant.
  5. 24 hours leak and stress test.

That may sound like a lot of money but by our reckoning is pretty good value for money.

Testing

3dmark normal

3D Mark Fire Strike

3dmark ultra

3D Mark Fire Strike Ultra3D Mark Fire Strike Extreme

ashes of the singularityrise of the tomb raider

GTA5

GTA V Settings 1GTA V Settings 2GTA V Settings 3GTA V Settings 4
PC Specialist LS-M02 performs very nicely, which is exactly what you expect from an overclocked Skylake Core i7 and GTX 980. You can play Full HD games without the slightest problem and provided you choose your settings should have no trouble with 4K either.

If you are determined to game at 4K with high image quality settings it would make sense to add a second GTX 980 or to consider an upgrade to GTX 1080.

Cooling Performance.

temps
The cooling system is an integral part of this PC and it performs well. The key point here is that the GPU runs at 40 degrees under extreme load, which is exactly what we expect to see. By contrast the CPU runs at 56 degrees and we are confident this is a consequence of the LGA1151 packaging of the Core i7. If you choose LGA2011-3 you can expect to see lower temperatures. Nonetheless this PC runs the CPU at significantly lower temperatures than you can expect to see with an All-in-One liquid cooler or air cooler.

Acoustics Performance.
This PC draws 95W at the wall socket when it idles on the Windows desk top and this gives the cooling system a certain amount of work at all times. We noted that the fans and cooling system are quite audible, however it seems to us that this level of hardware should be able to manage the job whilst also remaining very quiet. PC Specialist tells us they have a revised fan profile in the works to address this issue.

Closing Thoughts.

PC Specialist LS-M02 is a superb gaming PC and the Liquid Series strikes us as a bold move by this British PC builder. Specifically the LS-M02 allies an overclocked Core i7 with a single GTX 980, and the result is a solid gaming PC. The cooling system has a major bearing on the temperatures you can expect to see and clearly helps to keep the overclocked hardware under control.

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We weren't impressed by the constant low level fan noise and are happy to report that PC Specialist is addressing the issue.
A more significant concern is the timing of the launch of this system as it clashed with the arrival of Nvidia GTX 1080.

At the moment potential customers are working in the dark as they wait to see how large a premium they will have to pay to upgrade from GTX 980 to GTX 1080. As soon as PC Specialist has supplies of water blocks for GTX 1080 you can be sure they will offer the upgrade, so we shouldn't have long to wait.

Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.

You can buy the LS-M02 system direct from PCSPECIALIST HERE.

Pros:

  • Excellent quality hardware.
  • Very tidy build.
  • Mid cooling system looks great and performs superbly.
  • Overclocked Core i7 backs up GTX 980 to deliver good frame rates.
  • Gold rated Corsair power supply offers reassurance.
  • 480GB SSD gives enough space to store a decent number of games.

Cons:

  • Fan noise is audible and waiting for PC Specialist to sort out a fan profile.
  • The timing of GTX 1080 is unfortunate.
  • Corsair Carbide 540 has a substantial foot print.

KitGuru says: Liquid Series LS-M02 is a stonking gaming PC, we look forward to seeing the GTX 1080 upgrade options available.

WORTH BUYING

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Ian ‘8PACK’ Parry showcases new custom OC watercooled systems https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/leo-waldock/ian-8pack-parry-showcases-new-custom-ocd-watercooled-systems/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/leo-waldock/ian-8pack-parry-showcases-new-custom-ocd-watercooled-systems/#comments Fri, 22 Apr 2016 07:20:52 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=290183 KitGuru visited Ian ‘8Pack' Parry at Overclockers UK to answer the burning questions of the day; what exactly do you get when you spend between £3,000 and £12,000 on a gaming PC and why doesn't he use AMD graphics cards? The answer to the first question is ‘Many, many GigaHertz' and to the second is …

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KitGuru visited Ian ‘8Pack' Parry at Overclockers UK to answer the burning questions of the day; what exactly do you get when you spend between £3,000 and £12,000 on a gaming PC and why doesn't he use AMD graphics cards? The answer to the first question is ‘Many, many GigaHertz' and to the second is ‘Have you seen our new Meteoroid with Radeon R9 Fury X?'

In our video 8Pack talks us through three PCs which are arranged on the table from left to right thus:

Supernova costs £12,000 and uses LGA2011-3 Core i7-5960X running over 4.6GHz with four Titan-X GPUs in quad SLI.

In the middle we have the new £3,600 Meteoroid Z170 with Core i7-6700K clocked to over 4.7GHz and an AMD Radeon R9 Fury X which is the first 8Pack system with Radeon graphics.

On the right we have a LAN PC called Asteroid, again with Core i7-6700K running over 4.7GHz and a single GTX 980Ti at £4,000.

Asteroid front

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Every 8Pack PC is built to order and has each component overclocked individually with the result that the numbers are ‘guaranteed to hit specific speeds' with an actual clock that might be considerably higher. For example a minimum CPU speed of 4.6GHz could be anything up to 4.9GHz.

Aesthetics and styling are a huge part of the 8Pack package, as you can see in our photos and video. In particular we were impressed by the way the liquid cooling reservoir is either integrated in the case to reduce it to the minimum or placed stage centre as a visual feature. It is a similar story with the coolant which swirls, bubbles and adds movement to the system.

When customers order a new 8Pack system (or a regular gaming PC from Overclockers UK) we are told that most have very clear ideas about the colour scheme they want. With an 8Pack system they follow Ian Parry's firm guidance about components – lets be honest would you argue with him? – but the mainstream systems are much more free form. At least one customer selected a particular Gigabyte motherboard purely because the blue and white colours matched his football team.

Our photos of the Overclockers UK warehouse give a good idea of the vast array of hardware that is held on site, along with the testing facilities where racks of CPUs are checked for maximum clock speed.

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In a distant corner of the warehouse is the 8Pack test bench where he gets busy with liquid nitrogen as he breaks overclocking world records. The warehouse staff mentioned, casually, that 8Pack blows up quite a few graphics cards and motherboards. That is all part of the R&D process and the cost is factored into those final selling prices. If you are happy to destroy a few Core i7-6700K CPUs and two or three Titan-X graphics cards you might consider building your own ultra-high end gaming PC.

Otherwise you might just prefer to leave it to the experts.

Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.

Kitguru says: Special thanks to Overclockers UK and Ian ‘8PACK' Parry for inviting us down to their HQ to get a glimpse ‘behind the scenes'.

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Building your first Custom Designed Watercooled PC: Part 1 https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/zardon/building-your-first-custom-designed-watercooled-pc-kg-tv/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/zardon/building-your-first-custom-designed-watercooled-pc-kg-tv/#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2015 09:32:45 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=269532 STOP! If you have never built a PC before, this video is not a step by step guide for newbies. It doesn't explain how to insert a processor, or what you do with a power supply. It won't tell you how to tweak your bios and overclock. If you are reading this page it is …

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STOP! If you have never built a PC before, this video is not a step by step guide for newbies. It doesn't explain how to insert a processor, or what you do with a power supply. It won't tell you how to tweak your bios and overclock. If you are reading this page it is expected that you already have a fair few hours of system building under your belt. This article today is meant as useful advice for an experienced system builder who wants to move from the mainstream world of AIO liquid coolers / air coolers into the world of custom watercooling.

Our Facebook page is the heart of our community and hardware modder and Australian watercooling expert – Stuart Tonks from GGF Lan / Good Gaming Fun has shared some incredible systems and mods with us over the last 2 years. When I approached him with my idea about creating some helpful guide style videos for KitGuru readers, he was very keen to be involved.
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This first video is in place to explain some do's and dont's if you are considering building your first custom watercooled system. It is for KitGuru readers who want to take their rig ‘to the next level'. Not only will you improve cooling performance, but you will end up with a system to amaze the family and make your friends jealous.

We hope this helps KG readers push their system designs further because we know from social media that many would love to create a custom watercooled system, but perhaps lack the faith in their abilities and find it nervewrecking. Watch the video and if you do make the effort to build a new rig, do share with us.

If this video is well received I will be working with Stuart on delivering more videos for KitGuru readers. I need you to let me know what you think – email zardon@kitguru.net.

Special thanks goes out to our advertisers and Stuart's sponsors who helped with the hardware in this video – companies such as ASUS and FRACTAL DESIGN.

Be sure to check out the GGF Lan Party Facebook page and pictures at the bottom of this page highlighting a handful of the amazing mods and  systems Stuart has built.

Discuss with us on our Facebook page, over HERE.
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