My R4 Gaming Build, Progress,Pics & Benchmarks

[Sherlockwing]

Edit: Sorry I didn't see the gallery sticky up top, if the Mods deem this thread unnecessary please let me know and I will migrate this to the sticky and you can delete this thread.

This is my updated system:
CPU: i5-3570K(3.4Ghz stock,3.6Ghz 4 core boost,yet to OC)
Cooler: Phantek PH-TC14PE_BL
Ram: 2 X 4G Samsung MV-3V4G3D/US, DDR3-1866(OC) 9-9-9-24 1T, 1.35V
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V
GPU: Gigabyte N670-OC-2GD (1150Mhz Boost, yet to OC, SLI soon.)
Storage: Samsung 830 256GB
Optical: LG 24X DVD burner
PSU: Seasonic X750 Gold
Case Define R4

Pictures:

Enough NT-H1 TIM?

Benchmarks:
Ram OC:

SSD

Mark 11 with stocked CPU and GPU, 1866Mhz Ram already paying off, my highest physics score yet and first P9.1K result.

More photos and benchmarks to come.

Heaven 3.0 run with the stock 1150Mhz GPU.

Tempwise,after a Mark 11 & Heaven 3.0 run back to back. Ambient 23C

I set the Gigabyte back to autofan to run another Mark11/Heaven, 40% dead silent fan and 60 Temp max at 20C ambient, 56% fan gets 10C less temp(53C at 23C ambient) and is somewhat audible.

Update on my R4: More photos, getting ready to OC the GPU and CPU then SLI over the weekend. Next month I might get some UV Silverstone AP Fans and some cathodes to light em up.

Tail fan & Side fan are Xigmatek XLF-F1454, 1000 rpm, 63.5 rpm, 16 dba, Blue fan w/white LED

 

[lehtv]

Nice. Amazing that you have the memory running stable at 1866 @ CL9 @ 1.35V. I would do something about that jumble (or jungle) of cables though. QQ

 

[Sherlockwing]

Nice. Amazing that you have the memory running stable at 1866 @ CL9 @ 1.35V. I would do something about that jumble (or jungle) of cables though. QQ

Probably thanks to the ASUS mobo giving it slightly more than 1.35V(I just loaded Dram speed of 1866 and voltage of 1.35V, left everything else on auto), I set it to 1.35V in BIOS manually but every time I log-in it shows Dram Voltage of something between 1.356-1.362V. When I go 1.45V I can get a 2133 11-10-11-30 but haven't tried tighten that thing down to the standard 2133-11-11-11-28 yet(listed as a stable setting on techpowerup's review)

Yeah wire management is still a work in progress, I will get that sorted out when I find time, most likely when I put in the SLI this weekend.

 

[kleinkinstein]

The only thing you're missing is the side window!

 

[Sherlockwing]

The only thing you're missing is the side window!

My problem with the side window is that I am going to SLI so I want to have that side grill for an exhaust fan, else I totally love the side window.

 

[kleinkinstein]

Issue solved, no side fan required with a big boy water loop! Go and dump that Phantek on ebay. :whiste:

 

[kleinkinstein]

Nice. Amazing that you have the memory running stable at 1866 @ CL9 @ 1.35V.

His Sammy DIMMS rock. One of the very best kept secrets. I've read some insane results with these sticks. I so wish they came 2x8, not just 2x4. I suppose it's little wonder why both their 830 and new 840 ssd's are so frikkin fast!

 

[kleinkinstein]

BTW, what are you booting off? All you hdd cages are removed. Do you have the 830 ssd affixed to the back of the mobo tray?

 

[Sherlockwing]

BTW, what are you booting off? All you hdd cages are removed. Do you have the 830 ssd affixed to the back of the mobo tray?

Yeah my 830 SSD is mounted on the back of the tray, R4 have this sneaky feature of 2 SSD mount point on the back of the tray:

My back-up/video storage goes to a 2 TB External hard drive. Thinking about getting another 3TB external over an internal since I like having no HDD cages blocking airflow and even usb 2.0 speed is plenty for me in term of playing video. If my game folder get bigger I will just get another 830 or an 840 pro later.

Nah, custom water is just too much for me work & risk(plus R4 can only fit slim radiators anyway) wise plus this is my first build so I want everything to be simple. Maybe when Define R5 comes with a Antec 1100 style Side panel I would would migrate to that.

Update: GPU OC:
I finally OCed my card:
Fan=50% stable
Power Limit(112%, max)
TDP=81.7%

Turns out this card is average to slightly below average in OC:
I only did Core first

Core +101 (1081, 1160Boost), getting 3-4 artifacts minmum at 102+, 111+ means instant Heaven crash
Max Boost of 1250 Mhz, +100 from my non-OC max of 1150
At least I know it runs pretty cool and quiet at its max OC(50% fan is completely inaudible in game).

Tomorrow I will do the memory OC and then put the two together.

3D Mark 11

 

[kleinkinstein]

On sale right now.

 

[Sherlockwing]

Considering Fan modding to improve the overall cooling:

Here is my R4 Case(system in Sig), I want to replace all my current fans to cool all the components but especially the GPU region where I plan to SLI:

Colors:
Blue= Intake
Red= Exhaust
Green= 4 Pin Fan headers, total of 5, the top 2 are CPU headers, 3pin fans can only ran max RPM on these, 3pin fan are controllable via voltage by all other fan headers.

The Gigabyte Windforce Cooler exhausts most of its intake toward the side panel fan, whose approximate size I drew, the second GPU will go on the White PCIE slot and occupy expansion slots 5 &6, two GPU will be have 1 slot distance between them.

The cricle 2 is a PWM fan splitter I connected the rear fan header, the Rear and Side exhaust fans are plugged in there.

Current Fans:
Intake: 2X Stock Silent Series R2 Fans 69 CFM @ 1000 rpm, controlled via a 3 speed controller(capable of 3 fans only plugged in 2),
Exhaust: 2X Xigma tech XLF-1454 fans 63.5 CFM @1000 rpm, 16 dba, controlled via the PWM fan splitter through the mobo header
Cooler: Phantek PH-TC14PE, 2X PH-140 78 CFM @1300 rpm 19 dba, controlled via a PWN fan splitter through one of the two mobo CPU header.

Current Fan mounts:

Front 2X140mm(can only accept 139X139 or 140X140 fans)
Bottom, Side & Rear 1X 140 or 1X 120(room for special fans like TY-141 on bottom or Rear, not side because of sound abosrbing material in the way)
Top(currently sealed for sound reduction) Room for 2X 140mm fan, only 140X140 or 139X139 mounting holes available.

Current considering the following fans:
Silverstone Air penetrator AP141, This fan seem to be highly rated for its air channeling ability, seem to be a great intake fan, and in this HTL review it dramatically reduced the temperature in a Define XL case(Benchmarks 1 & 4).

TY-140 Seem to be an excellent PWM 140mm fan

I plan on getting 4-5 fans(current slots and either bottom intake or top-rear exhaust), if you have experience with good 140mm fans and air cooling SLI GPUs like mine or Define series fan mod please let me know.

Need fan & fan location suggestions with the following priorities:
1. All 140mms(prefer quiet fans with good airflow)
2. Good Airflow(Air channeling optional but preferred for intake fans)
3. Quiet at full rpm (don't have to be silent)