MODDING / READERS’ DRIVES
SYSTEM SPECS
CPU Intel Core i9-7900X
overclocked to 4.7GHz
GPU Asus GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
Case Sama Ark
Storage 256GB Samsung 960
Pro, 1TB Samsung 970 Evo Plus
Memory 64GB ADATA XPG
Spectrix 3200MHz
Motherboard Asus ROG
Rampage Extreme VI
PSU Corsair HX1200i,
BitFenix Alchemy cables.
Cooling Scientific Refrigeration
icebox, EK Velocity CPU
waterblock, EK Classic GeForce
RTX 2080 Ti GPU waterblockTell us what materials you
used for the tubing, and how
you cut and bent it to shape.
Matt: I used 14mm of (10mm
id) Barrow tubing for its
excellent insulating properties.
The cutting and bending kit
comprised a Barrow pipe bender
set, some imperial pipe cutters,
a Clarke heat gun and a good
old-fashionedtapemeasure.What spec did you choose,
and what overclocks can you
achieve with that cooling system?
Matt: I’ve always been a massive
Asus ROG fan. I have an Asus ROG
Rampage VI Extreme motherboard,
along with a Core i9-7900X
running at 4.7GHz (which I’m
soon going to upgrade to a Core
i9-7980X). There’s also an Asus
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics card,
and 64GB ADATA XPG 3200MHz
RAM,whichlooksstunning!How practical is it to move a
PC with an external refrigeration
unit? Is it best left in place?
Matt: Moving it is no problem, as
the pipes that connect the PC to the
chiller are flexible, and they also
have isolation taps for complete
disconnection when required.The refrigeration unit basically cools a
bath, and an internal pump circulates the
fluid from the bath through the PC
In the old days,
overclockers used to directly
attach refrigeration units to
CPUs with devices such as the
Vapochill. What made you decide
to combine a water-cooling loop
with a refrigeration unit instead?
Matt: I actually still have one of
those Vapochill units! I’m currently
working on another project using
a custom cascade refrigeration
system, which can cool a special
fluid down to -80°C, and will be
ideal for hardcore overclocking. The
benefit of using a fluid loop over
a direct system is efficiency. I run
the water at 8°C – before the hard
tube starts to condensate ever so
slightly – if it was any lower then
the pipes would need insulation.