Build Log: The Manhattan Project

[J7SC_Orion]

Also looking forward to the finished product photos !

 

Just make sure the neighbours don't get the wrong idea  

 

Spoiler

 

[EHW Ai]

On 20/10/2020 at 10:41, ENTERPRISE said:

That is nice man. Not being much of a camera man, I did not think you could take over the camera functions wirelessly. What a bonus that is. Love the arm setup for the camera as well, that is just ace. So has this bench been powered up yet ? 

 

Yeah, I've been around analog and digital cameras and both black&white and color darkrooms for a long time now, since the early '70s, and have picked up a lot of tricks over the years. 

 

As for whether the bench has powered up yet, Initial tests on the X299 bench in the rear have been completed on air and I'll be getting it ready for water in conjunction with the SR-3/3647 and Z490 builds (which I still need to test on air). I hope to have all the water-free testing done by sometime next week so that I can move into water and put the "Muffler Bearings" control panel through its paces under full load. 

 

On 20/10/2020 at 11:44, schuck6566 said:

SWEET! Although I gotta admit when I saw that massive cooler under the camera my first though was "Finally! Someones gonna disprove the twin towers conspiracy theories!"

 

If you think that cooler is big now, wait until I attach the dual fans.  It is big though, and blocks the two nearest ram slots.

 

On 20/10/2020 at 16:21, Bastiaan_NL said:

That is pretty cool! I can't wait for those sexy pics

Would be funny to try climbing a ladder and use the camera that way, just don't fall on the hardware... 

 

...which reminds me of the cpu der8auer dropped on the motherboard socket in the video I posted earlier. Believe me when I say that I was extra careful dangling that camera above the board in that picture. 

 

Once I get the "from above" shots done, I'll move the camera to a tripod which will make taking pix far more convenient (and far less nerve wracking). 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by iamjanco
minor edits

[EHW Ai]

On 20/10/2020 at 17:15, J7SC_Orion said:

Also looking forward to the finished product photos !

 

Just make sure the neighbours don't get the wrong idea  

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

I'd think the dimming lights and buzzing sounds probably arouse their suspicions more  Some of the grid here in these parts likely dates back to the time Edison was playing with tungsten threads.

Edited July 1, 2021 by iamjanco

[ENTERPRISE]

13 hours ago, iamjanco said:

 

Yeah, I've been around analog and digital cameras and both black&white and color darkrooms for a long time now, since the early '70s, and have picked up a lot of tricks over the years. 

 

As for whether the bench has powered up yet, Initial tests on the X299 bench in the rear have been completed on air and I'll be getting it ready for water in conjunction with the SR-3/3647 and Z490 builds (which I still need to test on air). I hope to have all the water-free testing done by sometime next week so that I can move into water and put the "Muffler Bearings" control panel through its paces under full load. 

 

 

If you think that cooler is big now, wait until I attach the dual fans.   It is big though, and blocks the two nearest ram slots.

 

 

...which reminds me of the cpu der8auer dropped on the motherboard socket in the video I posted earlier. Believe me when I say that I was extra careful dangling that camera above the board in that picture. 

 

Once I get the "from above" shots done, I'll move the camera to a tripod which will make taking pix far more convenient (and far less nerve wracking). 

 

 

Nice, I look forward to seeing that beast running under WC. You are not alone, anything that dangles over my equipment, no matter how secured always gives me shivers down my spine .

[J7SC_Orion]

On 10/20/2020 at 8:34 PM, iamjanco said:

 

I'd think the dimming lights and buzzing sounds probably arouse their suspicions more  Some of the grid here in these parts likely dates back to the time Edison was playing with tungsten threads.

 

You might have already covered that but have you figured out what GPU(s) to use, or do you plan to mount a temporary one until AMD, NV (& Intel Xe?) spring their latest workstation/prosumer offerings ?

 

BTW, AMD 6800 looks very good ...and AMD 6900 might be mega...

  

  

Edited October 24, 2020 by J7SC_Orion

[EHW Ai]

I'll be 

2 hours ago, J7SC_Orion said:

 

You might have already covered that but have you figured out what GPU(s) to use, or do you plan to mount a temporary one until AMD, NV (& Intel Xe?) spring their latest workstation/prosumer offerings ?

 

BTW, AMD 6800 looks very good ...and AMD 6900 might be mega...

  

  

 

I'll be using a 2080ti until I decide what I want to do about the new gpu releases. Things gpu-wise are so much up in the air right now that I feel patience is the best recourse; and it'll probably be 2021 before I make any decisions about them. 

 

They are looking pretty good though.

 

I'm also considering the new AMD CPUs and I've been keeping my eye on them as well. Adding them to my growing collection is certainly not out of the question.

 

In any event, just got done moving the temp sensors from the hose connections up front of the Mora 420s, to the unused ports in their rear. Makes for cleaner/better cable runs to the temp inputs on the AQ6XT.

 

I'll add a pic or two of that work tomorrow.

 

As for the SR-3 CPU mounting, the fixed 12.5 in-lbs torque driver showed up, but I didn't realize I'd need an adapter to use my 1/4 inch bits, so I had to order that adapter. It should be here the beginning of next week.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2020 by iamjanco
minor edits

[ENTERPRISE]

4 hours ago, iamjanco said:

I'll be 

 

I'll be using a 2080ti until I decide what I want to do about the new gpu releases. Things gpu-wise are so much up in the air right now that I feel patience is the best recourse; and it'll probably be 2021 before I make any decisions about them. 

 

They are looking pretty good though.

 

I'm also considering the new AMD CPUs and I've been keeping my eye on them as well. Adding them to my growing collection is certainly not out of the question.

 

In any event, just got done moving the temp sensors from the hose connections up front of the Mora 420s, to the unused ports in their rear. Makes for cleaner/better cable runs to the temp inputs on the AQ6XT.

 

I'll add a pic or two of that work tomorrow.

 

As for the SR-3 CPU mounting, the fixed 12.5 in-lbs torque driver showed up, but I didn't realize I'd need an adapter to use my 1/4 inch bits, so I had to order that adapter. It should be here the beginning of next week.

 

 

There is always something ! Just when you think you have everything lol. 

 

As for the GPU, I would recommend waiting until 2021. Not only will the Nvidia 3000 series be getting a blatant refresh, even more if that only means going to TSMC 7nm, but the new AMD GPU offerings will have had time to air as well. Im not buying till 2021 for these reasons...that and im saving specifically for a 3090 at this point. 

[J7SC_Orion]

11 hours ago, iamjanco said:

I'll be 

 

I'll be using a 2080ti until I decide what I want to do about the new gpu releases. Things gpu-wise are so much up in the air right now that I feel patience is the best recourse; and it'll probably be 2021 before I make any decisions about them. 

 

They are looking pretty good though.

 

I'm also considering the new AMD CPUs and I've been keeping my eye on them as well. Adding them to my growing collection is certainly not out of the question.

 

In any event, just got done moving the temp sensors from the hose connections up front of the Mora 420s, to the unused ports in their rear. Makes for cleaner/better cable runs to the temp inputs on the AQ6XT.

 

I'll add a pic or two of that work tomorrow.

 

As for the SR-3 CPU mounting, the fixed 12.5 in-lbs torque driver showed up, but I didn't realize I'd need an adapter to use my 1/4 inch bits, so I had to order that adapter. It should be here the beginning of next week.

 

 

 

6 hours ago, ENTERPRISE said:

There is always something ! Just when you think you have everything lol. 

 

As for the GPU, I would recommend waiting until 2021. Not only will the Nvidia 3000 series be getting a blatant refresh, even more if that only means going to TSMC 7nm, but the new AMD GPU offerings will have had time to air as well. Im not buying till 2021 for these reasons...that and im saving specifically for a 3090 at this point. 

 

It makes perfect sense to wait until earlyish 2021 (it must be perfect coz that's what I'm planning to do  ). AMD's 6000 series (6800, 6900) looks really interesting - and if they can get their drivers sorted / matured, so much the better.  In fact, I hope they'll bring out a dual GPU / single PCB card again...we had a 7990 in the office back in the day, and it was a compute / render monster for the standards at the time. A nice, dual 6900 big Navi - hmmm, yummy. Of course, it will be pulling a gazillion watts, but I reside in an area where 97% of our power is renewable (hydro). Personally, I also hope to see the Manhattan project will run two of those dual GPU '6999' to live up to its name ! 

 

As to NVidia RTX 3K and 'Quadro equivalent', there seems to have been a change in plans re. 'early' switch-over to TSMC 7nm, good for them - bad for early RTX 3090 Samsung 8nm adopters . All we need now is Intel to hurry it up with its tile Xe mGPU, and then the higher-end / pro-sumer market has some real competition it lacked for so long...

[ENTERPRISE]

1 hour ago, J7SC_Orion said:

 

 

It makes perfect sense to wait until earlyish 2021 (it must be perfect coz that's what I'm planning to do  ). AMD's 6000 series (6800, 6900) looks really interesting - and if they can get their drivers sorted / matured, so much the better.  In fact, I hope they'll bring out a dual GPU / single PCB card again...we had a 7990 in the office back in the day, and it was a compute / render monster for the standards at the time. A nice, dual 6900 big Navi - hmmm, yummy. Of course, it will be pulling a gazillion watts, but I reside in an area where 97% of our power is renewable (hydro). Personally, I also hope to see the Manhattan project will run two of those dual GPU '6999' to live up to its name ! 

 

As to NVidia RTX 3K and 'Quadro equivalent', there seems to have been a change in plans re. 'early' switch-over to TSMC 7nm, good for them - bad for early RTX 3090 Samsung 8nm adopters . All we need now is Intel to hurry it up with its tile Xe mGPU, and then the higher-end / pro-sumer market has some real competition it lacked for so long...

Great minds and all that. A dual GPU could be interesting, assuming they overcome microstutter as was seen in the past I think I that is a concern, at least from the gamers viewpoint. 

[J7SC_Orion]

4 hours ago, ENTERPRISE said:

Great minds and all that. A dual GPU could be interesting, assuming they overcome microstutter as was seen in the past I think I that is a concern, at least from the gamers viewpoint. 

 

Hopefully, AMD's engineers are smart and read mGPU CFR stuff at EHW  - no microstutter w/ CFR..."I want my MtvGPU"

  

 

Edited October 24, 2020 by J7SC_Orion

[axipher]

12 hours ago, ENTERPRISE said:

There is always something ! Just when you think you have everything lol. 

 

As for the GPU, I would recommend waiting until 2021. Not only will the Nvidia 3000 series be getting a blatant refresh, even more if that only means going to TSMC 7nm, but the new AMD GPU offerings will have had time to air as well. Im not buying till 2021 for these reasons...that and im saving specifically for a 3090 at this point. 

 

I still want a good 1660 or 1660 Super Single-slot option to come out.

[ENTERPRISE]

15 hours ago, J7SC_Orion said:

 

Hopefully, AMD's engineers are smart and read mGPU CFR stuff at EHW  - no microstutter w/ CFR..."I want my MtvGPU"

  

 

Maybe your wishes could come true bud...will have t get their attention haha.

11 hours ago, axipher said:

 

I still want a good 1660 or 1660 Super Single-slot option to come out.

 

Haha yeah that would be grand actually.

[EHW Ai]

I was thinking you can't have a Manhattan Project without some requisite props. While I'm on the hunt for the same Soviet geiger counter/dosimeter used initially at Chernobyl just after the blast, I ordered some odd bits:

 

 

I'll print the pic above out myself, frame it, and hang it on the wall above the project.

 

Also thinking about adding an old style knife switch like what follows to enable/disable any custom lighting I add after the fact:

 

 

Anyway, as promised the other day, following are some pix of the rewiring I did to support moving the temp sensors from the front ports of the MORA-3 420s to the rear ports on each of them:

 

 

I decided to use Belden shielded cabling to help ensure the signals being passed to the AQ6-XT weren't impacted by the other signals/voltages on the back of the control panel:

 

 

In the following image you'll note the loose ground wires associated with the shielded cabling I used. I'll be connecting those together and attaching it to the star ground run just to the right of the AQ6-XT:

 

 

As for crimping the Dupont pins onto the wires, I used Dupont's HT-95 crimping tool (also see HT95 Handpistol mini PV AWG 22-32 User’s Guide, in PDF format, which includes alignment instructions for the tool).  It's not cheap and there's a bit of a learning curve involved with its use, but once you know how to use it properly, it does make for perfectly crimped Dupont pins:

 

 

In the next image, given the size of Dupont pins and how the HT-95 works, Dupont added a spring loaded guide pin assembly to facilitate correct alignment of the inserted terminal before performing the crimp:

 

 

...with the following image just a blow up of the guide pin to see it easier:

 

 

For those who might be interested in getting their hands on an HT-95, you can find them on ebay in reasonably good shape (if not almost new) for anywhere from ~$100-$300. They're also branded as Berg (instead of Dupont), but you have to be careful with such listings and make sure you're getting a tool set up to crimp what we call Dupont pins. Careful inspection of the images in ebay listings will determine that, and you want one that looks like the one I pictured here. 

 

Alternatively, the Dupont/Berg HT-208A is also an exceptional tool, used for the same purpose (up tp 26AWG). I have one of those as well. Unfortunately, it doesn't show up on ebay as often as the HT-95:

 

 

For those who would like to know more about the connectors and terminals used in their builds, as well as the tools used in crimping them, I highly recommend Matt Millman's COMMON WIRE-TO-BOARD, WIRE-TO-WIRE CONNECTORS, AND CRIMP TOOLS. It's a great source of valid info.

 

Anyway, last but not least, I got my first order from Dazmode in Canada this past week. Just some two-pin extension cables and a few temp sensors. I was pleasantly surprised with the extra touch they added to my small package though:

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by iamjanco
added info, minor edits

[J7SC_Orion]

^^^glad you like the Canadian customer service detail; next time, they might send you some Poutine 

 

Those 2x MORA 3-420s give me an idea...they could make ideal wing replacements for a TT Core P7 build project I'm contemplating for next year...got to check rad dimensions to be sure  

[EHW Ai]

^^^Dazmode had what I needed at the best price point, and what I received from them in terms of service and product oozed quality. While their postal shipping rates may be a little more expensive, their UPS rates were about the same I'd pay here and they're not much further away from me than businesses like ModMyMods and Frozencpu. 

 

Plus, I love my UPS guy, he's great and takes care of me and gets an Xmas tip every year 

 

Good luck with the TT Core P7 build project if you go in that direction.

Edited July 1, 2021 by iamjanco

[Bastiaan_NL]

I like where this is going, old school Geiger meters and knife switches!

That control panel really looks like some of the switchboards in the control room on larger vessels. I always like looking around there, especially on the older ships!
Free candy is always nice, my favorite watercooling shops always hides it somewhere in the packaging

Edited October 26, 2020 by Bastiaan_NL

[EHW Ai]

Just a short update:

 

Adapter for the torque driver is on the delivery truck, should be here in a couple of hours at most. That will let me finish up mounting the W-3265 on the SR-3. 

 

Managed to order an i9-10900K from B&H for $549 shipped. I use their PayBoo checkout there, so no sales tax. Figured the Dark Z490 deserved the top cpu for it.

 

In the meantime, got some minor wiring I need to finish up on the control panel. Just need to add pwm fan connectors to the four pump rpm wires so I monitor pump speeds. I'll use shielded cabling for those as well.

 

 

[ENTERPRISE]

On 10/27/2020 at 3:29 PM, iamjanco said:

Just a short update:

 

Adapter for the torque driver is on the delivery truck, should be here in a couple of hours at most. That will let me finish up mounting the W-3265 on the SR-3. 

 

Managed to order an i9-10900K from B&H for $549 shipped. I use their PayBoo checkout there, so no sales tax. Figured the Dark Z490 deserved the top cpu for it.

 

In the meantime, got some minor wiring I need to finish up on the control panel. Just need to add pwm fan connectors to the four pump rpm wires so I monitor pump speeds. I'll use shielded cabling for those as well.

 

 

 

Nice. Did the bit arrive ? Or were you frustrated and pounding your fist on the floor as I have many a time lol.

[EHW Ai]

On 01/11/2020 at 04:49, ENTERPRISE said:

 

Nice. Did the bit arrive ? Or were you frustrated and pounding your fist on the floor as I have many a time lol.

 

Naw, no disappointment here. The bit showed up and the fans are now attached to the heat sink and hooked up to the motherboard, Just got sidetracked (not enough hours in the day and/or night).

 

I'll post more pix in a day or two.

Edited July 1, 2021 by iamjanco

[mouacyk]

Not too far from this, just a few more cables:

[EHW Ai]

On 02/11/2020 at 14:40, mouacyk said:

Not too far from this, just a few more cables:

 

One of my favorite movies growing up as a kid 

 

Rumor has it that the science behind that temporal displacement device helped spawn the basis for the Chrysler Turbo Encabulator (which in turn helped create the demand for muffler bearings (or vice versa)):

 

 

...which brings us to current day tech, with the advent of the Turbo Encabulator 2.0. Now anyone, anywhere, whether rich, poor, or somewhere inbetween, can have their cake and eat it too:

 

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by iamjanco
minor edits

[Bastiaan_NL]

On 11/1/2020 at 6:36 PM, iamjanco said:

(not enough hours in the day and/or night)

This... So many things to do, so little time to do them

[EHW Ai]

Hi folks, been busy, more deliveries today, but we're getting there (Gollum and I). Just a quick update.

 

Just ordered muffler bearings. small ones with 8mm openings to use for the secret "rgb" lighting control portion of my build to route ac and/or dc cabling; the larger one, well, can't have a big muffler bearing build if you don't have a big muffler bearing:

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

That's it for now, gotta run.

[Bastiaan_NL]

That's a decent bearing, especially if it's just for the looks!

[EHW Ai]

So i decided it's finally time to get back to this, after more or less taking a ccp beer's virus sabbatical of more than a year (you've seen some of the results of that in my "collage," as J7SC so aptly puts it; while Pook calls it a "sex dungeon," which has an interesting ring to it).

 

Anyway, :::: cough ::::, ...sure is a lot of dust in here. 

 

As some of you know I've got a 3090 KPE here waiting on a waterblock, which I'm hoping will be on its way next week; and I'm down to no. 5 on the waiting list for one over at EVGA. In the meantime, since I can't really count on a 3rd party source like Optimus to get the block they've sort of promosied for the KPE out their door anytime soon, one of the things I've had to do is figure out how best to cool off the KPE's backplate once the EVGA Hydro Copper block is installed. Instead of simply adding heatsinks to the backplate with thermal tape and using fans to push/pull the heat away from the backplate like some of the others over at EVGA have done, the following is what I've decided to do and is the reason for some of my more recent purchases. 

 

After doing a little digging, I pulled the following image out of the pdf instructions available for the Hydro Copper block (pardon the cr@ppy image, it's what EVGA embedded in their PDF):

 

(image deleted by forum crash ca. June 2021)

 

As you can see, the inside surface looks to be flat with the only raised areas the edges of the backplate itself. There is an exposed copper strip centered in the vertical on the left side of the backplate, and the need for that would negated by making a replacement backplate completely out of copper. I will also also chamfer any additional holes I might want/need to make which would allow me to mount whatever I want to the other side of the backplate using screws (dependent on the space available around the slot the card will be in; which in my case is kind of moot since the gpu is going in the SR-3). That will allow for a much tighter fit between those items and likely much better thermal transference in-turn.
 
Not having access to a mill proposes a bit of a minor problem because of the raised edges around the inside of the backplate, and will require a two piece backplate; hence, my work around includes using a high resolution waterjet cutter to make the backplate that two piece part: one piece would essentially be a shim with holes the inside height of the backplate's edges; while the main piece would be a full, flat plate with the same screw holes (and air holes, etc.) as the original plate.
 
Lastly, while I could press pemserts into the holes on the cut plate to provide for screw threads with the aid of a my two ton drill arbor press, nuts and washers should do just fine. I really don't see any need to overcomplicate such a project any further.
 
I'll take pix/make precision depth and other measurements of the oem backplate once the block arrives and create the required dxfs for waterjet cutter, then send them to him for production.

 

I have faith that it wall all work out.

 

P.S. Since this whole thing has sort of turned into something spiritual for me, I've asked a nun friend to join my crowd:

 

 

I'm sure she'll conjure up some great advice.

 

ta, ta!

Edited July 3, 2021 by iamjanco