Watercooled ITX 3080 Build - Step by Step

Water Cooled SFF PC Build EKWB Combo CPU Water Block ITX Meshlicious Thermals Heatkiller® RTX 3080
00:01 Intro
00:33 Build
04:23 Leak Test
04:45 Thermal Test
05:30 Outro
Parts | Official Affiliate of FrozenCPU | www.frozencpu....
-Case: SSUPD Meshlicious Full Mesh
-CPU: Intel i5 12400f
-CPU water block: EK-Quantum Velocity² DDC 4.2 PWM D-RGB 1700 Nickel + Plexi | AM5 version www.frozencpu....
-GPU: PNY RTX 3080 XLR8 (Reference PCB)
-GPU water block: Heatkiller V w/ Backplate for Reference RTX 3080
-Pump-Reservoir combo: EK-Quantum Velocity² DDC 4.2 PWM D-RGB 1700 Nickel + Plexi | AM5 version www.frozencpu....
-Motherboard: Gigabyte Z690I Aorus Ultra Lite Mini-ITX
-Memory: 32GB Corsair DDR4 3600 MT
-Storage: 1TB Samsung 970 EVO+
-Storage: 1TB XPG SX8100 M.2 NVMe SSD
-Fittings: EK-Quantum Torque Compression Soft Tubing 10/13mm Black Nickel | www.frozencpu....
-Fitting Adapters: EKWB 90 degree | www.frozencpu....
-Fitting Adapters: EKWB 45 degree | www.frozencpu....
-Fitting Adapters: EKWB Micro 90 degree | www.frozencpu....
-Fitting Adapters: EKWB T-splitter | www.frozencpu....
-Fitting Adapters: EKWB Drain Port | www.frozencpu....
-Fitting Adapters: Coolant Sensor | www.frozencpu....
-Radiator: Alphacool 280mm ST30
-Fans: be quiet! 140mm PWM x2
-Tubing: Soft Tubing 10/14mm ID/OD
-Coolant: Aquacomputer Double Protect Ultra in Blue | www.frozencpu....
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This is the Vector Network.

[@aprats94]

Nice video! And very good video edition!

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for your comment 🙏 and thank you for watching!

[@jonathanviborg4229]

I think this was the most informative, easy to follow and understand pc build video i have ever seen. You were made for this. Thank you!

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for the comment 🙏Wow, thanks for the encouragement. I have been working a lot on improving the narration to make it more balanced and easier listening. I am working relentlessly on a follow-up to this ITX build with an undervolted 4080. The build is finally up and running and it'll take some more time to complete the video, but there is finally a clear runway to completing and uploading the video. Thanks again for watching

[@catarinoneptune]

Duuuude i like your style of explaining every component as you touch it display it and install it

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 You totally got it dude! I am working on a series of new episodes so I hope you stay tuned! 🙌

[@evenhart19]

great vid!!! subscribed because of it

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I sincerely appreciate your sub. If you enjoyed this one, I would recommend an updated version of this video where I improved on it with an RTX 4080. Thanks again for watching kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2SkkGOjrNqab8Usi=j-wykRFWPhwxxFCC

[@vectornetwork]

Please enjoy watching 🙏

[@khaliks]

Great build! But you can fit more thick radiator, and make your system much more quiet

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 Can you recommend a thicker radiator that would fit? I selected the Alphacool ST30 primarily for fit (and the ports). It was a tight fit with the fans. The radiator is the constraint for the cooling, so fitting a thicker one would be one of the very few ways to squeeze more performance.

[@GetShrektMrKrabs]

970 Evo Plus is not a GEN 4 drive, 980/990 Pro is what Samsung has for GEN 4. Just wanted that to be clarified lol

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 Good catch! It's gen3 for sure. Thanks for the correction so I don't make the same mistake again.

[@tibielias]

You know I was more interested in the CPU temperature. I just got one of these for my i5 12500, RTX 3080FE ITX build and I really wanted to know whether the CPU might introduce a problem to the water block that is directly installed on the pump. 50 °C water temperature is already a bit of a problem for some pumps, while some D5s can tolerate it. Not too sure about DDC pumps though...

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment. 🙏I went ahead and ran a single test of Speedway (3dmark's new gaming test) and when the GPU thermals were the highest, the CPU topped out at 48C CPU Package and 45C for CPU Core Average. The 12400f appears to be a breeze to cool. Hope that helps.

[@tibielias]

@@vectornetwork thanks for checking. I wanna go ahead with the build and get it done soon.

[@post-leftluddite]

The brand isn't "Heatkiller", the brand is "Watercool" and their model line is "Heatkiller"

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏You're 100% right brother. I lead with Heatkiller in the descriptions and audio because I also had to include the word "Water Cooled" in reference to the whole PC build itself. I thought if I repeated the words Water Cooled and then Watercool Heatkiller, it may be confusing. And I also think that Heatkiller was a more recognizable name that may stand out more. Having said that, I am working on an upcoming Heatkiller V Pro water block for the RTX 4090 Founders Edition and will referencing it as the Watercool company and their Heatkiller brand. Thanks for your contribution.

[@diogocabritaster1]

An 65w tdp processor need custon water cooling loop??? I think be better low profile like noctua n-9L

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment🙏I absolutely agree with you that a 65W TDP processor doesn't need to be watercooled. That is sort of the point of why I chose it. I wanted to use EKWB's CPU block that also doubles as a reservoir. This way, a custom loop would actually fit in the Meshilicious case (without any modifications), since we wouldn't need a separate reservoir. Since the CPU block is made for intel 12th gen, I went with a processor in the stack that would be firstly easy to cool and then also having it be a good pairing with the RTX 3080. I landed on the 12400f and its low TDP helps in allowing the GPU to flex more, as it'll take on most of the workload. I am planning a new build and I'll be using the EKWB CPU cooler for the AM5 platform with an RTX 4080. I am likely choosing the Ryzen 7600 CPU as it'll be easy to cool and 6 cores should be enough for gaming and to let the 4080 take on the workload. I will undervolt the 4080 too and have comparisons. Hope that helps.

[@adriankanis8107]

The way you mounted the cpu block horizontally EK don’t recommend it ! Does it work properly?

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for your comment 🙏 Oh, I did not realize that the way it is mounted isn't recommended by EK. Let me think. The DCC pump sits at the bottom of the CPU block reservoir combo. So in its current configuration, it's sideways up against the motherboard. Yea, I can see how that isn't the absolute optimal placement. The best placement would be if DCC pump was on the bottom (rather than sideways). Is that what you mean? In any case, based the temps and the usage over the past few months, its been running sufficient. One of the upcoming videos will be swapping out the 3080 for the EK 4080 (Asus TUF) recently tested on this channel. I am optimistic that even a 4080 will run cool and quiet enough. Hope that helps

[@jedispooner]

@@vectornetwork For the CPU block, EK do recommended this 90° rotated orientation, providing the loop is 100% full.

[@vectornetwork]

@@jedispooner Got it, thanks for the information. I do plan on refreshing this build with an RTX 4080 and different fans in a different orientation. At that time, I will see if the build will work in any other orientation.

[@z4k1_zaki65]

You should be able to bring the temps down by 2-4c by swapping the fans around. I did it for mine after moving from an AIO + air cooled GPU build to a full custom loop.

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 It's entirely possible. I was thinking that exhausting the air outside of the case was better in this case, but I may flip them around to see.

[@徐一雄-d8o]

Hello，could meshlicious use the ek DDC block in 4 slots gpu model? looking for your reply

[@johnballesta2544]

Curious also

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment. 🙏 Good eye. One of the few things I did not show was moving the inner bracket to the one that allows for less GPU slots. This is required for the EK DDC block to fit. Hope that helps.

[@vectornetwork]

@@johnballesta2544 Thanks for your comment. 🙏I replied and confirmed that the moving the inner bracket to expand the CPU side and results in less GPU slots is required. Hope that helps.

[@adewolf]

Can an Amd 7900x3dx cpu and Radeon 7900xtx water cooled gpu with appropriate water cooling system be used here?

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏In this ITX system, we only have room for a 280mm radiator. While the 280 is actually closer in surface area to the 360 than the 240, I wouldn't think it would cool both the 7900X3D and the 7900XTX effectively without either more noise and/or potential throttling. In the ITX system, I am planning an AM5 system with the Ryzen 7600 and the RTX 4080. I expect to be able to cool the system effectively and I will also be unvolting to show the difference. Hope that helps

[@oistk8956]

Nice build. Thanks for the video. How quiet was the DDC pump? I have always had D5s, I am looking to build a very quiet system and I have heard that D5s can be louder.

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 Given the option, I would choose a D5 pump over a DDC pump. I am happy to compromise in this build by using the DDC pump because it has the added benefit of functioning as the CPU block. The first fill, the DDC pump was struggling a lot (bubbles) and was louder than I expected. After draining and switching around some of the runs, the pump started working fine and as expected. I keep it at about 40% and that is acceptable for noise levels (to me). It's kept on a table, fairly close to the user.

[@oistk8956]

@@vectornetwork Got it, thanks for the clear response. We can hope that EK will release a larger D5 version, that would be nice! :)

[@dazeen9591]

do you think this would work with a single 140mm radiator?

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I actually think 280 is really as low as you want to go with this specific setup. The 280 fits nearly perfect in the case, like it was made for it. 280mm actually has a significant amount of surface area as compared to the 240. So, a 140mm would be closer to a 240 than a 120, but I still don't think it would be suitable. Hope that helps

[@dazeen9591]

@@vectornetwork I was planning to build in a much smaller case that only has 1 rad space for 140mm. Just wondering if it will provide enough coolant circulation since the pump block would be the only resevoir. Planning to liquid cool a 1660Ti and i5-12500 (yeah they don't need liquid cooling in general but it would look really nice in a tiny case) Mostly just worried about the amount of coolant circulation.

[@vectornetwork]

Oh I see. Hm, with those components, it's more possible. The 1660ti has a power draw of 120W and the 3080 has approx. 330W or so. So, that seems promising. As for coolant circulation, yes, that is something to consider but I wouldn't consider it a deal breaker.

[@emadgaidi]

Will the same loop be enough for 4080 and intel 14900k?

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I did an updated version of this build recently with an RTX 4080 and AM5 7600. I decided this was possible because the 4080 is efficient and doesn't draw as much wattage as the 3080/3090/4090 and I further undervolted it. For the CPU, I specifically picked an easy to cool processor as the 4080 would be doing most of the heavy lifting. I do not suggest going for the 14900K to pair with the 4080 in this enclosure. The 280 rad will likely not be sufficient and you may see reduced performance and/or higher than expected heat generation. I linked the updated version of this build below. Hope that helps. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2SkkGOjrNqab8U&lc=Ugz4gIY_XfEeKFgaNFl4AaABAg

[@kytoan5]

4:08 water go to pump block>gpu> radiator>pump block?

[@jinparksoul]

I bought the same EKWB waterblock. But with a 13900k. I'd like to know what your CPU thermals are under gaming load and stressed with something like prime95? My Inno3d Frostbite waterblocked temps are very low compared to the CPU .

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 Do you have the same radiator setup with the 13900k or more rad space? 13900k is quite different than the 12400f. I picked the 12400f specifically because of the lower wattage and it should be negligible to cool while I focused on cooling the GPU with very limited rad space. I can check the thermals on the CPU, but I am not sure it will be that comparable. Hope that helps

[@jinparksoul]

@@vectornetwork I have an NR200P case with a 240 and 120 radiator. Just trying to find cpu temp comparisons of this block vs other blocks/transitional cooling methods. Not many YT reviews of the ekwb block out there. I can get older gen cpus to 100c pretty easily with prime95 so this block would still have to cool them enough to prevent throttling. 4090 i'm not concerned about because my gpu temps don't go above 36c playing Callisto Protocol for an hour.

[@tibielias]

@@jinparksoul i'd mod the case with a tophat to enable the case to house another 240mm radiator on the top. That's how i managed to put in 2x240mm radiators in my Coolermaster Nr200p case.

[@vectornetwork]

@@jinparksoul I went ahead and ran a single test of Speedway (3dmark's new gaming test) and when the GPU thermals were the highest, the CPU topped out at 48C CPU Package and 45C for CPU Core Average. The 12400f is simply a breeze to cool. I am not so sure about the 13900k. Hope that helps.

[@jinparksoul]

@@vectornetwork Does that test stress the cpu or gpu more? Games like the one mentioned don't seem to stress either for me. Specific cpu benchmarks do. And prime95 is the destroyer of cpus in my book and will really test how well any cpu cooler can dissipate that heat.

[@dot5638]

Why many cut

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment🙏Why the many cuts? No good reason. I heard that feedback before and made considerable efforts to change. I just upgraded this build to a RTX 4080 watercooled in the ITX case. I made sure to make it more smooth and to get rid of the jump cuts. If you give it another chance, check out this upgraded version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2SkkGOjrNqab8Usi=-wl5Y2ceNWBqwewt

[@airBornFpv]

how fast do fans had to spin - trying to estimate how loud this - two fan set up is. Look like you could add another radiator on top of the case? (even without fans just to let some heat off into the air above (may be perfect for people with 3090 or 3080ti)

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏Hm, if i recall correctly, the fans would end up spinning up to max with nearly all types of fan curves. Keep in mind, these are 140mm fans and the speed was in the low 1000s. As for acoustics, it was fine. I was more interested in setting a nice curve for the pump noise, which was good around 35-40%. What I plan on doing in a upcoming video is swap the fans out for some new Silent Wings 4, which should incrementally improve performance and also swap out the 3080 for the 4080 tuf. I expect the system to cool the 4080 equally or better than the 3080. For the water block, I have a Byski and an Alphacool water block episodes coming up for the 4080 tuf and one of them will go into the system. I am leaning towards the Alphacool one. For that episode, I'll make sure to include the fan speeds and use the decibel reader to provide another data point. Hope that helps.

[@seanscott311]

May I ask, how did you fill the loop? Via that combo unit? Thanks.

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 Yep, there is a port to fill the combo unit. It's a reservoir, so it functions like one. Hope that helps.

[@seanscott311]

@@vectornetwork sorry, but I want to ask a further question, because I'm planning to use this block res pump combo in my future build. My question is, according to my knowledge, the built-in reservoir in that unit is pretty small, so your method was fillimg up the reservoir and turn on the pump again and again untill the loop is fully filled? Sorry for my ignorance, thanks!

[@vectornetwork]

@@seanscott311 Yes. The reservoir is very small, so filling it will require flipping the on/off switch on your PSU more than once. This is the case for nearly any fill. But for this one, it is true that it will take a lot of on/off attempts to get it filled. The good thing is that the build is small enough where you can turn it on any side in attempts to get any bubbles out of the system. Hope that helps

[@seanscott311]

@@vectornetwork your opinion really helps, thanks!

[@ceff01]

how to know when full and is there a max fill line on the reserevoir thanks@@vectornetwork

[@Redman147]

I really wanted to like this video, but after 1:06 I had to stop as my eyes were hurting from the insane number of jump cuts. I'd love to continue watching, but it's just too much. I'd rather see a 10 minute long, smooth video, with all the information you're attempting to convey, than a 5-minute video with enough jump cuts to make me feel like I'm traveling through time.

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I do think there is room for improvement on the editing. All that editing requires a lot of effort and so it would be easier to do longer-form cuts. The reason why its like that is because my earlier videos really didn't really any views at all. It wasn't until I really tried to cram in as much content as possible and made the videos shorter did get some viewership and engagement. However, now with some traction, I think it is time to a bigger change and/or improvement than merely adding a few more frames here and there. Thank you for the feedback and I hope to continue to improve the videos.

[@EnglishPete]

Sry but your editing is pretty seizure inducing, and doesn't make sense, for showing different fittings it looks cool but the rest is overdone

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I recognize I am going at a near-ludicrous speed. I have been trying to slow down the shots while also making the "seizure" shots more smooth and stabilized, so its ... well, smoother. I hope to improve the videos with each episode and I appreciate your feedback.