Watercooled RTX 4090 Build - Step by Step

[@alexstefan1693]

Very nice build! I love the way you work, very clean and aesthetic. Keep up the good work. Also, it would be lovely if you would showcase what this system can do, like running more benchmarks, overclocking, some in game performance.

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for your comment 🙏 I appreciate the feedback. I have improvements in store that will address thermals, benchmarks, etc. I am spinning up a test bench that will allow for water cooling and allow me to test the cards more effectively and efficiently. I am working on the testing methodology and will include footage of the build in an episode. Stay tuned! ✊

[@charltonhmumo6759]

I love everything about this channel. I just subbed!

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for your comment 🙏That's the best! I am happy that you enjoy the content. I am working on another 4090 PC build, but this time with a black/dark theme. Black EVO, regular vertical mount, 4090 FE with Heatkiller water block, Heatkiller reservoir, Heatkiller rads x2, Optimus CPU water block, AM5 system with 7800x3D, black soft tubing, black fittings and hopefully some quick disconnects. Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@Chris-ji8jw]

Wow brother, this is a nice build. Thanks for sharing ( :

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for your comment 🙏 Thank you for watching! Consider watching the maintenance episode where I drain this loop and replace with blue coolant. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4KwdqmOmsaNgKM&lc=UgyqvwCwKTe-LmCtaDN4AaABAg

[@soulbytes]

Wow ...this only happen in my dream :) Nice Vid

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for your comment 🙏 and thanks for watching. I hope you stay tuned as I have planned out and working on 5 more episodes on the way!

[@chincemagnet]

Optimus blocks are phenomenal, I’m definitely going that route in the future. I wanted one for my 3090, but it was on back order so long I bought an EK. I’ve owned a total of 10 EK blocks though, they’re good, but Optimus is a step above imo. Hoping they release one for my MSI Gaming Trio 4090

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I agree, Optimus really pleasantly surprised me and their CPU block and Reservoir are my go-tos right now. I considered their GPU block, but it wasn't going to be available at launch and they were for the more popular models (rather than PNY reference). Also, Optimus GPU blocks are known for exceptional performance, but the downside is that they are heavy. Like heavy. So, I wasn't sure if that would be a good idea since I would be mounting it vertically and upside down. The gaming trio is a popular custom pcb so its possible you'll see blocks come out for it over time. I would also suggest looking into Heatkiller (watercool.de) GPU blocks. I installed one recently for an SFF build and was also adequately impressed.

[@exnetic356]

EK blocks can be superb if done right, i took the stepp above and used liquid metal as thermal paste, Way better heat dissipation than normal thermal paste. and ofc adding enough radiators for no water heat rise overtime is a most.

[@rustler08]

@@exnetic356EK blocks are superb when you don't buy them, because you know...there are many, MANY superior options.

[@MrBl0m]

wow nice build! great work

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for watching and your comment is appreciated! 🙌🙌🙌

[@vectornetwork]

Please like & subscribe 🙏

[@michaelrosenkranz6034]

Very good work, stylish and very tidy, I like it 😉

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for your comment 🙏 Much appreciated and I hope to do my best on future episodes

[@outlet6989]

Assembly is so simple even a child could do it.

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I hope that by showing the installation that it will encourage others to try it

[@dorout1]

That hotspot _could_ be due to the air pocket in the GPU cooling plate. After confirming no leaks, you should always tilt your PC to remove all of the mid to large air bubbles. The small and microbubbles will naturally be removed by PC use. Just something to note.

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 You could very well be right. Especially since it was in an unfortunate spot, before the next time I used this system, I made sure to tilt it enough to get most of that large bubble out. Since then, all the microbubble dissipated and its clear enough where barely looks like the coolant even moves. There is still a minor bubble in the GPU block area but it's fine (to me). I nearly ready to maintenance this system anyways. I want to add an Aquacomputer Octo controller to it so I can better control the loop. I will also add a coolant sensor and use blue coolant this time around. I will likely record all the footage and include it at the end of a future episode. I will keep your note in mind and thank you!

[@dorout1]

@@vectornetwork Cool man! Looking forward to the video! You should look into "fancontrol". That could save you some money. Jayztwocents made a youtube video on the software capabilities titled: "Everyone NEEDS this FREE piece of software... You will thank me!" I use that to control every single fan in my case as well as my pump (Corsair Hydro X Series XD5)! Even the 3 PIN's can be controlled well enough to act as if they were 4 PIN as long as you ultimately use a MOBO fan header. The software is rather bland looking, but the independent developer is still working on it. If you have any questions shoot me a message. I'd be happy to help where I can.

[@vectornetwork]

@@dorout1 Thank you for the info 🙏 I may try that as its good to know about all the different utilities being used related to water cooling

[@rustler08]

Here's the deal: if you have an air pocket in your GPU block, it's because that area does not have proper flow and the water there is stagnant. Even if you tilt it until it fill, that water is still going to be stagnant there. It's just a poor GPU block design for the orientation. Or, in this case: an indication that this block should absolutely not be vertically-mounted upside down.

[@cyclechris6591]

Im so confused! Everything is backwards and upsidedown. Really cool build. Nice fittins. (Sic) 👍👍

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 Thank you for watching and the encouragement. I hope you stay tuned as I have another several episodes planned out.

[@donuthole7236]

Subscribed! 🙂

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I recognize your comment was about 1 year ago. I thought I had already responded. In any case, I value your sub. Thanks again.

[@jakesnow96]

Are you still using it this way? Any side effects so far? Any gpu sag?

[@justaguydoinstuff]

So I installed this waterblock, put a small overclock on it but I'm seeing my graphics card temp over 80C. Are you seeing that as well? I followed your instructions exactly. I have a 360 rad with two 120mm fans. I would think it would be cooler?

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 Can you help me clarify your rad and fans? Do you mean two 360 rads with 120mm fans installed? If so, then I would check the mount, as that seems too high. If you do mean one 360 rad with 2 fans, well, I would add a fan first and see. Hope that helps.

[@justaguydoinstuff]

@@vectornetwork Yes, I have a 360 rad with two 120mm fans (I can't add a third since the water pump is in the way. I was thinking of adding three more fans to the back of the rad inside the case blowing air outward through the back case holes. I actually removed the overclock entirely and the temp will raise to 80c within about 20 minutes of gaming. Even with only the two fans, it seems like the watercooling should keep it at lower temps than that. What is your highest temp while gaming?

[@vectornetwork]

@@justaguydoinstuff Hm, how thick is your 360 rad? The build is using 2 separate 360mm rads with 48mm thickness (larger than the standard 30mm) with a total of 6 fans. If you are using a 360 rad with only 2 out of 3 fans attached, then I expect temperatures to be worse than a full 360. However, do I think they would be at 80C? Maybe not, maybe 70C. Do you also have your CPU in your loop? That would cause it to likely hit 80C. Water cooling is effective but air cooling can also be effective. Water cooling can certainly lower the noise level beyond air cooling though. Hope that helps.

[@justaguydoinstuff]

@@vectornetwork It's a separate loop from my CPU but I think I found the issue. I put two flat pump/reservoirs in the wall mountable case but realized that the GPU loop radiator didn't have any holes in the back of the case since I modded it to put it in there. So I drilled a few holes behind the radiator so it could breathe while also adding the 3rd fan through another mod. So now my temps seem to max in the 60's, so I'm pretty happy with that. :)

[@uchi23a]

A esa altura.... ¿se podría poner el primer m.2 por agua en paralelo con el circuito de la gpu o solo me lo parece? /habría volcado el gabinete para purgar el aire que queda en el waterblock gpu

[@vectornetwork]

Gracias por tu comentario 🙏 he intentado google translate pero no estoy seguro si entiendo

[@carrapaz3645]

Can we have a component list and price? I'll like to have something similar

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 Good idea! See below and I added this to the description. I don't have the pricing at which it was purchased at. Hope that helps and feel free to let me know if I am missing something. Parts -Case: Lian Li o11D EVO -CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D -CPU water block: Optimus Foundation -GPU: PNY RTX 4090 XLR8 (Reference PCB) -GPU water block: Alphacool Eisblock w/ backplate for RTX 4090 Reference PCB -Pump-Reservoir combo: Optimus Absolute 8.5" D5 -Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B550-A -Memory: 32GB G.SKILL DDR4 3600 MT -Storage: 4TB XPG SX8100 M.2 NVMe SSD -Fittings: EK-Quantum torque compression 14mm OD Satin Titanium (Extender 14mm, Offset 7mm, Offset 14mm, drain port, T-splitter. 90 degree adapters) -Heatkiller RAD 360-L w/ 3x Phanteks T30s -Heatkiller RAD 360-L w/ 3x Lian Li UNI SL-Infinity -Bitspower Acrylic tubing 14mm OD -Corsair Hydro X Series XL8 coolant in clear

[@iwfro]

Great video, but why build it inverted ?

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏Good question. In short, for variety. In detail, well, it was a journey from at first being against using a riser cable at all and wanting a "native clean PCIe connection directly to the motherboard" and then trying out the riser cable once and really liking how I could see the flowpath much better and made it feel like a setpiece in a build. So, after building in a be quiet! silent base 802 and having a vertical GPU in the bottom left, it was really cool. Then, along came the Lian Li o11D EVO and it had the option to invert the chassis and it dawned on me that it may be interesting to see how a GPU would look if the main attraction (set piece) was in the top right corner. So, I tried it. The instruction for the vertical GPU mount actually specifically says not to mount it inverted. However, after looking at the mount carefully and imaging how it would work, I came to the conclusion that there would be no issue and it would be properly supported (no issues whatsoever since the build). The cool thing that happened as a result of the inverted position was that all the tubing could be run in a manner that was like a soft rectangle. It is visually appealing in different ways and took a lot of effort to make sure it lined up and looked even all around. That tubing in the middle was really nice to shoot footage and generally is pleasant to look at. So, yea. Hope that helps and thank you for watching.

[@ludovico007]

could you please tell me the gpu vertical kit model/brand? tks

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏It's the Lian Li Vertical GPU Kit for the o11DE (o11 Dynamic EVO) in white.

[@lordjadeite]

Hello friend! Very nice videos! Keep goin! PS. But, please, put your new perfect PC from a tight enclosed space to the right one, where he can suck fresh AIR.

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for your comment 🙏 Good eye. It is a concern and why the PC is water cooled. Otherwise, the noise would be too audible. There is a hole in the back of the space where I attached a fan to the exhaust the air, to help with ventilation.

[@justaguydoinstuff]

Can you push the graphics card power limit past 100? Or is it locked at 100?

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment. 🙏 I haven't tried yet due to the four 8 pin to 12 pin power adapter that has been known to fail under certain conditions. I have a new power coming within 2 weeks and I will try then. I don't think it is locked at 100. Their appears to be plenty of headroom for overclocking but it's already so fast, stable and cool that it feels like an afterthought - but I certainly will try 🙌

[@justaguydoinstuff]

@@vectornetwork You don't actually need to overclock it, just curious if it's possible. With MSI Afterburner, you can just see if the slider will go past 100 without actually pushing the 'activate' or whatever button. :)

[@justaguydoinstuff]

I'm also curious why you didn't have the alphacool graphics card led lights on? I'm curious how they look? I have a PNY on order and am most likely going to buy this waterblock as well. It looks really nice!

[@vectornetwork]

@@justaguydoinstuff Oh, it didn't occur to me. I was fixated on fixing the RGB on the Lian Li fans and I sort of forgot about it because I had tucked the cable into the riser cable. I should try it out, its right next to a header. If it's any good, I'll report back, thank you!

[@vectornetwork]

@@justaguydoinstuff RGB on the alphacool water block illuminates the whole rectangle. It is vibrant and the light reflection off of the chrome plating delivers the dopamine quiet well. 👌

[@bphillips1013841]

What vertical gpu mount did you use?

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I used the Lian Li O11DE-1W Vertical GPU kit for O11DEW White. It's the vertical mount for the O11D Evo. It's very strong. Even though the directions say to not use it in the inverted position, I did anyway because it seemed like it would hold and it has held fine ever since. Hope that helps.

[@mathiass0943]

ahhhhhhh those transition made me dizzzyy

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for your comment 🙏 I do think there is room for improvement by slowing down the cuts and lingering more on nicer shots. Will that help with dizziness or do you mean the chapter transition with the floating dots? Maybe I could slow them down, but I made that one myself and kind of like it.

[@donuthole7236]

Not a big fan of this build. There are many compromises made for the sake of esthetics. Nice work none the less

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for your comment 🙏You're right that compromises were made for the sake of aesthetics and aesthetics is subjective. It is a balancing act and there are changes I already want to make to the build but I do think it does briefly exist as something nice in this moment in time.

[@donuthole7236]

@@vectornetwork That case is certainly a "work of art". For what it's worth, from my perspective, while aesthetics is certainly important, maximizing the performance of the system takes priority. Seeing all the right angle and off-set fittings to ensure the hard lines are straight and level are at the expense of added reducing flow restrictions. After spending all that money on leading edge computer components seems a bit counterintuitive. On the other hand, some people's primary focus is to maximize the systems performance "at all cost" and their rigs appearance makes that statement loud and clear looking like a1/2 finished jig saw puzzle LOL but that's cool too. I'm kinda "in between" both worlds and currently building my own rig but am always interested in what other people are doing hoping I can learn something which is why I took interest in your video and appreciate the time to took to document it. I'm sure this system is placed where everyone who sees it can admire what you have accomplished and to do otherwise would be a crime 🥰

[@vectornetwork]

@@donuthole7236 Thanks for your contribution 🙏 It's good to hear your perspective as I am learning more as I go along. For example, I am only now recognizing how important thermal data is to people, so I am spinning up a test rig capable of water cooling to help me better provide that information. Further along, I should be able to also incorporate more flow considerations into the loop(s).

[@donuthole7236]

@@vectornetwork You show much grace and openness to constructive criticism I feel a bit guilty about my initial statement, but it was just my "opinion" so take it for what it's worth. Just to let you know I am an Electro-mechanical design engineer who packages electronics in harsh environments for critical applications where thermal considerations are a big deal. Actually, with your water cooling set-up your way ahead of the curve compared to air cooling, nothing transfers heat like water. My criticism has to do more with your choice of fitting and the flow restrictions they impose but those are assumption on my part. Only testing will reveal how effective your set-up is. If your GPU and CPU core temps hover around 60 degrees C that pretty good. When temps approach 85 when the systems is throttled then I would start to get concerned but processors tend to be rated up to over 100C. The cooler your system runs increases the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) and your electronics will be happy as a clam 🙂 Don't rip your system apart you did an outstanding job. If you plan on building another rig in the future take this advice. Get a full size tower with lots of room for components and a large capacity PSU (I have a 1600W Corsair. Don't worry it will only draw the current the system demands when it doesn't need it). Get the largest radiator(s) you can fit in the chassis (use nothing but copper in the loop mixing it with aluminum is a big "no no" from a galvanic corrosion perspective plus copper transfers heat 30% better). I use nothing but Delta server fans with dual ball bearings even in my industrial chassis designs. Get a fan controller rated for the max current the fans will draw (I use Lamptron). As for fitting, I only use Bitspower 1/2" ID x 3/4" OD compression fitting either straight, 45 or 90 degree constant radii fittings to minimize flow restrictions (no 90 degree elbows or offset fitting) For tubing I use Tygon 3603 which is crystal clear (when new but will fog-up over time) which allows for nice gradual bends further reducing flow restrictions and eases routing. Make sure you install a silver "kill coil" in the loop that will prevent algae growth and used distilled water only (I avoid dyes of any kind that will stain the loop and mask any sign of contaminates or corrosion in the system). My current rig is 12 years old and I have only changed the water 2 times and the system stays crystal clear for many years and hasn't leaked a drop in all this time. My new rig is "over the top" with a Gigabyte Z690 Waterforce Extreme (stupid money), a 13900K CPU with a Thermal Grizzly contact frame, an RTX 4090 with water blocks on both sides, a Samsung 990 Pro PCIe gen 5 SSD (when available) which is cooled by the full coverage Motherboard water block, G.Skill Trident Z DDR-5 memory cooled with a BartX copper heat spreader and a Bitspower water block, a massive Alphacool 560 copper rad and dual Bitspower D5 pumps all in a custom fabricated chassis using 30mm T-slot extrusions and sheet aluminum. This system is very expensive, time consuming to fabricate, unnecessary and way overkill. I don't recommend anyone to follow in my footsteps 😦 The best place to look for computer rig hardware is TitanRig, Performance PC's and McMaster-Carr. As stated, I wouldn't touch the rig you built it is beautiful 😍you don't want to hack it up at this point that would be a crime. Consider what i said for a future build, just be careful taking my advice I will drain your bank account 😯

[@vectornetwork]

@@donuthole7236 Wow, this is great info, its stuff like this that helps accelerate the learning curve. Water cooling is such a rabbit hole that it helps to get different perspectives. I noted down the Tygon 3603 as I have not been truly satisfied with any soft tubing yet. Your new rig is crazy man. You have an Active Water Block on the back of the 4090? Unlike the 3090, there are no memory chips back there. I think they started using 2GB chips on the front since the 3090 Ti. That's okay, overkill is overkill, no stopping once it gets going, amirite? lol. I have thought about increasing the rad space. There is plenty of cooling in 2x 360 48mm rads, but the noise level can always be lowered. But, once I start thinking of 480 or 560 or 3x or 4x, the MORA starts to become an option and that is another rabbit hole. I may go down that route first, but I can imagine the quick disconnect fittings needed to link the MORA to the system can't be good for flow. But, MORA should allow for pure silence and could make for fun content. Take a pic of your new rig, because it sounds wild lol. All the best ✊

[@nommindymple6241]

The constant video cuts made me blind.

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I recognize that the editing may be too jarring, so I have taken efforts to really try to smooth out the movements and stabilize the footage better. I plan to make more improvements as I receive more feedback.

[@stevenauldridge2679]

Why wear gloves? Are you afraid of infection?

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 The gloves are purely for the camera. It's intended to provide a more clean and uniform look. I take off the gloves for anything important off camera as its certainly easier without them on (it gets hot)

[@dschlessman]

I like the gloves but I totally get it’s hot. 😊

[@dragon290513]

prevent fingerprints

[@Tom--Ace]

If you have to ask, you're not a pro system builder

[@madd5]

I hate this style of montage

[@vectornetwork]

Thank you for your comment 🙏 I do think there is room for improvement by slowing down the montages. I do plan on lingering more on nicer shots but still using quicker movements for more "boring" segments. If that would make it a better viewing experience for you, please give another try. If it's completely not what you are interested in, then at least you know how I'm trying to improve.

[@maybe-ct9qu]

Voice over is annoying

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I do recognize the audio is one of the weaker aspects of the video. I will do my best to improve the voice over in future videos.

[@maybe-ct9qu]

Speak normally dude

[@vectornetwork]

Thanks for your comment 🙏 I do recognize there is certainly room for improvement on the voice over. I plan to make the audio portion better in future videos.