# Insulation the eVGA 680i Walkthrough (56k Need Not Apply)



## d44ve (May 24, 2007)

OK.... right now are just the pictures. I am not completely finished.....

I will be adding the text and the walkthrough shortly


























































































































GO BLUE!! =)


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## t_ski (May 24, 2007)

Looking good Dave.  You need to come over and hook me up one of these days.


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## d44ve (May 24, 2007)

I will be in Detroit for Christmas... we can meet up then


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## d44ve (May 30, 2007)

Hey guys... I havent had a chance to finish this write up yet. I have been busy working on another project for you.

This should be done in the next week or so


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## Zeratul_uy (May 30, 2007)

Looks good  can ya tell us the costs ^^


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## nav3 (May 30, 2007)

Thats sick, what kind of temps are you expecting, I hope you get some crazy overclocks.


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## Kasparz (May 30, 2007)

What tec and what cpu are you using?


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## d44ve (May 31, 2007)

Zeratul_uy said:


> Looks good  can ya tell us the costs ^^




The costs  for all the insulation parts? Very little!


Lets see....

Plastic Dip :         6.99
Insulation Tape :  2.99
Rubber Cement :  2.99
Neoprene         :  1.99


And everything was bought at Lowes except for the neoprene rubber. I got that at Crazy PC

* HEY, DONT FORGET TO THANK ME! *


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## d44ve (May 31, 2007)

Kasparz said:


> What tec and what cpu are you using?




226watt TEC and e6600 CPU

I am running a MEANWELL 320-S secondary PSU for the TEC and PUMPS


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## Kasparz (May 31, 2007)

I would not recommend to run heavily clocked conroe with 226w tec. You wont see any majot improvement over good watercooling, but you will be fighting with 400w heatload and your electric bill.


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## d44ve (May 31, 2007)

Kasparz said:


> I would not recommend to run heavily clocked conroe with 226w tec. You wont see any majot improvement over good watercooling, but you will be fighting with 400w heatload and your electric bill.



I have been running this same setup with my Striker Extreme and my e6600 at 3.7ghz with no problems. 

On water, I couldnt get past 3.55 and even at that my idle temps were 45c-50c

with the TEC at 3.6 It wont go above 30c under a LOAD.

So I am not to sure what you are refering to


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## Kasparz (May 31, 2007)

Crappy cpu you have. Some e6600 can be stable 3.8-4.0Ghz with really good watercooling setup. Is 200Mhz worth that mess? Tec consumes about same amount of electricity as all your system does.


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## Eric_Cartman (May 31, 2007)

tec cooling is nice because it will get you below ambient, hence the need for the insulation

it is worth it to a lot of people, i'm not one of them, but they are out there


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

Kasparz said:


> Crappy cpu you have. Some e6600 can be stable 3.8-4.0Ghz with really good watercooling setup. Is 200Mhz worth that mess? Tec consumes about same amount of electricity as all your system does.




LOL.... crappy CPU? You crack me up! 

Show me more than 3 people running above 3.8ghz on water alone on a e6600.

What is your e6600 running at? I really hope you have one, cause otherwise you are just talking out of your ass and need to move on. 

EDIT : BTW I can hit 3.9ghz


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## FOXCONN1115 (Jun 1, 2007)

looks like a really good way to start a fire or produce hardware failure. lol


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

FOXCONN1115 said:


> looks like a really good way to start a fire or produce hardware failure. lol



Help me out here.... what do you see wrong? Did I miss something?

I am always up for advice especially if I overlooked something


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## DaMulta (Jun 1, 2007)

Hey d44ve can you show us how to install the TEC?

Did you use the plastic dip on the front side too?


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

DaMulta said:


> Hey d44ve can you show us how to install the TEC?



Absolutly!

I will do another small write up on that too.

Right now I am on vacation, so I do not have access to my computer. But I would be more than happy to do that for ya. 

EDIT : Do you have any specific questions right now? Or  just curious in general?


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## Kursah (Jun 1, 2007)

d44ve said:


> LOL.... crappy CPU? You crack me up!
> 
> Show me more than 3 people running above 3.8ghz on water alone on a e6600.
> 
> ...



Gotta agree with ya D44ve, I really don't see many 6600's running that fast, and I have seen many overclocked 6600s, air and water, not so much on TEC's. I like your ingenuity dude, and that's a great OC, and I hate it when people talk out of their ass on something and for some reason "won't" show what they have, but that's why theres those like you who try different things to show how well or dismal they perform. Great thread.


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## DaMulta (Jun 1, 2007)

Well I was wondering how it works, because I've heard very little on them. I think about modding mine if I knew kindda how to do it.

Or maybe modding a reg heatsink on my video card with a TEC.


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

are you running water on your video card?


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## DaMulta (Jun 1, 2007)

Not yet..been thinking about it....could I buy a copper plate and THIS





Then put the TEC in between the two and soder the copper together?

well it's copper I could drill holes for screws.


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

you can place the tec between the GPU and the heatsink.

The only problem is that I am not 100% sure that cooler would be able to cool the hot side of the TEC well enough.

You are cooling your video card, right? For that all you would really need is a 175w TEC.

The next problem you run into is powering the TEC. These things are power hogs.  How many watts is your PSU running?


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## DaMulta (Jun 1, 2007)

750watt, 60 amps over 4 rails


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

eh... that SHOULD be enough.

The next problem is then insulating everything so that you do no get condensation and kill everything.

Are you in the US?


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## DaMulta (Jun 1, 2007)

Yep, I wouldn't be able to do this for another week or so. I would think it would take the bigger one my X1950XTX has a huge heatsink on it. Maybe water would be the way to go. How hot does the top get?


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

VERY hot.... I see that in your SIG it says you are running water. What setup are you running with it?


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## DaMulta (Jun 1, 2007)

Ahh it's not that great(_cheap kit_) I'm about to mod it. I like the block but the radiator is very small two 60mm fans fit it.

Looking here for one http://www.dangerden.com/store/home.php?cat=5

I think this block would work good with that TEC maybe


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## Wile E (Jun 1, 2007)

How do you know how much of the mobo to cover with the plastic dip? Is every setup different in that regard? I've been kicking around the idea of going tec, just don't know much about the water proofing.

And about how many amps does the 226w tec draw? Is it about 19a, as the rating suggests?

What do you think it will take take to cool a 226w tec, nForce4 chipset and a 2900XT? You think a 3x120mm and a 1x120mm rad will handle it?

Sorry for all the questions, d44ve. I'm really interested in this. Thanx for shedding some light on this.


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

*DaMulta*

I'll tell you what.... I am feeling nice and I always see you trying to help out other people. This is what I am going to do for you.

I have an extra 175w TEC and an extra TT VGA waterblock and some extra insulation.

THe waterblock is missing the hardware mounting kit... but it will be easy to  make it work.

You can have it all to get yourself into TEC cooling. Hit me up on PM and we can work everything out.

If you get it and decide you dont need it or want it, just send it back it me. THats all I ask.

And if you do keep it, maybe sometime down the line I will ask you for a favor.


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

Wile E said:


> How do you know how much of the mobo to cover with the plastic dip? Is every setup different in that regard? I've been kicking around the idea of going tec, just don't know much about the water proofing.
> 
> And about how many amps does the 226w tec draw? Is it about 19a, as the rating suggests?
> 
> ...




I do not know the exact draw on the TEC. When I get back home I will get that for you. 

Some people like to do the whole back board with the plastic dip, but I feel that is overkill. I did to where I would feel that the extreme drop in temp would effect the board

The RADS that you have I believe would be more than enough. I personally think the 3x120mm would be enough too.

Dont worry about the questions... this is the exact reason why I made this thread 


EDIT : BTW, its not so much water proofing. Its more for insulation. With the plastic dip, it will stop air getting to the board and thus stopping condensation from forming from the water in the air


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## Zeratul_uy (Jun 1, 2007)

d44ve said:


> I do not know the exact draw on the TEC. When I get back home I will get that for you.
> 
> Some people like to do the whole back board with the plastic dip, but I feel that is overkill. I did to where I would feel that the extreme drop in temp would effect the board
> 
> ...



You mean that it'll condensate the water on the plastic and not on the mobo right? So it's better to paint it all? I mean, all the mobo's back?


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

Zeratul_uy said:


> You mean that it'll condensate the water on the plastic and not on the mobo right? So it's better to paint it all? I mean, all the mobo's back?



Yes and no.... the plastic dip does insulate the board. and like I said, it makes it so that the humid air will not come in contact with the cold board. 

However, if condensation does happen to occur, it will be on the plastic and not the board.

The reason why I didnt do all over the board though is because some of the pins and other parts do get really hot back there and I am not 100% sure how that will effect it.

EDIT : also, just to let you know... I did test my theory with the plastic dip acting as an insulator.

I covered a can with aprox. 1mm thick of the plastic dip. I then pored very chilled water in the can and stuck it outside. I did not get any condensation through the platic dip. But that doesnt mean  it is 100% condensation proof. Thats why I added the insulation behind the chip.


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## Zeratul_uy (Jun 1, 2007)

d44ve said:


> Yes and no.... the plastic dip does insulate the board. and like I said, it makes it so that the humid air will not come in contact with the cold board.
> 
> However, if condensation does happen to occur, it will be on the plastic and not the board.
> 
> ...



Great, thanks  d44ve


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## trt740 (Jun 1, 2007)

Dave wanted to tell it's great what your doing Ive never seen this before please I know it's alot to aks but write a complete guide and post it. What you have done is great thx for all the photo's. This is the kinda of stuff that developes new tech for overclocking like heapipes etc...


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

Oh, I defenatly plan on doing a complete write up on it.

 I just have not had time do to. I plan on getting everything started next week.

I appreciate the kind words, it makes me feel like it worth all the trouble.

However, this is far from a new idea. Many people have been doing this. I just havent seen a good write up with simple terms and plenty of pictures. You can describe something the best you can, but it just doesnt do the job.

Just like the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words.


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## Zeratul_uy (Jun 1, 2007)

d44ve said:


> Oh, I defenatly plan on doing a complete write up on it.
> 
> I just have not had time do to. I plan on getting everything started next week.
> 
> ...



Roger that!


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## FOXCONN1115 (Jun 1, 2007)

d44ve said:


> Help me out here.... what do you see wrong? Did I miss something?
> 
> I am always up for advice especially if I overlooked something



Does all that really help lower temps..? Is it 100% safe? If it does lower temps and is highly safe, I'd just coat the whole damn back of the board.. lol


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## d44ve (Jun 1, 2007)

FOXCONN1115 said:


> Does all that really help lower temps..? Is it 100% safe? If it does lower temps and is highly safe, I'd just coat the whole damn back of the board.. lol



the insulating the board doesnt do anything for lowering temps. The whole point of me insulating the board is because I am using a TEC, which will get the processor and the board below ambient temps.

I am insulating it to avoid condensation.


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## d44ve (Jun 3, 2007)

OK, I just got back from vacation. I will try and finish up this write up soon.

I think just to clean things up, I will make a new thread and clean up the pictures a bit. 

However, in the meantime.... if you have any questions, please let free to ask away


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## FOXCONN1115 (Jun 3, 2007)

d44ve said:


> the insulating the board doesnt do anything for lowering temps. The whole point of me insulating the board is because I am using a TEC, which will get the processor and the board below ambient temps.
> 
> I am insulating it to avoid condensation.



Ahhhh I see. Well it would be awesome if it lowered temps, then I'd just dip my whole mobo. Lol


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## d44ve (Jun 4, 2007)

FOXCONN1115 said:


> Ahhhh I see. Well it would be awesome if it lowered temps, then I'd just dip my whole mobo. Lol



It would most likley make the temps higher


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## FOXCONN1115 (Jun 4, 2007)

yeah thats true unless it was a heat dispersing compound, which would be freakin cool


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## Retrocon (Jun 10, 2007)

Awsome! Thanks for the post. I have been looking for something like this


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## Dippyskoodlez (Jun 10, 2007)

d44ve said:


> OK, I just got back from vacation. I will try and finish up this write up soon.
> 
> I think just to clean things up, I will make a new thread and clean up the pictures a bit.
> 
> However, in the meantime.... if you have any questions, please let free to ask away



Very nice pics 


At first I was confused as to how you managed to cram the TEC into the waterblock, but it appears you're just using a baseplate from another heatsink? Or is this a TEC version? 


And yes that insulation paste for the back is beautiful. Bet it works wonders, compared to the thermal grease a lot of people use.


Now to find me a place to get some liquid nitrogen....


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## Garb3 (Jun 11, 2007)

that really is cool(no pun intended) i was thinkin about goin tec myself but i need to get better water cooling first


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## d44ve (Jun 11, 2007)

Dippyskoodlez said:


> Very nice pics
> 
> 
> At first I was confused as to how you managed to cram the TEC into the waterblock, but it appears you're just using a baseplate from another heatsink? Or is this a TEC version?
> ...




Its the Maze4 Peltier version.

It has a cold plate that screws to the water block. 

I can take better pictures of it if you want


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## Dippyskoodlez (Jun 11, 2007)

d44ve said:


> Its the Maze4 Peltier version.
> 
> It has a cold plate that screws to the water block.
> 
> I can take better pictures of it if you want



nah, I know how its made 

Just didn't know there was a peltier version.

I have one


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## d44ve (Jun 25, 2007)

d44ve said:


> *DaMulta*
> 
> I'll tell you what.... I am feeling nice and I always see you trying to help out other people. This is what I am going to do for you.
> 
> ...




awww crap.... I forgot all about this.

Hit me up on PMs with your address


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## coodiggy (Oct 2, 2007)

hi d44ve it takes "TWO" of those for the upgrade! On a cold plate that tapers down to the cpu slug with a couple waterblocks across a thinner; like aorund .035" Hot-plate on the hotside with some good cpu goop.. Then it can really get interesting numbers.

Power consumption?????? Compared to John forces fuel bill for the last year?  Or the cost of the shuttle launch to see what super bacteria they could make up there in zero gravity and then bring it BACK!!!! where they have the potential to crash and spread their experiments all over US? EHEHEHH....  

And we have NO sponsers in our courtyards! LOL!

~edit, maybe don't even need the thin hotplate if you can screw/sandwitch the waterblock/s to the dual TEC/cold plate. I got the qx6700 recently and it is very hot even at idle, people are heat saturating 226w peltiers with them and getting better stable OC's with a plain old good water cooling system... To OC these you'd need phase change, or insulated Water loops and put the peltiers inline with their own waterblocks and heatsink fans, but not directly on the CPU! Might wanna wait for the new NM process quad extreme for the upgrade, or new AMD quad? The e6600 is SICK fast when OC'd above 3.6, same with amd equivalent at a 6000+ OC.


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## DaMulta (Oct 17, 2007)

I'm about to do this to my motherboard, but using a VGA block....



> David says:
> I just want to be on the record for saying that I DO NOT recomend using that setup


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## d44ve (Oct 17, 2007)

lol


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## d44ve (Oct 17, 2007)

DaMulta said:


> I'm about to do this to my motherboard, but using a VGA block....




Lets be clear here.... that comment has nothing to do with this thread and the walkthrough.... I still stand behind it


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