# Fractal R5 SLILLY UPRADE [Case/SLI upgrade]



## Mussels (Aug 23, 2016)

New case is in, Fractal R5.
I realised SLI can be read as silly, so system has its dad joke name now.

Pretty picture shown here to lure you into reading the rest:






SLI image after its all upgraded:






I'll be throwing in pics and  before/after results with noise (unprofessional, since i got no sound meter) and temps.

The reason for this case is because its got a bunch of features aimed at silence (proper covers for unused fan slots, with sound deadening foam) and because *all* the drive bays are removable - I only use two SSD's and this case has two SSD mounts behind the mobo tray, resulting in what may be a very clean and tidy build. My current case has 1x120mm intake for the GPU(s) which may not be enough for 970 SLI in a silent build.

http://cdn5.thinkcomputers.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Fractal-Define-R5-page-3-9a.jpg
http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/images/atxgamer-r5/fractal-r5-5.jpg


So the plan for this thread:

1. Lots of pics, before, during, after.
2. Before and after temp results in idle and load
3. "By ear" sound comparison at idle and load. My current setup is audible, barely - but gets warm.
4. Fan upgrades. Probably after the new GPU's arrive in a week or so, i'll order new higher pressure 120mm CPU fans and some more 140mm case fans. Noise/temps comparisons will be done then too. Advice is very welcome for fans.

Current fan choices are the Fractal GP-14 for the case (<20db, 68CFM) and then 2x Noctua NF-F12 (30db, super high static pressure) for the H80 AIO water cooler on the CPU.  The idea there would be the case fans permanently on what i deem to be a silent setting, and the CPU fans controlled by the motherboard or the cases in-built fan controller (that could complicate the choice between 3 pin or 4 pin PWM fans)



Spoiler: Glorious Pictures!



My case was incorrectly packaged with a 2 year old. Fortunately, once the case was removed he climbed into the box and remained there for a while.





The provided 'standoff tool' is a friggin godsend, and its worth noting the front fan screws are extra long. You do not want to lose those.





The fractal is slightly taller and slightly wider than my old antec case - despite barely being any bigger, it has heaps more internal room.









The front door is surprisingly simple and elegant, hiding the fan dust filter and the optical bays. Those little plastic clips actually fell out of my 5 1/4" bays, so i dont think they're designed to be removed many times.





Old case setup: Despite being physically similar in size, this case was just so. damned. cramped in comparison to the new fractal. Cable management really stands out as poor now. Dunny roll GPU stand was done for a laugh, but it actually worked.










Two fractal 140mm that came with the case now in the front - even at 12V i cannot hear them. Excellent fans.









Feels like two sizes up on the case at this point, so much room.





Ninja SSD master race





At this point, it felt weird - like only half a PC was present. This is actually complete with everything powered and working :/




This got tidied a little but i forgot to take a pic after.









Spoiler: Temp tests in Benchmarks



Temp Testing:

Using heaven 4.0 in 1280x720, i simply let it run loops in the 'demo' mode to find out the load temp + load fan RPM on my single gigabyte G1 970.

Antec Solo whatever (fix this later): 57C, 1850 RPM. System is barely audible as the PSU and CPU fans havent ramped up, so noise comparisons will be hard. At load this is quieter than my laptop at idle.





GPU in new Fractal case: Might as well be the same.





CPU test:
Antec case + antec 120mm CPU fans (5 mins of IBT, my 24/7 clocks w/ HT off):





New Fractal Sex machine + 2 new Fractal 120mm fans. 9C drop :/









Spoiler: HX1000 to HX750i upgrade



HX1000:
Desktop Idle: 76W

Heaven DX11
60FPS: 280W
120FPS: 399W, cap whine even via audio.
Unlimited FPS: 450W, capacitor whine so bad it came across the analog audio to my TV speakers :O
IBT: + Unlim: 480W

That was a surprise. I run HDMI audio to a receiver from my intel IGP, and analog audio to my TV for teamspeak. Hearing the whine come from the TV speakers was a shock, i've moved that connection to HDMI audio now to avoid the issue.

HX750i:
Desktop Idle: 66W (15% drop, exceptional result there)

Heaven DX11
60FPS: 221W (59W drop - biggest change ~22% improvement)
120FPS: 377W (22W drop, ~6%)
UNLIMITED POWAH: 420W (blaze it? 30W drop ~6%)

IBT: + UNLIMITED POWAH: 467W (13W drop, 2%)

In summary: the HX1000 was way ahead of its time for power efficiency, but a modern platinum unit poops on it at lower loads.


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## Ferrum Master (Aug 23, 2016)

I have the R5. 

Versus the R4 which I had too, much less thick metal sheets are used. The case covers and the structure itself is less sturdy, it bends.

The GP14's are good fans btw. I use them and 140mm Silent Wings 2 at the front. The Fronts and one rear GP14 fan is controlled with the case FAN switch, the bottom fan goes to motherboard for me.


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## PHaS3 (Aug 23, 2016)

I have the R4  Looking forward to your build dude


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## Mussels (Aug 23, 2016)

I've been pondering putting my spare 2x2TB drives in 5 1/4" hot swap enclosures so i could have 2x512GB SSD's always on, and by opening the door and flicking a switch 4TB of space appears. Benefits for power/noise/heat savings, longevity boost for the drives and bonus nerd cred.


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## Mussels (Aug 23, 2016)

thoughts on jamming 140mm fans with 120mm mounts onto the H80?

https://www.pccasegear.com/products/22575/noctua-nf-a15-pwm-140mm-fan-with-120mm-mounts


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## Ferrum Master (Aug 23, 2016)

meh. double posting.


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## Mussels (Aug 23, 2016)

Ferrum Master said:


> meh. double posting.



meh, post that replies to neither of my double posts


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## PHaS3 (Aug 23, 2016)

mmm I wouldn't jam the 140mm fans onto the 120mm H80. Makes me think it wouldn't gain you anything (apart from being marginally quieter?) on the cooling front.


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## rtwjunkie (Aug 23, 2016)

Second to what @Ferrum Master said.  If you've not bought the R5 yet, get the R4.  A number of their models are still available for reasonable prices.  The metal is thicker and sturdier, all the bays are still removable and two SSD can go on back.  The unused fan slot covers for the top are different, and more soundproof.  Overall, a much better buy!


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## Norton (Aug 23, 2016)

rtwjunkie said:


> Second to what @Ferrum Master said.  If you've not bought the R5 yet, get the R4.  A number of their models are still available for reasonable prices.  The metal is thicker and sturdier, all the bays are still removable and two SSD can go on back.  The unused fan slot covers for the top are different, and more soundproof.  Overall, a much better buy!


Agree 100%

Go with the R4 if you can. The only reason to go with the R5 instead would be if you need some of the minor design changes in your build that the R5 offers... compare reviews.


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## Ferrum Master (Aug 23, 2016)

Well not that R5 is a bad case. All removable cages are very good(it needs a roll bar really then inside, a bit modding), and it has a bit more space for cabling in the back side. I don't use actually 3.5inch drives anymore. I slapped a laptop 2.5incher on the backside too, much more quiet than those 3.5inch ones, for spammy data backups, it is enough.

But really NF15? I have one spare from NH-D15s... It is worth one quarter of the case price and ain't that much better really. And it is brown lol.


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## Mussels (Aug 23, 2016)

after research, yeah the 140mm fans on the H80 is a bad idea. most of the air pressure is on the outside of the fins which would get wasted.


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## Mussels (Aug 24, 2016)

double posting again for the bump/notifications.

Case is in, store only had limited 120mm fan selections - so i went with two i could run at near full speed all the time. Fractal Silent Series R3.
46.5CFM, 1W, 0.78 mm H20 static pressure, 20.5db(a)

those at 9v will probably get me the silence i'm after, vs higher noise/power fans i'd run at 5v or 7v.

no SLI yet, so i'll be focusing on temps and GPU fan speed in current case vs new, with a second round of testing when the SLI arrives (comparing w/ and w/out side fan intake too)


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## Ferrum Master (Aug 24, 2016)

The mid switch position gives 7V actually.


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## Mussels (Aug 24, 2016)

Ferrum Master said:


> The mid switch position gives 7V actually.



looking into third party in-line 9V adaptors, only ~$3 each. Freedom for hard wired 5/7/9/12 seems perfect.

 First post updated with some results, pics later.


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## Mussels (Aug 24, 2016)

many many pics included now, rig is super clean with the new case.
i always thought i had terrible cable management skills, i guess i just had terrible cases.

SLI cards are due to arrive within 7 days (i'm praying before this weekend) so updates will come in then with/without the side fans. 

With the front fans at 12V and the CPU fans at 'medium' controlled by the H80, the system is what i call 'silent' - at 5am this morning i turned it on and it sounded like ducted heating or cooling in the far distance, just a faint air moving sound.


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## peche (Aug 25, 2016)

nice build, great pics... !
Regards,


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## Ferrum Master (Aug 25, 2016)

You should add the bottom fan too. GPU likes that fan.

You need some decorations too


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## Mussels (Aug 25, 2016)

next idea: ghettoing those top vents slightly open for a little bit of cooling with no noise leakage.

In my mind i'm totally seeing it look like some kind of robot dinosaur... with no legs? i'll get back to you on that.


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## Toothless (Aug 25, 2016)

This thread basically equals to how I felt when I went from my Raidmax Agusta to my Phantecs Enthoo Pro; not that much outside size difference but oh goodness all the interior space.


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## Mussels (Aug 28, 2016)

GPU's just arrived but i've got an 8 hour shift at work today (and the next 4 days, ugh) so i'll take my time and throw in results when i can.

got that basic bench of the old GPU, so i'll re-rest with one and two of the new GPU's in the same setup as well as some wattage meter results

single GPU comparison:

Fans stay off til ~60C. I'll be poking that to see what kind of games i can run passively. Fans RPM is a lot lower - with the fans off in passive mode i can hear a difference between my CPU and case fans at low/high speeds now, so the gigabytes gentle whoosh must have blurred it all together.


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## Ferrum Master (Aug 29, 2016)

I can see 3 FPS meters in one screenshot. WOW  And each of them shows something else


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## Mussels (Aug 29, 2016)

Ferrum Master said:


> I can see 3 FPS meters in one screenshot. WOW  And each of them shows something else



and people wonder why benchmarks have error margins


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## Caring1 (Aug 29, 2016)

Very nice.


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## Mussels (Aug 29, 2016)

terrible pun chosen for system/thread name.

hard to figure out what tests are relevant really, since the new GPU's idle and load hotter than the old one - but its due to the totally different fan curve on the cards.


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## Ferrum Master (Aug 29, 2016)

You should borrow cat s60 maybe. Might come handy solving temps and better cooling.


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## Mussels (Sep 1, 2016)

rightio, i got a new PSU today - corsair HX750i platinum.
time for comparison numbers (will edit this post as they come in, then move them to OP later)

not bothering with temp results as this PSU setup sucks air from outside the case, so it wont change thermals even with the new zero RPM fan mode.
Hoping the capacitor whine these cards have is reduced or removed by the new, cleaner PSU.

HX1000:
Desktop Idle: 76W

Heaven DX11
60FPS: 280W
120FPS: 399W, cap whine even via audio.
UNLIMITED POWAH: 450W, capacitor whine so bad it came across the analog audio to my TV speakers :O
IBT: + UNLIMITED POWAH: 480W slightly less whine?

That was a surprise. I run HDMI audio to a receiver from my intel IGP, and analog audio to my TV for teamspeak. Hearing the whine come from the TV speakers was a shock, but great for listening to or recording the audio (remind me to upload that clip later)

HX750i:
Desktop Idle:  66W (thats a decent percentage drop)

Heaven DX11
60FPS: 221W (59W drop - biggest change)
120FPS: 377W (22W drop)
UNLIMITED POWAH: 420W (blaze it? 30W drop)

IBT: + UNLIMITED POWAH: 467W (13W drop)


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## Ferrum Master (Sep 1, 2016)

Mussels said:


> capacitor whine



Those are inductors that usually whine in PSU's, lack of glue and poor ferrite gap elimination, tightening.


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## Mussels (Sep 1, 2016)

its still there on the new PSU, although slightly reduced. Its more consistent now, and less like a digital machine gun.
with my case side panel on i can barely hear it, and this is at max DX11 load which i will rarely see in games.

wattage tests tomorrow after work, too tired to bother right now.


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## Ferrum Master (Sep 1, 2016)

Mussels said:


> too tired to bother right now.



I haven't powered my home PC for a week to... almost living at work for now.

Try disconnecting all chained devices(including monitor cables), maybe some ground loops. TV's are known to cause problems too. Also put on mute all unused sound inputs for the speaker problem.


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## Deeveo (Sep 1, 2016)

Nice going! I got a R5 myself and my brother has the R4, definitely like those more easily removable dust filters on the R5 (atleast R4 has em a bit better over the R3 on the front). More pics!


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## Mussels (Sep 3, 2016)

edited in the new wattage results.

what stands out there, is that i can run DX11, 60FPS - and have plenty of wattage to spare before my PSU fan even turns on (300W)

That gives me hope for a very long life on this PSU, sitting in its 'sweet spot'


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## Ferrum Master (Sep 3, 2016)

Mussels said:


> edited in the new wattage results




To spoil the number party. Were the room temperatures exact at both test times?


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## Mussels (Sep 4, 2016)

Ferrum Master said:


> To spoil the number party. Were the room temperatures exact at both test times?



of course not, do i look like a scientist to you?


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## Ferrum Master (Sep 4, 2016)

Mussels said:


> of course not, do i look like a scientist to you?



Btw any pics with the HX750i, isn't it shorter? Two fans?


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## Mussels (Sep 4, 2016)

i'll need daylight to get a better shot






not sure if 2x140mm will fit with the 750i, its still fairly large


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## Ferrum Master (Sep 4, 2016)

Mussels said:


> not sure if 2x140mm will fit with the 750i, its still fairly large



You see the reason why I hate fully modular supplies. I took supply for SATA from ATX cable and added wires to the ATX extender on the backside. You can always order one from the guys that make them, you have to give the drawing only.


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## Mussels (Sep 4, 2016)

i dont need bottom intakes with this setup anyway - i might do a side fan behind a magnetic dust filter tho, for help when summer rolls around here.


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## Recon-UK (Sep 4, 2016)

Love the pornographic motherboard, says XXX lol.
I will see myself out.


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