Bartacus
Well-known member
Dec. 22nd, 2020, 7:15PM EST: I get a text. The 5950x CPU I ordered 6 weeks ago has landed. It is a Christmas miracle! The Canada Computers guy notices the CPU doesn't look right through the box window, it's kinda crooked. We think nothing of it.
Dec. 22nd, 2020, 8:00PM EST: I open the box for the first time, and realize all is not well. It appears that the internal clamshell packaging looked half-open, as it pops apart as soon as I take it out of the box. My new $1200 CPU gets launched up into the air like it was spring-loaded, and I nearly crap my pants a full 20-30 years before this is acceptable! I managed to almost catch it, and it hits my palm, then lands on my thigh. Thankfully it didn't land on my desk or the floor. I decide to check the CPU to be sure it's fine, and that's when I crap my pants for the 2nd time. It is not fine, not fine at all. It is in fact MANGLED. MULTIPLE rows of bent pins, and there's no way my fat hand or thigh could cause that.
Dec. 23rd, 2020, 12:30PM EST: I take the CPU back to Canada Computers and talk to the guy who sold it to me. He had noticed the clamshell was actually crooked inside the bigger box when the CPU was delivered. He told his manager this, and I tell them exactly what happened, the whole truth, CPU goes flying, etc. When they see the damage, they realize there's no way I could have caused this accidentally. So I get a full refund, since there are no replacements to be had due to shortages. The only silver lining is that the tech guy says it's nothing, he figures he can EASILY unbend all these pins. None of them are crushed, just leaning. If they can resuscitate it, they'll sell it back to me at the original price, since AMD has increased ALL their CPU prices after launch. Nice.
Now after waiting weeks for that CPU, and STILL waiting for a new GPU, I decided I was going to move forward with my gaming rig rebuild, even if it's using the same hardware for now. My gaming rig is sitting in a case that no single GPU system should be in, a gargantuan Case Labs Magnum M8, with pedestal. So I'm relocating it into my Lian-Li Dynamic O11 XL (love this case so much I own 2 of em). If the new CPU gets fixed, it goes into this rig later. If a new GPU lands, and I can get a Heatkiller block for it, it will go in this rig too.
The rig is as follows (currently):
Gigabyte Aorus Master X570
Ryzen 9 3900X / Optimus CPU block
32Gb G.Skill Trident Neo RGB 3600 CL16 (16GB x 2)
Zotac 2080ti / Watercool Heatkiller GPU block
1TB Corsair MP600 PCIE4
2TB Corsair MP600 PCIE4
1TB Intel 600p old thing PCIE3
Corsair 850W PSU
So the starting point is this monstrosity:
Right before tear down:
The new case, awaiting guts:
Now as much as I love the Dynamic O11 XL, it does have one semi-flaw (and I'm being picky). That flaw being it's tough to plumb a GOOD drain into a loop in this thing. By GOOD, I mean one that will drain as much fluid as possible in one go without an old man having to risk hurting his back by tilting the case everywhere. So I decided to try to fix that, by doing something I NEVER do: drill a big hole in the case.
The step bit popped out, because when guys like me use tools, we're a danger to ourselves and everyone around us:
Now why drill that hole you might think? Well because in this new build, I will be using Alphacool crossflow XT45 radiators. These radiators have one *awesome* little quirk that other rads don't have, they have ports on BOTH sides. So they are very flexible. In this case, they will allow me to place the drain BELOW the bottom radiator, which is the entire point of this exercise. Well that and to give my case a pen0r:
Nicely hidden away:
Here I was doing some mock-up and loop planning with the EK fittings I had planned to use, but aborted cause these things are too fat, and are a pain. But they look nice:
Doing some layout testing, since I'm using crossflow rads on top and bottom. I wanted to make sure the ports were lined up as best as I could get them for simple tube runs:
Switched to Darkside angled fittings + old purple EK hard tube fittings, EK Quantum Torque fittings were just too damn bulky:
New flow meter / temp sensor looks sweet:
More to come soon!
Dec. 22nd, 2020, 8:00PM EST: I open the box for the first time, and realize all is not well. It appears that the internal clamshell packaging looked half-open, as it pops apart as soon as I take it out of the box. My new $1200 CPU gets launched up into the air like it was spring-loaded, and I nearly crap my pants a full 20-30 years before this is acceptable! I managed to almost catch it, and it hits my palm, then lands on my thigh. Thankfully it didn't land on my desk or the floor. I decide to check the CPU to be sure it's fine, and that's when I crap my pants for the 2nd time. It is not fine, not fine at all. It is in fact MANGLED. MULTIPLE rows of bent pins, and there's no way my fat hand or thigh could cause that.
Dec. 23rd, 2020, 12:30PM EST: I take the CPU back to Canada Computers and talk to the guy who sold it to me. He had noticed the clamshell was actually crooked inside the bigger box when the CPU was delivered. He told his manager this, and I tell them exactly what happened, the whole truth, CPU goes flying, etc. When they see the damage, they realize there's no way I could have caused this accidentally. So I get a full refund, since there are no replacements to be had due to shortages. The only silver lining is that the tech guy says it's nothing, he figures he can EASILY unbend all these pins. None of them are crushed, just leaning. If they can resuscitate it, they'll sell it back to me at the original price, since AMD has increased ALL their CPU prices after launch. Nice.
Now after waiting weeks for that CPU, and STILL waiting for a new GPU, I decided I was going to move forward with my gaming rig rebuild, even if it's using the same hardware for now. My gaming rig is sitting in a case that no single GPU system should be in, a gargantuan Case Labs Magnum M8, with pedestal. So I'm relocating it into my Lian-Li Dynamic O11 XL (love this case so much I own 2 of em). If the new CPU gets fixed, it goes into this rig later. If a new GPU lands, and I can get a Heatkiller block for it, it will go in this rig too.
The rig is as follows (currently):
Gigabyte Aorus Master X570
Ryzen 9 3900X / Optimus CPU block
32Gb G.Skill Trident Neo RGB 3600 CL16 (16GB x 2)
Zotac 2080ti / Watercool Heatkiller GPU block
1TB Corsair MP600 PCIE4
2TB Corsair MP600 PCIE4
1TB Intel 600p old thing PCIE3
Corsair 850W PSU
So the starting point is this monstrosity:
Right before tear down:
The new case, awaiting guts:
Now as much as I love the Dynamic O11 XL, it does have one semi-flaw (and I'm being picky). That flaw being it's tough to plumb a GOOD drain into a loop in this thing. By GOOD, I mean one that will drain as much fluid as possible in one go without an old man having to risk hurting his back by tilting the case everywhere. So I decided to try to fix that, by doing something I NEVER do: drill a big hole in the case.
The step bit popped out, because when guys like me use tools, we're a danger to ourselves and everyone around us:
Now why drill that hole you might think? Well because in this new build, I will be using Alphacool crossflow XT45 radiators. These radiators have one *awesome* little quirk that other rads don't have, they have ports on BOTH sides. So they are very flexible. In this case, they will allow me to place the drain BELOW the bottom radiator, which is the entire point of this exercise. Well that and to give my case a pen0r:
Nicely hidden away:
Here I was doing some mock-up and loop planning with the EK fittings I had planned to use, but aborted cause these things are too fat, and are a pain. But they look nice:
Doing some layout testing, since I'm using crossflow rads on top and bottom. I wanted to make sure the ports were lined up as best as I could get them for simple tube runs:
Switched to Darkside angled fittings + old purple EK hard tube fittings, EK Quantum Torque fittings were just too damn bulky:
New flow meter / temp sensor looks sweet:
More to come soon!