So it's been a while since my last update.

Since I finished the build back in December it's been great, however whenever I did anything GPU intensive the I'd hear the coil whine from the GPU and it was triggering but I didn't think I could do much so I didn't think about it. Fast forward a few months, working from home continued to drive me crazy and I didn't have a project to unwind, I started looking into it doing a custom loop as another project and thought this would be a cool learning experience. Things started off by playing around in Corsair's Hydro X configurator then I say that JayzTwoCents put out an updated beginner's video guide on how to do it. Similar to my experience putting this build together, everything made sense and I now had a plan on how to do it.

I was apprehensive on taking apart the 3090 because RMA'ing it would have been a nightmare, however with the video from Jay and EK's manual on taking it apart, this was pretty straightforward.

Tube bending was the next thing I was worried about but again, the bending kit I got from Corsair is good for beginners like myself. A lot of trial and error happened but 1 pack of tubing ended up being enough.



I did underestimate the fittings I would need as some of the runs didn't go exactly to plan. Thankfully someone on Reddit pointed me to offset fittings which became a lifesaver for three of the runs and I ended up needing a 90-degree connector for a long run from the GPU to the rad.

Something else I didn't anticipate was changing my front fans. Before I had 6 fans in a push-pull configuration on the NZXT Z73's radiator and wanted to do the same for this, however, I didn't realise until I was trying to screw the fans in, is that you can only screw fans into a Corsair XR5's radiator on one side. Since my case could still support 140mm fans, I decided to switch to them but changed them to Corsair's QLs for aesthetics.



I know I could've made my life easier if I changed to a different case but I still love this case as it's not just a box but I wanted the challenge and I'm still very happy with the results. No more GPU coil whine and temps are great (< 35 degrees doing everyday tasks, no more than 55 degrees when gaming / GPU intensive tasks).

So my Ryzen finally turned up so I was able to finally finish the build.

Had some initial trouble getting into the BIOs but got there eventually (had to connect to the monitor via HDMI instead of Displayport for some bizzare reason).

At the moment I've got this set up with the G9 on my dining table which is temporary until I can move my work PC back to work.

Using this with the G9 is incredible. I have so much screen space to run all the applications I need without overlapping windows. Destiny 2, Mortal Kombat 11 and CoD Cold War run amazing on it.

The PC itself is done but the setup isn't. The original plan was to have my own office space where I have a standing desk to have this in but that fell through so is on hold for now. Once we finally move and I have my work/battlestation set up, I'll post another update.

I managed to order a 5950X yesterday however Scan fucked up (again) so no processor until the end of the month.

This delays my plan to have the build finished today but I felt compelled to finish what I can and do cable management. Had to replace the top-rear 140 fan with a 120 due to the CPU cable not being able to get routed through the grommet.

Since I'm replacing the glass for mesh in the front panel, this allowed me to do a pull/push setup in the front expect for the middle NZXT AIO fan on the inside due to the sheer size of the Strix 3090.

Thank god for the PSU shroud, managed to tuck away the cables down there. Cable management in general has fine for the most part. I did have trouble with the front panel connectors and the Commander Pro's USB connector to the motherboard, had to unscrew the motherboard and lift it in order to get them through.

Ryzen soon, can't wait.

The Strix 3090 came in today! Very happy about it so making a start tonight with installing what I can and I want to make sure the 3090 has clearance from the front panel.

I removed the glass from the front panel and my girlfriend stenciled it on rodent mesh that I got from Amazon for £10, then cut it out. Looks good, considering painting tomorrow.

Just the Ryzen now. Fingers crossed I manage to get one tomorrow.