Cool It Down With A Vertical 120mm Fan
Above the radiator, we installed a surge tank into which the warmed water could run. From there, liquid flows into the radiator below and to the first GPU cooler. This ensures a constant supply of water to both pumps. Running out of the GPU's coolers, the water then proceeds down through the smaller radiator where it's cooled a bit. It makes its way through the CPU and back into the surge tank.
What you see here is a vertically aligned 120mm fan that provides improved airflow over the graphics cards' backplates. This is actually necessary in spite of the water cooling, as our cooler does not include a full backplate cover, which would normally cool the voltage regulation circuitry.
You may be asking, "What about extra heat from the cards?” After all, each GTX 1080 dissipates 25-30W of waste heat not addressed by the water cooler. Fortunately, the fans we installed in the desk took care of that problem easily.
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Note: Electricity And Water Don't Mix
Electricity and water do not mix, so taking our newly assembled project and putting it through the pump stress test had us on edge. To prevent any possible user error-based electrical injuries, we used an external power source that would not have contact with water.
We also discovered that, even though we used a dual-pump setup, a single pump would have worked too, albeit with significantly more noise.
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So Far, So Good
Seven to eight volts proved to be optimal as long as both pumps were running at identical speeds. Additionally, our worries about negative interactions between the two all-in-one pumps proved to be unfounded. Once the pumps were running, the flow was steady and constant with no microbubbles or other problems. At this point, we were finally able to reconnect our original power supply and start ratcheting up the performance step by step.
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Plenty Of Wiggle Room For Overclocking
At stock settings, the water temperature remained at a comfortable 35°C during our GPU/CPU stress test. This was a good sign because it left plenty of wiggle room to play with for overclocking.
After that, we cranked the GPUs to 2 GHz and the CPU to 4.3 GHz. Power consumption during this test registered just under 700W, of which we estimated that 620 to 630W of waste heat were absorbed by the water and funneled away by the radiators.
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What The Infrared Cameras Saw
Measuring with infrared cameras required us to remove the desk's glass surface. We used a special airtight wrap to simulate what the components would experience with the glass in place, resulting in temperatures of up to 50°C in some areas. Most of the enclosure was much cooler though, as you can see in this image.
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Staying Cool During Hot, Hot Summer Gaming Sessions
With GPU temperatures of 37°C and a CPU temp of 40°C representing the worst-case scenario, this setup should stay cool during the hottest of summer gaming sessions.
The Thermaltake fans we used for this project were louder than the Phobya fan setup we planned originally, but they were by no means problematic.
Sadly, we also couldn't use Phobya's Noiseblocker technology because the radiator’s thickness made it impossible to install. This resulted in an end water temperature of 44°C, which was just too high for our taste. At least the Thermaltake fans really hit the lighting sweet spot.
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Still Running Smooth, Five Months Later
The desk looks good regardless of how you set up its audio system. Both the soundbar option or separate speakers fit Lian-Li’s aesthetic, but be careful with how much weight you place on the glass surface; it's not rated for heavy speakers.
In the end, everything we wanted to install fit, and the custom water loop with twin Alphacool GPX Pro pumps has chugged along flawlessly for the past five months with almost daily use of several hours at a time.
Our choice of an SLI setup is not for everyone. The long-standing issues that come with multi-GPU builds, such as micro-stuttering and the lack of game profiles, remain prevalent. Had Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1080 Ti been available when we started this project, we would have foregone SLI altogether.
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Two Pumps Means Less Noise
The catlike grace of the dual-pump setup is icing on the cake. One pump could do the job, but the noise resulting from its higher RPM proved too disruptive for our delicate sensibilities. With two pumps working in tandem, we were able to reduce the necessary RPM significantly, thereby making the overall experience much more comfortable.
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Luxurious With A Price To Match
This desk is beautiful, but also expensive at a list price of $1450. Like a Titan Xp or Core i7-6950X, it's definitely a luxury item for affluent enthusiasts. Still, the DK-04X is both aesthetically pleasing and pleasantly useful if you're willing to spend the money.
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