Project ARCC — Engineering White Paper

Section 1

Introduction

Project ARCC is the flagship engineering platform of MechE Designs—a system conceived not merely as a high-performance PC, but as a showcase of disciplined engineering practice applied to consumer-grade hardware. ARCC serves simultaneously as a functional workstation, a content-creation asset, a thermal-system demonstrator, and a long-term platform for experimentation in advanced PC subsystem integration.

The intent of this white paper is to document ARCC’s design as an engineered system: its requirements, architecture, constraints, trade studies, risks, and the rationale behind the final configuration. Unlike traditional PC build guides, this document emphasizes traceability, decision-making logic, and lifecycle considerations—approaching the build the way an engineer approaches a complex mechanical or thermal system.

This document also acknowledges that PC hardware evolves rapidly. Early drafts of ARCC’s design were influenced by market volatility, component shortages, shifting thermal solutions, and new ecosystem developments (such as the introduction of Corsair’s Commander Duo enabling cross-vendor sensor interoperability). Version 3 of this white paper incorporates those changes and reflects ARCC’s current state of design maturity.

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed are independent and based on firsthand experience, research, and testing conducted during the design and development of Project ARCC. MechE Designs is not affiliated with any manufacturer or vendor referenced herein.

Note: Requirements documented in this white paper reflect system needs identified through iterative prototyping, design validation, and architectural refinement. These requirements were derived independently of any specific hardware choices and were not retroactively created to justify design decisions; rather, component selections were made to satisfy the evolving and validated system requirements.

Section 2

System Architecture Overview

Project ARCC is structured as a multi-domain engineered system whose subsystems interact across thermal, electrical, mechanical, and software interfaces. To evaluate design decisions rigorously, ARCC’s architecture is decomposed into five primary subsystems.

2.1 Compute Subsystem

The compute subsystem consists of the core processing components responsible for executing workstation, gaming, and content-creation workloads. It includes:

Central Processing Unit (CPU): AMD Ryzen 9 9800X3D (AM5)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): Gigabyte RTX 5080 (Gaming OC) with Alphacool Core full-cover water block
Memory: 32 GB Corsair Dominator Titanium DDR5
Primary Storage: 4 TB Samsung 990 Pro NVMe
Secondary Storage: Two additional 4 TB Samsung 990 Pro NVMe drives (non-primary storage)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650E AORUS STEALTH ICE (back-connect)

This subsystem interfaces with:

Thermal subsystem: via CPU/GPU water blocks and coolant routing clearances
Power subsystem: through ATX, EPS, and PCIe connectors routed behind the motherboard tray
Structural subsystem: through ATX mounting points, expansion slots, and case-defined keep-out zones
SMaC subsystem: via telemetry reporting (CPU/GPU temperature) and HDMI output for the internal 10.1" display

The AM5 platform ensures access to current-generation PCIe 5.0 for GPU lanes, aligning with long-term upgradeability goals.

2.2 Thermal Management Subsystem

Thermal management is a defining architectural element in ARCC. It includes:

Cooling Loop: Custom hardline liquid-cooling loop for CPU and GPU
Radiators: Four 480 mm radiators (2× GTX front, 2× GTS top)
Pumps: Dual D5-class pumps in series (PWM-controlled)
Reservoir/Distribution: Optimus pump/reservoir assemblies
Fans: 26 Corsair LX series fans
Sensors: Coolant temperature, pump speed

This subsystem maintains thermal stability, satisfies acoustic targets, and supports future-growth scenarios such as adding a second system (SPARQ or VOLT). The design prioritizes low coolant-to-ambient deltas at minimal fan RPMs, enabled by oversizing radiator capacity.

2.3 Electrical Power Subsystem

The electrical subsystem provides stable power with sufficient margin for both baseline operation and scaling:

PSU: Corsair AX1600i (1600 W, 80+ Titanium)
Power Allocation: CPU, GPU, pumps, fans, SMaC display, and future secondary system
Distribution: Fully modular cabling routed through back-connect motherboard architecture

The PSU selection reflects a conservative approach to long-term power provisioning, ensuring the system remains within optimal efficiency bands.

2.4 System Monitoring and Control (SMaC) Subsystem

SMaC provides real-time visibility into thermal and performance metrics and enables closed-loop control across ARCC’s hybrid software environment. As ARCC matured, the SMaC subsystem evolved into a two-tier architecture— leveraging both Aquacomputer Aquasuite and Corsair iCUE—to capitalize on the strengths of each ecosystem.

Instrumentation: Coolant temperature (10 kΩ NTC), pump speed, CPU/GPU temperatures, and fan RPMs
Display System: Integrated 10.1-inch internal display mounted to a custom SendCutSend-fabricated blanking plate; the display is driven by motherboard HDMI output and powered via internal USB
Software Layer:
- Aquasuite: Primary monitoring environment; manages pump speed curves, flow-rate logic, coolant-based alarm thresholds, and all telemetry shown on the 10.1" display
- iCUE / iCUE Link: Controls fan curves, lighting, and Commander Duo integration for third-party sensors

This hybrid approach allows ARCC to maintain precise coolant-driven thermal control while preserving unified lighting and fan management within the Corsair ecosystem. The resulting SMaC subsystem offers high-fidelity telemetry, reliable loop control, and a clean, centralized visual interface without forcing the build into a single-vendor software ecosystem.

2.5 Structural Subsystem

The structural subsystem provides the mechanical foundation for ARCC, defines spatial boundaries for all other subsystems, and supports custom fabricated components integrated throughout the build. It includes:

Chassis: Corsair 9000D, serving as the primary load-bearing structure for compute, cooling, and power components
Custom Fabricated Components: SendCutSend-produced blanking plates for cable concealment, SMaC display mounting, and subsystem compartmentalization
Mechanical Interfaces: Radiator mounting rails, pump/reservoir brackets, motherboard tray with back-connect cutouts, GPU support structure

The structural subsystem ensures that:

The compute subsystem interfaces mechanically with the 9000D via ATX mounting points and GPU expansion slots
The thermal subsystem integrates securely through radiator mounts, pump brackets, and dedicated tube routing clearances
The electrical subsystem aligns with cable routing channels enabled by the back-connect motherboard architecture
The SMaC subsystem is mechanically supported by the custom 10.1" display plate and associated mounting hardware

These five subsystems form the foundation of ARCC’s system architecture. The following section defines the requirements that govern their design.

Section 3

Requirements

The following requirements define the technical, functional, and operational expectations for Project ARCC. These requirements serve as the foundation for system-level decision-making, trade studies, and subsystem integration.

3.1 Functional Requirements

FR-1: The system shall operate as a high-performance workstation capable of gaming, content creation, and engineering workloads.
FR-2: The system shall support a fully custom water-cooling loop for both CPU and GPU.
FR-3: The system shall provide real-time visibility into thermal and performance metrics through the integrated 10.1" SMaC display.
FR-4: The system shall support hybrid control using both Aquasuite (pumps, monitoring) and iCUE (fans, lighting).
FR-5: The system shall allow future expansion for a secondary compute system (e.g., SPARQ or VOLT) within the same chassis envelope.

3.2 Performance Requirements

PR-1: The CPU and GPU shall maintain performance without thermal-induced throttling under sustained full-load conditions.
PR-2: The cooling system shall maintain coolant temperatures within a target range of 28–45 °C under normal operating conditions.
PR-3: The system shall provide sufficient PCIe bandwidth (PCIe 5.0 x16) for current-generation GPUs.
PR-4: Storage subsystems shall sustain high throughput, utilizing three Samsung 990 Pro NVMe drives for primary and secondary storage.

3.3 Thermal Requirements

TR-1: The system shall utilize four 480 mm radiators to maintain low coolant-to-ambient deltas during load.
TR-2: The cooling loop shall use dual D5-class pumps to ensure adequate head pressure and redundancy.
TR-3: The system shall support accurate coolant monitoring via 10 kΩ NTC sensors integrated into the Commander Duo and Aquasuite.
TR-4: Thermal interfaces shall maintain required clearances for hardline tubing, pump mounting, and radiator installation.

3.4 Acoustic Requirements

AR-1: The system shall remain acoustically optimized, prioritizing silent or near-silent operation at idle and low workloads.
AR-2: Fan curves shall be coolant-temperature-based to minimize unnecessary RPM fluctuations.
AR-3: Pump speeds shall be dynamically controlled by Aquasuite to balance noise and flow performance.

3.5 Reliability & Maintainability Requirements

RM-1: The system shall ensure mechanical reliability through secure radiator, pump, and reservoir mounting.
RM-2: The loop shall be designed for serviceability, allowing periodic drainage, cleaning, and component replacement.
RM-3: Cabling shall be routed cleanly (via back-connect motherboard and custom blanking plates) to reduce mechanical strain and simplify maintenance.
RM-4: The system shall be protected against power fluctuations via a high-efficiency 1600 W PSU with ample headroom.

3.6 Integration Requirements

IR-1: The hybrid Aquasuite/iCUE control architecture shall operate without software conflicts.
IR-2: Telemetry data shall be shared cleanly across monitoring layers without duplication or instability.
IR-3: Custom structural components (blanking plates, SMaC display plate) shall mechanically interface with the 9000D to avoid vibration or interference.
IR-4: Hardline tubing, cabling, and structural elements shall coexist without obstructing hardware access or airflow.

3.7 Structural & Mechanical Requirements

SM-1: The Corsair 9000D chassis shall serve as the primary structural element supporting all subsystems.
SM-2: All custom plates shall meet SendCutSend fabrication tolerances and maintain dimensional compatibility.
SM-3: GPU, motherboard, and radiator mounting shall comply with ATX/PCIe and Corsair 9000D mechanical standards.
SM-4: The 10.1" display shall mount securely via the custom plate without imposing stress on adjacent components.

3.8 Electrical Requirements

EL-1: The PSU shall provide sufficient continuous and peak power for CPU, GPU, pumps, fans, and future subsystems.
EL-2: All power distribution cables shall be routed behind the motherboard via back-connect features.
EL-3: The SMaC display shall receive stable HDMI and USB power without interfering with thermal pathways.

3.9 Monitoring & Control Requirements

MC-1: Coolant temperature shall be the primary control variable for both pump and fan curves.
MC-2: Pump control shall be managed by Aquasuite, while fans and lighting are controlled by iCUE Link.
MC-3: The 10.1" internal display shall provide real-time visualization of all critical telemetry.
MC-3: All sensors shall be 10 kΩ NTC-compatible and integrated through Corsair Commander Duo or Aquacomputer hardware.

Section 4

Thermal & Cooling Architecture

The thermal architecture of Project ARCC is the defining subsystem that enables sustained performance, acoustic stability, and long-term reliability. The system is intentionally overprovisioned to maintain exceptionally low coolant-to-ambient deltas while operating at low fan speeds, ensuring both thermal headroom and silent operation.

4.1 Radiator Strategy

ARCC employs a high-capacity, multi-radiator configuration:

Front Radiators: 2 × Hardware Labs Black Ice Nemesis 480GTX (high-density, high-thickness)
Top Radiators: 2 × Hardware Labs Black Ice Nemesis 480GTS (low-profile, airflow-efficient)

This combination balances thermal mass, fin density, and airflow resistance. The thicker GTX units capitalize on the high static-pressure capabilities of the Corsair LX fans, while the slimmer GTS units in the top position preserve clearance and airflow compatibility.

The radiator layout supports:

Extremely low delta-T under load
Quiet operation due to reduced required fan RPM
Future thermal loads from potential secondary systems (SPARQ or VOLT)

4.2 Coolant Routing & Loop Topology

The coolant loop is designed to minimize restriction, avoid thermal stacking, and maintain serviceability:

Series Configuration: CPU → GPU → Radiators → Reservoir/Pumps
Hardline Tubing: 14 mm OD satin hardline for structural rigidity and visual clarity
Hidden Soft-Tube Run: A concealed soft-tube channel behind the motherboard tray connects the front and top radiators, reducing visible tubing density and simplifying routing

The loop topology avoids tight bends, minimizes turbulence, and ensures uniform coolant temperature distribution.

4.3 Pump Selection & Configuration

To achieve high flow stability:

Pumps: Dual D5-class pumps in series
Control: PWM duty cycle controlled via Aquasuite
Target Flow: Tuned for optimal waterblock efficiency without introducing pump noise

Dual pumps provide both redundancy and increased available head pressure, aligning with ARCC’s reliability requirements.

4.4 Airflow Model

ARCC uses a pressure-balanced airflow approach tuned around radiator performance and chassis exhaust capacity:

Front Intake (Push/Pull): High-static-pressure LX fans configured in push/pull through the front GTX radiators to maximize heat exchanger effectiveness at low RPM
Top Exhaust (Push Only): LX fans in a push-only configuration through the top GTS radiators to preserve clearance and minimize turbulence near the motherboard and cabling
Rear Exhaust: Two LX fans at the rear of the 9000D provide direct chassis exhaust, helping evacuate residual warm air from the GPU, VRM, and pump/reservoir regions
Bottom Zone: Kept unobstructed to maintain clean airflow paths and avoid recirculation from lower-chassis components

This model minimizes recirculation and eliminates thermal hotspots, particularly around the GPU zone and pump/reservoir bays.

4.5 Sensor Integration & Thermal Telemetry

Accurate thermal data drives the hybrid control architecture:

Coolant Temperature: Primary control variable for pump and fan behavior
CPU/GPU Internal Sensors: Provide component-level data for real-time validation

The sensors are integrated into:

Aquasuite: Pump control, coolant-based alarm thresholds, and visualization on the 10.1" internal display
iCUE Link: Fan curves and Commander Duo sensor interpretation

This ensures tightly coupled coolant-based regulation across both ecosystems without relying on a dedicated flow sensor.

4.6 Acoustic Optimization

Low acoustic output is an explicit design objective achieved through:

Oversized radiator capacity
Low-RPM fan curves based on coolant temperature
Single-path airflow design to reduce turbulence
Pump speeds dynamically controlled for noise-to-flow balance

The resulting thermal system maintains near-silent operation during everyday workloads while providing substantial cooling headroom.

Section 5

Component Selection Rationale

The following section documents the engineering rationale behind the selection of each major component used in Project ARCC. These decisions were guided by the system requirements defined in Section 3, with emphasis on thermal performance, reliability, ecosystem interoperability, structural integration, and long-term upgradeability.

5.1 CPU — AMD Ryzen 9 9800X3D

The Ryzen 9 9800X3D was selected for its exceptional gaming performance and strong efficiency characteristics. The 3D V-Cache architecture offers significant gains in latency-sensitive workloads while maintaining a relatively low thermal footprint compared to higher-wattage flagship CPUs. This aligns directly with ARCC’s thermal and acoustic requirements:

High performance without sustained thermal throttling under load (PR-1)
Improved efficiency reduces loop heat load (TR-1)
Favorable value-to-performance ratio for gaming and mixed workloads

The decision also reduces demands on radiator capacity, pump speed, and coolant flow, enabling quieter operation and reinforcing ARCC’s headroom-first philosophy.

5.2 GPU — Gigabyte RTX 5080 with Alphacool Core Water Block

The RTX 5080 provides a high-performance GPU platform with improved efficiency over previous generations. The Gigabyte RTX 5080 Gaming OC model was selected due to block compatibility and a PCB layout suited for the chosen water block.

The Alphacool Core full-cover water block was selected for:

Direct compatibility with the 5080 Gaming OC PCB
High fin density and micro-channel design that pairs well with ARCC’s flow characteristics
Full-cover VRM, memory, and GPU cooling
A clean industrial aesthetic that aligns with ARCC’s overall design language

Water-cooling the GPU significantly reduces its thermal contribution to the internal chassis environment, improving both delta-T performance and acoustic characteristics.

5.3 Motherboard — Gigabyte B650E AORUS STEALTH ICE (Back-Connect)

The Stealth Ice motherboard supports ARCC’s structural and maintainability requirements better than any forward-connect AM5 option available at the time of selection.

Key drivers for selection include:

Back-connect architecture that reduces visible cabling and clutter (RM-3)
PCIe 5.0 GPU lane support (PR-3)
Robust VRM thermals for long-term reliability
Internal HDMI output for the SMaC display

The board’s layout also simplifies coolant routing by reducing front-side cable congestion and opening cleaner channels for hardline runs and radiator integration.

5.4 Memory — Corsair Dominator Titanium DDR5 (32 GB)

Memory selection prioritized stability, aesthetic integration, and adequate bandwidth for mixed workstation loads. While higher capacities are available, 32 GB meets current performance requirements without increasing cost unnecessarily.

Corsair Dominator modules were selected due to:

Proven DDR5 reliability
Design alignment with ARCC’s visual aesthetic
iCUE integration for lighting control (IR-1, MC-2)

This capacity can be revisited in the future if ARCC’s workload profile shifts toward heavier simulation or content-creation tasks.

5.5 Storage — Samsung 990 Pro (4 TB × 3)

Storage architecture includes three Samsung 990 Pro NVMe drives:

Primary OS Drive: 4 TB
Secondary Workload Drive: 4 TB
Miscellaneous Data Repository: 4 TB

The rationale includes:

Excellent sustained throughput for workstation workloads (PR-4)
Lower thermals and higher efficiency compared to competing PCIe 4.0/5.0 drives
Simplified cable routing due to all-NVMe storage
Strong endurance and reliability characteristics

This configuration ensures ARCC can handle gaming, engineering software, scratch workloads, and long-form content capture without storage bottlenecks.

5.6 Power Supply — Corsair AX1600i

The AX1600i remains one of the most reliable PSUs in the enthusiast market. Its Titanium efficiency curve and digital monitoring capabilities directly support ARCC’s electrical and reliability requirements.

Key selection factors:

Ample 1600 W capacity with significant headroom for future upgrades (EL-1)
Titanium efficiency reduces internal PSU heat generation (TR-1)
Fully modular design supports back-connect routing (EL-2)
Proven transient-response stability for high-end GPUs, mitigating power spike risk (R-6)

This PSU ensures ARCC remains stable even under transient GPU load spikes and future expansion scenarios.

5.7 Radiators — Hardware Labs Black Ice Nemesis (GTX & GTS)

Hardware Labs radiators were selected due to their industry-leading thermal performance, build quality, and predictable pressure-drop characteristics.

480GTX (Front): High-density, thick radiators ideal for push/pull configurations
480GTS (Top): Slim, airflow-efficient radiators that preserve motherboard and cabling clearance

This pairing maximizes heat dissipation while maintaining clean airflow pathways. The radiator array is intentionally oversized—providing substantial thermal mass and surface area headroom, effectively eliminating coolant-temperature spiking under load.

In practical terms, ARCC’s radiator capacity was selected to be far beyond the minimum required, prioritizing exceptionally low deltas, near-silent operation, and long-term thermal stability.

5.8 Fans — Corsair LX Series

The LX series fans were chosen to support ARCC’s combined acoustic, thermal, and aesthetic goals.

Selection rationale:

High static pressure suitable for the dense GTX front radiators
Low noise profile at reduced RPM
Advanced lighting capabilities with deep iCUE integration
PWM control compatibility that pairs with coolant-driven fan curves (MC-2)

These characteristics allow ARCC to sustain low fan speeds while maintaining excellent exchanger performance.

5.9 Pump & Reservoir — Dual D5 + Optimus Reservoirs

Pump selection was driven by reliability and head-pressure requirements. D5-class pumps are widely regarded for their durability, smooth operating characteristics, and compatibility with a wide range of loop topologies.

Key reasons for the dual D5 + Optimus configuration:

Dual D5 configuration aligns with thermal and redundancy requirements (TR-2, RM-1)
PWM control allows precise flow-to-noise tuning in Aquasuite
Optimus reservoirs provide clean mounting solutions and aid in air separation and bleeding

This combination ensures both performance and maintainability, supporting ARCC’s long-term serviceability goals.

5.10 Software Ecosystem — Aquasuite + iCUE Link

A hybrid software approach was selected after evaluating the limitations of single-ecosystem control solutions.

Aquasuite: Provides high-fidelity monitoring, pump control, and visualization for the 10.1" internal display
iCUE Link: Provides simplified fan control, lighting integration, and native support for Commander Duo sensors

This hybrid architecture meets integration and monitoring requirements without locking ARCC into a restrictive single-vendor ecosystem. It enables coolant-driven control where it matters most while retaining a unified lighting and fan management experience.

5.11 Tubing — 14 mm OD Satin Hardline + Hidden Soft-Tube Segment

Tubing selection supports both performance and aesthetics in ARCC:

Satin hardline: Provides a clean, architectural look aligned with ARCC’s precision aesthetic
Hidden soft-tube segment: Simplifies radiator-to-radiator routing behind the motherboard tray and preserves serviceability

This mixed-material approach balances visual clarity, structural rigidity, and maintenance practicality, supporting both the Maintainability Constraint (C-4) and long-term lifecycle plans.

Section 6

Constraints & Trade Studies

Project ARCC encountered a number of real-world engineering constraints throughout its development. This section documents those constraints using a hybrid approach: each constraint (C-#) is formally defined, followed by a narrative explanation and the trade study (TS-#) conducted to reach the final design decision. The goal is to preserve engineering rigor while also providing practical insight for builders and learners.

C-1: Thermal Headroom Constraint

Constraint: ARCC required extremely low coolant-to-ambient deltas under sustained load while maintaining near-silent operation. Achieving this simultaneously demanded far more radiator surface area than a conventional high-end PC.

Narrative: From the beginning of ARCC’s design process, the goal was to build a system with massive long-term thermal headroom—not just enough cooling for today’s hardware, but enough for the next several GPU and CPU generations. Power consumption and TDP trends for high-end graphics cards have been climbing sharply, and ARCC needed to be architected so future upgrades would not require redesigning the cooling system or replacing the PSU.

The Corsair 9000D played a major role in this decision. Its layout naturally supports four 480 mm radiators, and rather than leaving emptiness in a case designed for extreme water-cooling, the design intent shifted toward fully utilizing that space. More radiators meant lower deltas, lower fan speeds, less noise, and more room for future thermal load—all aligning with ARCC’s requirements for silence, stability, and longevity.

This approach also synergized with the decision to overprovision the PSU: thermal and electrical headroom formed parallel pillars of ARCC’s long-term design philosophy.

TS-1: Radiator Quantity & Configuration Trade Study

Options evaluated:

(a) 2 × 480 mm (baseline high-end)
(b) 3 × 480 mm (elevated capacity)
(c) 4 × 480 mm (selected) — maximum thermal mass and surface area

Outcome:

Option (c) provided:

Lowest deltas by a significant margin
Minimal fan RPM requirements
Stability against future heat-load increases
A quieter acoustic profile due to reduced airflow demand

The four-radiator configuration aligned best with ARCC’s thermal requirements and acoustic goals.

C-2: Ecosystem & Software Lock-In Constraint

Constraint: No single vendor ecosystem offered all required functionality: Aquasuite provided unmatched monitoring, while iCUE offered superior fan control and lighting integration. Historically, these ecosystems could not interoperate cleanly.

Narrative: Selecting fans became a major constraint the moment ARCC’s four-radiator architecture was finalized. With that many fans, cable management becomes a nightmare unless the fans can daisy-chain cleanly. To minimize wiring bulk and keep the build visually clean, the selection narrowed to two ecosystems: Lian Li Uni fans and Corsair iCUE Link fans.

Choosing Corsair solved the cable problem—fewer wires, cleaner routing, and deeper integration with the rest of ARCC’s Corsair hardware—but introduced a new constraint: iCUE software simply is not on the same level as Aquasuite for coolant-aware control, customization, or reliability.

For a long time, this meant accepting compromises: fans would be controlled in the weaker ecosystem, and coolant temperature would be difficult to use as a unified control variable unless Corsair pumps were also used. The architecture felt split and restricted by ecosystem walls.

The release of Corsair's Commander Duo resolved this issue. It allowed ARCC to feed native 10 kΩ NTC coolant sensors into iCUE. This enabled proper coolant temperature-based fan curves without abandoning Aquasuite. This also allowed the design to be fully hybridized: Aquasuite for pumps and high-fidelity monitoring, and iCUE Link for fans and lighting, with coolant temperature cleanly available to both.

TS-2: Control-Software Architecture Trade Study

Options evaluated:

(a) Full Aquasuite (excellent pump control, limited minimum-cabling fan ecosystem)
(b) Full iCUE (excellent fans/lighting, weak coolant-based control with non-Corsair pumps)
(c) Hybrid Architecture (selected) — Aquasuite for pumps/telemetry, iCUE Link for fans/lighting

Outcome:

The hybrid model provided the strengths of both ecosystems without forcing mission-critical control into a weaker subsystem. ARCC maintains coolant-driven pump control and high-quality visualization while preserving unified fan control and lighting.

C-3: Structural & Fabrication Constraints

Constraint: Custom SendCutSend components—blanking plates, display brackets, and airflow covers—were limited by fabrication rules: minimum bend-relief sizes, material thickness, hole tolerances, and bend-radius limitations.

Narrative: Several early designs violated SCS bending requirements, particularly at internal corners and relief cuts. Some prototypes required redesign after SCS flagged potential issues. This added cost and iteration time but ultimately produced more robust parts.

TS-3: Fabrication Method Trade Study

Options evaluated:

(a) Multi-bend parts (fewer components, more fabrication constraints)
(b) Flat-plate assemblies (simpler tolerances, more fasteners)
(c) Hybrid approach (selected) — strategic bending + simple flats

Outcome:

The selected hybrid approach reduced manufacturing risk while preserving ARCC’s clean internal structure and visual cohesion.

C-4: Maintainability Constraint

Constraint: Hardline loops look exceptional but impose severe penalties on ease of service. ARCC needed a maintainable architecture without sacrificing the precision aesthetic.

Narrative: Fully rigid designs risked making future upgrades nearly impossible—especially given ARCC’s long-term plan to integrate SPARQ or VOLT in the same chassis. Additionally, fully rigid radiator-to-radiator connections became impractical due to case geometry.

TS-4: Loop Serviceability Trade Study

Options evaluated:

(a) All-hardline loop (highest aesthetic, lowest serviceability)
(b) All-softline loop (max serviceability, reduced aesthetic precision)
(c) Mixed hardline/softline loop (selected)

Outcome:

Option (c) met both goals: maintaining the high-precision hardline aesthetic while keeping a concealed, serviceable soft-tube segment for drainage, routing simplicity, and future expansion.

C-5: Acoustic Constraint

Constraint: ARCC was required to remain near-silent at idle and low workloads, even with 26 fans and dual pumps.

Narrative: Silence was a non-negotiable design requirement rooted in ARCC’s dual purpose as both a workstation and a content-creation machine. Large fan arrays risk turbulence, tonal noise, vibration coupling, and unnecessary speed ramping.

TS-5: Acoustic Optimization Trade Study

Options evaluated:

(a) High-RPM-capable fans with aggressive curves
(b) Low-RPM, large-surface-area cooling (selected)
(c) Acoustic dampening materials (not needed)

Outcome:

Oversized radiators plus LX fans at low RPM achieved the best acoustic profile. Aquasuite coolant-driven curves prevented unnecessary pump and fan RPM spikes, resulting in a stable, ultra-quiet system across workloads.

C-6: Internal USB Header Limitation

Constraint: Insufficient quantity of internal USB headers to provide necessary data connections across Compute and SMaC subsystems.

Narrative: The Gigabyte B650E Aorus Stealth Ice motherboard provides only two internal USB 2.0 headers and one USB 3.x front-panel header, which is insufficient for ARCC’s required internal USB devices (iCUE Link components, Aquacomputer Quadro, SMaC display, and auxiliary sensors). Reliable device enumeration and stable telemetry polling require powered downstream ports with known compatibility.

TS-6: Internal USB Hub Definition

Options evaluated:

(a) Gen 3 NZXT Internal USB Header (selected)
(b) Aquacomputer HUBBY7 Internal USB 2.0 Hub

Outcome:

Selected two NZXT Internal USB Hubs to provide ample, powered internal USB capacity with proven compatibility. This resolves the header shortage, avoids bus saturation, and ensures stable iCUE + Aquasuite operation within ARCC’s dense sensor/controller environment.

C-7: Vertical GPU Clearance Constraint

Constraint: ARCC’s initial design intent included vertically mounting the GPU to showcase the Alphacool Core water block’s internal jet plate, flow channels, and acrylic window. However, the available interior clearance inside the Corsair 9000D—after accounting for the SPARQ subsystem, PSU shroud geometry, hardline tubing paths, and case tolerances—proved insufficient to support a vertical GPU orientation without major architectural redesigns.

Narrative: Early in ARCC’s development, vertical GPU mounting was strongly desired. The Alphacool Core block exposes the coolant pathways very well, and rotating the GPU toward the side panel would have created a natural visual anchor for the build. But once the vertical GPU was mocked up and the internal geometry was analyzed, several clearance issues surfaced. The 9000D officially supports vertical GPUs if the secondary motherboard tray is not utilized. In the case of this system SPARQ occupies the lower left quadrant, and its motherboard, cabling, and accompanying cable shroud consume a large portion of the available space. Adding the PCIe riser assembly underneath a vertical GPU and the needed standoff distance to avoid contact between SPARQ's motherboard and the 9000Ds PSU shroud resulted in repeated interference during fit-checks.

Attempts to recover clearance—such as utilizing third-party vertical GPU mounts (even modifying those mounts), and installing a low-profile CPU cooler on SPARQ were unsuccessful. Additionally a multi-configuration approach was considered. A "showcase" configuration without SPARQ installed and the GPU mounted vertically and an "everyday" configuration with SPARQ installed and the GPU mounted horizontally. This would require the creation of a "mod kit" consisting of the necessary tubing, fittings, mounting plates, etc. to accomodate the different loop configurations. The net result was clear: forcing vertical orientation would have created cascading design churn including design and fabrication of novel parts. Despite the aesthetic appeal of a vertical mount, ARCC’s horizontally-mounted GPU offered predictable integration, stable clearances, and zero impact to tubing layout, airflow paths, or SPARQ visibility. The trade-off ultimately favored architectural integrity over a single visual flourish.

TS-7: GPU Orientation Trade Study

Options evaluated:

(a) Permanent vertical orientation (original goal)
(b) Two independent configurations
(c) Permanent horizontal orientation (selected)

Outcome:

Options (a) and (b) added significant design and fabrication complexity and cost while Option (c) preserved all integration requirements, maintained clean sightlines, avoided shroud proliferation, and protected the build’s visual and mechanical cohesiveness. The horizontal configuration aligns best with ARCC’s spatial constraints, tubing architecture, and overall aesthetic goals.

Section 7

Risks & Mitigations

The following risks were identified during ARCC’s design, fabrication, and integration phases. Each risk includes its category, description, potential impact, and the mitigation strategy used to reduce system-level consequences. These risks reflect a mix of engineering challenges, ecosystem limitations, and practical constraints inherent to building a high-complexity, long-lifespan water-cooled platform.

R-1: Thermal Load Growth Risk

Category: Thermal / Future-Proofing

Description: Future GPUs and CPUs are trending toward significantly higher TDPs. Without proper headroom, ARCC could be at risk of thermal saturation during future upgrades.

Impact: Elevated coolant temperatures, increased fan/pump noise, reduced acoustic performance, and potential redesign of the cooling loop.

Mitigation: ARCC’s radiator capacity was intentionally overbuilt: four 480 mm radiators, dual D5 pumps, and a high-efficiency airflow model that ensure the system can absorb future heat loads with minimal rework.

R-2: Software Ecosystem Instability

Category: Software Integration / Control Logic

Description: Hybrid control across Aquasuite and iCUE introduces risk of conflicting device polling, unstable fan curves, or duplicated telemetry sources.

Impact: Unreliable pump or fan behavior, inconsistent lighting states, or incomplete monitoring visibility.

Mitigation: Control responsibilities were partitioned: Aquasuite manages pumps and telemetry; iCUE controls fans and lighting. ARCC expanded from two to four 10 kΩ NTC coolant sensors after adopting the Commander Duo, providing dedicated sensor pairs for each ecosystem and eliminating cross-polling conflicts entirely. Coolant-driven control is now deterministic and isolated per subsystem.

R-3: Structural Fitment & Fabrication Risk

Category: Mechanical / Manufacturing

Description: Custom SendCutSend plates risk dimensional inaccuracies due to bend radii, fabrication tolerances, and minimum relief sizes.

Impact: Misalignment with the 9000D, display vibration, cable strain, or repeated fabrication costs.

Mitigation: Iterative prototyping and strict adherence to SCS design rules. Early prototypes revealed tolerance issues that were corrected in later revisions, improving mechanical integration and subsystem clearances.

R-4: Loop Serviceability Risk

Category: Maintainability

Description: Fully rigid hardline loops can significantly hinder maintenance, upgrades, and component replacement.

Impact: Increased time and cost for draining, refilling, or modifying the loop. Reduced long-term flexibility for integrating SPARQ or VOLT.

Mitigation: A mixed-material loop topology was adopted: predominantly hardline for aesthetics, with a hidden soft-tube segment behind the motherboard tray for drainage and radiator servicing.

R-5: Acoustic Performance Risk

Category: Acoustic / User Experience

Description: A system with 26 fans and two pumps risks tonal noise, turbulence, vibration coupling, and RPM oscillation.

Impact: Audible fan ramping, higher noise floor, or reduced suitability for content creation.

Mitigation: Oversized radiator capacity and coolant-temperature-based fan curves maintain extremely low RPM. Pump PWM tuning in Aquasuite optimizes flow-to-noise ratio.

R-6: Power Transient Risk

Category: Electrical / Reliability

Description: Modern GPUs exhibit large transient power spikes that can exceed PSU rail capacity if undersized.

Impact: System shutdown, instability, or PSU stress.

Mitigation: The Corsair AX1600i provides exceptional transient handling, large overhead margin, and Titanium-grade efficiency. This eliminates the risk of transients impacting system stability.

R-7: Display Integration Risk

Category: SMaC Subsystem / Mechanical Integration

Description: The 10.1" internal display required a custom plate, precise hole alignment, and cable-routing strategies that did not strain HDMI/USB cables.

Impact: Display vibration, mechanical stress on ports, or unreliable power/video delivery.

Mitigation: Custom SendCutSend plate with reinforced mounting points, rear-routed cables, and strain-relief considerations. Iterative revisions corrected hole spacing and mounting tolerances.

R-8: Supply Chain & Component Availability Risk

Category: Logistics / Schedule

Description: Radiators, pumps, water blocks, and certain fittings experienced long lead times and inconsistent availability.

Impact: Project delays, forced architecture changes, or suboptimal fallback components.

Mitigation: Early acquisition of long-lead items and a modular subsystem design that allowed changes in sequence without architectural rewrites.

R-9: System Weight & Handling Risk

Category: Structural / Safety

Description: The fully assembled ARCC system is extremely heavy due to the 9000D chassis, four radiators, pumps, reservoirs, and coolant volume.

Impact: Risk of injury during movement, strain on structural elements, and difficulty accessing internals.

Mitigation: Reinforced mounting and even load distribution across structural rails. Operational-environment planning was performed early: the desk surface and monitor-arm layout were reconfigured so ARCC could be placed in its long-term operating position before loop assembly. The system is only moved for filming, reducing handling cycles and risk.

R-10: Air Entrapment & Bleeding Difficulty Risk

Category: Thermal / Serviceability

Description: Due to ARCC’s weight and size, traditional case tilting or rocking to purge trapped air is impractical.

Impact: Air pockets trapped in radiators or blocks, pump cavitation, reduced cooling efficiency, or persistent micro-bubble cycling.

Mitigation: A spare Optimus reservoir top with an Aquacomputer Leakshield-compatible port was procured. During fill and bleed cycles, the Leakshield can generate controlled negative pressure to pull trapped air toward the reservoir without physically manipulating the case. The Leakshield is a temporary operational tool rather than a permanent subsystem.

Section 8

Future Work

Project ARCC is engineered as a long-lived platform with substantial capacity for refinement, subsystem expansion, and content-driven upgrades. The following future-work items represent both technical enhancements and documentation improvements that will continue maturing the system over time.

8.1 Remaining Fabrication & Custom Metalwork

Several custom SendCutSend components are still in development or undergoing iterative refinement:

Revised SMaC Display Plate (v2.x): Incorporates corrected hole spacing, improved strain-relief geometry, and enhanced structural stiffness.
Blanking Plates (Side & Lower Zones): Additional panels to conceal cable channels around the pump/reservoir zone and the lower-left motherboard area.
Radiator-Shroud Enhancements: Optional airflow-conditioning plates to improve visual cleanliness around the top radiator array.

These fabricated parts will further unify ARCC’s internal aesthetic and improve cable concealment.

8.2 Integration of SPARQ (Secondary System)

ARCC was architected with the long-term goal of hosting SPARQ—or its successor VOLT—within the 9000D chassis. Future integration steps include:

Structural analysis of available internal volume for the SPARQ system tray
Routing strategy for soft-tube cooling runs to minimize interference with ARCC’s primary loop
PSU load-margin validation for combined system operation
Thermal back-pressure evaluation to ensure SPARQ’s placement does not disturb ARCC’s primary airflow model

Initial modeling indicates compatibility, but detailed clearance evaluation will occur once ARCC’s hardline loop is complete.

8.3 SMaC Subsystem Enhancements

Additional improvements planned for the monitoring and control environment:

Development of a dedicated ARCC dashboard within Aquasuite for a more refined UI on the 10.1" internal display
Optimization of coolant-driven fan curves across both Aquasuite and iCUE to minimize cross-ecosystem polling frequency
Evaluation of additional telemetry sources such as VRM temperature display overlays

These enhancements will refine both visibility and functional clarity for long-term system monitoring.

8.4 Electrical & Power Roadmap

While the AX1600i provides substantial headroom, ARCC’s future multi-system configuration may benefit from:

Load-distribution modeling for potential secondary GPU integration
Long-term evaluation of transient behavior under synthetic high-load conditions
Potential adoption of the next-generation 12V-2×6 standard if proven beneficial for future GPUs

8.5 Content Production Pipeline

As ARCC reaches physical completion, content production becomes a major focus. Planned deliverables include:

A long-form ARCC build documentary (design → fabrication → integration → testing)
Individual subsystem breakdown videos (thermal system, structural metalwork, SMaC subsystem)
Shorts/Reels showcasing before/after plate revisions, tubing runs, and loop-fill sequences
Educational segments derived from ARCC’s trade studies, requirements, and engineering rationale

These content efforts will establish ARCC as one of MechE Designs’ foundational portfolio pieces.

8.6 AETHER & Future Engineering Platforms

Following ARCC’s completion, engineering focus will partially shift toward Project AETHER. ARCC will serve as the primary workstation for SDR analysis, modeling, and content production as AETHER evolves.

8.7 Lifecycle & Maintenance Planning

Future work also includes:

First full loop flush and coolant replacement after approximately 12 months
Inspection of all hardline joints for micro-leak risks
Replacement of the soft-tube routing segment as part of periodic preventive maintenance

These actions ensure ARCC remains reliable and visually pristine across years of operation.

Section 9

Conclusion

Project ARCC represents the outcome of a disciplined, engineering-driven design process applied to a domain where such rigor is rarely seen. Rather than assembling a collection of high-end components, ARCC was conceived, architected, and executed as an integrated system—one whose subsystems, constraints, requirements, and trade studies shaped every major decision.

Across its development, ARCC demonstrated the value of treating a PC not as a consumer product, but as a thermal, mechanical, electrical, and software platform. The oversized radiator array, dual-pump topology, hybrid control system, structural metalwork, and custom monitoring subsystem were each selected because they satisfied system-level requirements—not because they were trendy or visually impressive. The result is a machine that is:

Thermally robust with exceptional headroom for future hardware
Acoustically optimized for silent workstation use
Structurally reinforced with custom-fabricated components
Electrically stable with significant load-transient resilience
Maintainable despite its complexity
Architected for long-term expansion, including SPARQ/VOLT integration
Monitored and controlled through a hybrid software environment designed for clarity and stability

Most importantly, ARCC embodies the design philosophy that defines MechE Designs: intentionality, traceability, and engineering discipline.

While ARCC is approaching physical completion, its lifecycle is only beginning. Planned future work—including continued structural refinement, SMaC dashboard enhancements, chassis-integrated secondary systems, and ongoing content development—ensures the platform will continue evolving. ARCC will serve not only as a flagship build, but as a long-term engineering platform.