Custom PC - UK (2020-01)

2 / IDENTIFY HEATSINK SCREWS

Identify the screws on the rear of the motherboard that hold the

heatsinks in place. Gaining access to these screws may involve

removing a backplate, but be sure to only remove the heatsink screws;

there will likely be others holding other components in place.

MODDING / HOW TO GUIDES

Install a

motherboard

monoblock

How to

3 / REMOVE SCREWS

Use a precision screwdriver to remove the screws. If they prove

difficult to remove, surround the area with masking tape to prevent

any slips from damaging the PCB. Most of the screws should come off

easily though.

W

ater-cooling your motherboard can be really beneficial,

especially if you’re overclocking, as it means your VRMs are

no longer at risk of overheating. However, planting a small

waterblock on each motherboard hotspot, and running tubing to each

block in turn, results in a mass of tubing and ports, with your motherboard

riddled with water-cooling components. It makes plumbing your loop a

fiddly process, and it’s also very tricky with rigid tubing.

There is a way to cool your CPU and VRMs in one hit and avoid dealing

with nightmare plumbing jobs though. Motherboard monoblocks cool

additional areas of your motherboard in addition to the CPU. Using one

slashes the number of inlets and outlets you have to connect, making

your life much easier and also resulting in a cleaner-looking PC interior.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to choose one that fits your

motherboardandinstallit.

Antony Leather shows you how to

cool your CPU and VRMs in one hit

by using a water-cooling monoblock

TOTAL PROJECT TIME / 2 HOURS

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

1 / CHECK FOR COMPATIBLE MONOBLOCKS

Several manufacturers make monoblocks for a range of motherboard

form factors, from mini-ITX to E-ATX. Often a Google search is the

best way to find one, especially with niche motherboards, but most

manufacturers have lists for chipsets and CPU sockets, so you can

identify compatible models.

Thermal paste cleaner

and microfibre cloth

amazon.co.uk

Motherboard

monoblock

overclockers.co.uk

Micro screwdriver

Most hardware stores

Thermal paste

overclockers.co.uk