good look at. Before you even start thinking
about grabbing your screwdriver, take a look
at all the cables you’ll need to plug into your
system and think about where you’re going
to route them.
Most new cases come with holes dotted
around the motherboard, through which you
can thread your cables from the back of the
case. The idea is that all the cables will be tied
to anchor points behind the motherboard,
and then threaded through these holes to the
components in the main area.
Start with your power supply. If you have
a modular or semi-modular PSU, you only
need to connect the cables you require for
your system. The bare essentials will be the
power cables you just connected to your
core test system. However, you may also
need some SATA connectors for any extra
storage drives, as well as the fan controllers
or lighting systems that come with some
cases and CPU coolers.
If you’re using an all-in-one liquid cooler,
have a good look at the cables before
starting your build and work out where they’ll
go. You should be able to neatly thread every
single one of your cooler’s cables through to
the back of the case.
The next factor to consider is airflow. Most
cases work with a front-to-back airflow
system that pulls cool air from the front,
pushes it over your components and then
expels hot air out the back of your case. For
this feature, we’re going to assume that
you’re using a case with a standard front-to-
back airflow system. You ideally want at least
one intake fan at the front (preferably two),
with the back(s) facing the motherboard
inside the case, and one exhaust fan with its
back facing the rear of the case.
If you’re using a tower-style CPU air
cooler, you’ll need to make sure the fans are
directing air in the same direction as your
case’s airflow system, so the fan(s) should
be on the side(s) of the cooler rather than
the top or bottom, with their backs facing
the rear of the case. If that’s not possible, the
best alternative is to have the backs of the
fans facing the roof of the case, so they push
hot air out the top.
That’s also what we’re doing with our
example all-in-one liquid cooler, with the
fans pushing air through the radiator and
out the top of the case. The basic idea is that
you’re moving hot air out of your case, rather
than letting it waft around your motherboard.
FIT FINAL CPU COOLER
Once you’ve worked out the optimal airflow
setup for your components, and planned
where your cables are going to be routed, it’s
time to start the final build. Your first step, if
you’re not using a stock cooler for your CPU,
is to remove the stock cooler from your core
test system.
With an Intel system, simply rotate and lift all
the black parts of the plugs to loosen the cooler,
and then gently jiggle it from side to side, so
you can lift the cooler off the CPU. You can then
carefully clean your CPU with some TIM cleaner
or isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth.
With an AMD system, loosen the handle on
the stock cooler, and then very gently wiggle
the cooler from side to side. Be very careful
with this stage, as it’s distressingly easy to
accidentally yank an AM4 CPU out of its socket
with the cooler stuck to it, and bend a load of its
pins in the process.
If you’re facing resistance, try directing a
hairdryer over your CPU for a little while to
loosen the thermal paste. Only lift off the
cooler when there’s little resistance and you’re
confident the cooler will come off without
taking the CPU with it. You can then carefully
clean your CPU with some TIM cleaner or
isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth.
You now need to get your chosen CPU
cooler ready, if you’re not using a stock model.
The mounting systems for many CPU coolers
require a backplate to be fitted to the rear of the
motherboard, in which case you need to follow
your cooler’s mounting instructions for your
chosen CPU socket now.
Once any mounting backplates are in place
on the motherboard, apply thermal paste to
your CPU as we did on p78, then install your
CPU cooler, making sure you remove any
plastic sheet from the contact plate first. If
you’re installing an air cooler, point the fans so
that they’re directing airflow over your CPU and
out the back of your case, or out the top of the
case if that’s not possible.
If you’re fitting an all-in-one liquid cooler,
you’ll need to fit the pump/waterblock unit
on top of your CPU, ideally with the tubing
on the right of the CPU and any logos facing
the correct way up, leaving the radiator for
the moment. You then just need to plug the
power cable from the pump into a header
on the motherboard – these days there’s
usually a specific one for pumps, which you
should be able to find by consulting your
motherboard manual.Some coolers require a backplate to be fitted to the
rear of the motherboardFit the pump/waterblock unit to your CPU,
following your cooler’s instructionsIf your motherboard has a dedicated power header
for pumps, use itScrew the fans to the radiator, ensuring that the
power cables are on the right side to go through
your case’s cable-routing holesCPUCOOLER