R&D
70 MAXIMUMPC HOL 2021
9 10
13 14
NEXT UP on the list is preparing the cooler for
installation. As we’re going to attempt to run push-pull
with our configuration, we need to effectively pin the
radiator to the bracket using the front intake fans. Place
the fans on the outside of the bracket and the radiator on
the inside, then use the slightly longer screws provided
with the cooler to secure it in position from one side.
With one side complete, move on to the rear pulling
fans and install them with the slightly
shorter radiator screws. Fan
guards will always be placed
at the rear of the fan, so you
can easily tell which way
the air will flow.
It’s also worth
keeping in mind your
cable orientation. Try
and keep them pointing
towards the rear or side
panel of your case.
AS PUSH-PULL is a fairly rare concept these days for
AIO coolers, most manufacturers don’t allow that much
clearance for it in small footprint case designs like the
H510 Flow. As such, with this neat cable bar installed, you
can’t install the radiator with fans in this configuration
without conflicting with the cable bar. The only solution
is to remove the cable bar, then install the radiator first.
However, after trying this, the cable bar still didn’t fit
in place, so we removed it entirely. Removing it is a fairly
easy process. Simply locate its connection points on the
rear of the chassis and remove the four Phillips head
screws that are holding it in place.
EACH OF THE FANS in this build has two cables apiece—
one for the fan control and the other for RGB control.
On top of that, we also have one cable for the pump
control. To get around this, we’re pilfering the Corsair
Commander unit from the 5 000D build and repurposing
it for this rig. It still has a bit of stick left in its double-
sided tape and so that helps us organize all our fans
neatly into position, sorting all six.
This is then powered by a single SATA power header
and plugs in via USB to the motherboard. We’re then
free to install the be quiet! pump cables where they
need to go. There’s one dRGB header at the top of the
motherboard and the pump’s fan control will go directly
into a PWM header also located at the top.
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE coming up against a problem
and finding a solution. At first glance, when looking
at the ridiculously long Suprim X RTX 3080 from MSI
(13.2-inches or 3 36mm), it looked like it would just about
fit in the case, with the radiator and fans running in push-
pull. Looking at how the card mounted in its PCIe slot, it
seemed clear that it would fit, albeit snugly.
On the first attempt it didn’t, so we removed the
radiator and tried fitting it first, then sliding in the radiator.
Still no luck. We installed the radiator back in place and
removed the bottom-most fan, intending to reinstall it
later. On this attempt, we just managed it but it led to us
using a tri-fan push-pull setup, rather than the full quad.
Annoying! We’ll save our thoughts on that for later.
FAN CABLE NIGHTMARES CABLE BAR FAILURES
CORSAIR COMMAND MODULE SUPRIM-LY OVERSIZED
