R&D
70 MAXIMUMPC OCT 2019 maximumpc.com
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HOW WE LOVE THE NVMe Gen4 M.2 drives. The transfer
speeds are monstrous. What we’re not so sure about is
manufacturers slapping (often ugly) integrated heatsinks
on them, when the X570 boards that support them almost
unilaterally have their own heat management solutions.
Such is the case here, although the Corsair MP600 looks
very inoffensive. Unscrew the smallest of the Aorus
Master’s three M.2 heat spreaders and remove it, then fit
the MP600 drive into place, and screw it down. Put that
loose heat spreader somewhere you won’t lose it! If you’d
prefer to use it, the MP600’s heatsink can be removed
by pushing in the two clasps on either side. Take off the
plastic cover on the sticky pad beneath the heat spreader
you removed from the mobo, and ensure the M.2 drive is
properly attached before you screw it back in.WITH MOST of the comp onent s in pl ace, the nex t s tep is to
install the motherboard. This is pretty straightforward;
lay the case on its side, then lower the board in before
screwing it down, being careful to fit the rear I/O beneath
the fitted case fan. As is often the case, you may have
some dif ficult y, so if the fan gets in the w ay, remove it and
reinstall it to the rear of the case once the motherboard
is secured. Now get the Wraith Prism cooler ready. Your
mobo should come with two AMD stock standard clips
fitted either side of the CPU socket—if not, fit those first.
Once affixed, apply a small blob of thermal paste to
the CPU (we’re using Noctua NT-H1 compound) before
lowering the cooler into place, and making sure both
clips are hooked to the bracket. Pull the clasp so it locks
into place, and your cooler is secured.BE WARNED: If you have gargantuan paws like our six-
foot-three staff writer, you may wish to skip to step six
before installing the GPU. While we usually try to get
all the components fitted before messing with cable
management, we found that squeezing in some of the
cables from the front I/O proved tricky once the GPU was
in place. The Radeon RX 5700 is lovely looking, though;
it feels solid and fits nicely in the case. Remove two of
the blanking plates at the rear of the case. Make sure the
PCIe slot’s clasp is open, then push the card into it, so it
clicks into place, before securing it to the backplate with
the screws that had secured the blanking plates. The RX
5700 is heavy, so secure it tightly, and be careful not to
drop it on your mobo, lest you damage other components.LASTLY, WE INSTALL the PSU. The Ion+ 560P is modular,
so you need to sort out which cables you require. You
need the thick 28-pin connector for the mobo, and
two eight-pin connectors for the CPU. The GPU takes
one eight-pin and one six-pin connector; you can find
both on one cable, in the form of two six-pin and two two-
pin connectors. For the eight-pin GPU slot, fit one of the
two-pin connectors to the side of the attached six-pin
one. Lastly, you need one SATA accessory connector, for
powering the PWM fan hub. Next, fit the PSU at the rear
and run the cables through to the sockets on the board.
The P600S has plenty of slots and Velcro straps for cable
management, so tidy up the cabling to the rear of the
motherboard plate before sealing this big white box shut.HIGH-SPEED PURSUIT PRISMATIC
RADEON-ATION MISCHIEF MANAGED