JUN 2022MAXIMU MPC 69
5 6
9 10
COMPLETING the motherboard construction phase
of the build is the RAM. As this is a DDR5-compatible
motherboard, we brought out the big guns—two sticks of
Corsair Vengeance 16GB 4800MHz performance DRAM,
which Corsair had kindly provided previously. We tried
other manufacturers to see what DDR5 they had, but
found it difficult to get anything—perhaps a sign of the
low demand for the faster standard given the inflated
prices or continuing low stock levels. At $285, this kit is
nearly double that of Corsair’s DDR4 Vengeance kits such
as the LPX or RGB Pro. This is an area where you can
save money without a huge performance hit, especially
if you have DDR4 sticks already. If that’s the case, opt for
the DDR4 model of this motherboard, which will save you
some money while you wait for DDR5 prices to fall.WITH THE MOTHERBOARD now sporting all components
except the graphics card, it’s time to get it into the
chassis. However, we couldn’t find the nine short
screws required, probably because some of these
components had been used elsewhere. Thankfully, we
have a magnetized drawer of spare screws for such
emergencies and with the motherboard in, it was time to
connect the CPU cooler. We applied an LGA1700 mount
on the rear of the motherboard, where there is a hole in
the case. We then screwed the bracket around the four
corners of the CPU, grabbed the cooling block, and used
a screwdriver to tighten it into place. We made sure the
tubes that connect the radiator to the block sat above
the block itself, as it has an IPS display that shows the
temperature, weather, and a host of other information.I’VE PUT IT OFF for as long as possible, but it’s now time to
install the power supply and connect the power cables. To
MSI’s credit, this stage is pretty easy thanks to its compact
size and the fact that it’s fully modular. I tend to work from
top to bottom when it comes to power, so I start with the
CPU power cable at the top of the motherboard, then add
in the motherboard power cable, the GPU power cable,
and the SATA power cable used for the fan lighting. The
Sekira 100R comes with 3.5-inch hard drive bays at the
bottom of the case, next to the power supply. Because
I’m not installing any mechanical drives in this build, I
unscrew this bracket to make as much room as possible
for the power cables. While I’m at it, I remove the 2.5-
inch drive bracket that sits just below the motherboard to
make things look cleaner through the window.THE NEXT FIDDLY TASK is flipping the case on its side and
connecting all of these power cables and header cables
onto the motherboard. This isn’t a massively roomy
case, but it’s still relatively easy to connect the cables
where they need to go, and the all-black finish to the MSI
components and cabling certainly appeals to the stealth
fan in me. There is some RGB from the fans and the GPU
when we turn it on, but I do like the uniform look of this all-
MSI build. The most fiddly part of any build is connecting
cables to the motherboard headers, and that’s no different
here—there are five fan power cables to connect all over
the motherboard and we needed someone to hold a phone
flashlight when connecting the various case headers such
as reset and power button. We also added the plastic cover
to the CPU cooler, which easily clips on with no screws.RAMPED UP COMBINING THE TWO
WATT THE HECK CONNECTING WITH NATURE