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The define s 2 vision supports a variety of cooling
solutions, so we were spoilt for choice when mounting
the Corsair H115i Pro. Its radiator is big, as it supports
twin 140mm fans, and working out the best place to hold
it was tricky. One option was to mount it facing outward
on the right of the mobo tray, but that didn’t provide
optimal airflow. Another option was to install it in the
roof, but we found it a bit too close to our memory sticks
for comfort. Our solution was to place the radiator behind
the fans at the front. One problem was that we couldn’t
install all three fans and the radiator, but it still provided
sufficient airflow, especially with the rear fan drawing air
across the mobo and components. We had to remove the
existing fans from the radiator first—easily done.TryinG To hold a radiator in place while screwing a fan
into that radiator is tricky without an extra pair of hands.
Actually, it was only a problem for the first screw, as after
that, we could subtly move the radiator, or fan, or both,
to make sure everything lined up. Connect the top-left
screw first, then bottom-right, top-right, before finishing
with bottom-left. Once the second fan was installed, we
could look at the wiring. The fans in the Define S2 Vision
are all PWM fans, so we could plug the front two into the
controller for the H115i Pro. We didn’t need the controller
installed by default in the back of the case—it was easy to
remove, and meant there were fewer cables to deal with.
All these fans are ARGB units, so we installed the Adjust
R1 controller, giving access to lots of fancy light patterns.we’d AlreAdy removed the two graphics card blanking
plates, but if you haven’t, do so now. Slide the card into
the top expansion slot, and make sure the retention clip
flicks into place as it hits the bottom. Secure it in place
with the thumbscrews. Installing the PSU is trickier,
which again had us wondering if we should have removed
the shroud. This is a modular PSU, so connect the cables
you need before installing; adding more after involves
trying to plug in cables by touch alone. If you’ve got a
similar loadout as we have, a single drive power cable,
two PCIe cables, and the 12V CPU connectors are all
that’s needed. Screw the bracket on to your PSU, slide
it in, and hold it in place with the thumbscrews. Feed the
cables as best you can to where they’re needed.The lAsT iTem To insTAll is the hard drive. There
are three caddies; for cable management reasons, we
went for the bottom one. Cable management isn’t much
fun here, as there isn’t a lot of room. We like wrapped
columns of cables, but the space available meant they
needed to be flattened. We stripped away as many cables
as we could, but there are still a lot to take care of, as
the front panel has USB 3.0 type-A and type-C ports, as
well as a couple of USB 2.0 ports, and the audio cables.
We could have spent more time sorting out the cabling,
but the ARGB connector came undone surprisingly easily
when moving things around—there are only so many
times you can open up the case again because the lights
aren’t working correctly before you lose the plot.plAn To be Cool An exTrA pAir
liGhT And power neAT And Tidy