A QUIETER PLACE

How well will our silent system run?

LENGTH OF TIME: 1-2 HOURS

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM

1 FILTERED OUT

WE’LL START BY STRIPPING DOWN this case. Unusually, a lot of what we remove here won’t be going back into the build when we’re finished; most notably the dust filters, as zero fans means zero airflow, and therefore near-zero dust intake. Removing them will help with natural convection, thanks to the Masterbox Q500L’s heavily perforated outer frame. Two of the dust filters are magnetic, while the third is held in place with rubber pegs. You will also need a screwdriver to remove the window and the metal side panel, then the two SATA drive mounts (we won’t need these), and the PSU cage. We’ll be using this system on its side, as shown, so we also removed the four feet, which are secured via plastic push-pins. If you’d rather run your machine upright, leave these in place.

2 FAN DOWN

THE NEXT THING TO REMOVE is the Cooler Master case fan that comes pre-installed in the Q500L. This is a fairly simple affair; just unscrew the fan at the four corners and lift it out of the case. Be careful here, as a slip of the screwdriver could lead to a nasty scratch on the case’s metal exterior and we don’t have dust filters to cover that up. We recommend keeping the fan in the case box (or with any other spare fans you have) so you don’t lose it. If you want to leave the fan in place for optional use, you can—just remember to turn on the zero-RPM settings in the BIOS later on. You won’t be able to reinstall the fan once the cooler is in place, so it’s better to make this decision now.

3 PROCESSOR PROBLEMS

OVER TO OUR MOTHERBOARD and processor. Unbox your components and place the motherboard either on an antistatic work surface or the box it came in. Remember when unpacking your board that the antistatic bag it comes in only prevents electrical buildup on the inside layer; the outside can still carry a charge, so be sure to wear appropriate footwear and ground yourself by touching a metal object frequently. To install the chip, release the metal retention arm from underneath the CPU bracket, free the bracket from the single Torx screw, lift it up, then drop the CPU into the socket, lining up the markings on the corner. Once in place, lower the bracket back into position and secure the retention arm. If you bought a brand new mobo, the plastic cover on the CPU socket will snap off automatically.