THERMAL CONSIDERATIONS

IT’S AT THIS POINT in the build where things can get tricky, and sure enough, installing the cooler had us wishing that we had a spare hand. It’s actually a great system once everything is set up, because the cooler is held in place by just two screws, but getting to that stage isn’t easy. You have to hold the backplate in place on the rear of the motherboard while screwing another plate into place on the processor side—long arms are essential; a spare hand or two useful. We elected to place the radiator in the front of the case, to keep things clear at the top, but an argument could be made for roofmounting instead. It’s worth noting that the pump isn’t integrated into the CPU block, so ensure you plug this and the various fan cables into your motherboard.