My First PC Build – Intel vs AMD for Work and Gaming

[Waldorf]

anyone comparing pics/video, OP has a 360 not 340/280 like almost all install stuff shows.
part of the reason why its streching the hoses, as its 120mm further away vs the shorter aios.

 

[hmn888]

One thing to check is many top mounts for cases allow variable adjustment and you may be able to slide the AIO toward the back to alleviate hose tension even if you have to butt the AIO right up to the rear fan. If you can't do that then I would agree in rotating 180* horizontally is the way to go.

Most motherboards these days have a metal reinforced backplate but I prefer not to allow any sideways tension on on the socket if I can help it.

If rotated (rad tubes in the rear or the case) the other issue of course is now with excess tube. In this case I try to coil the tube by rotating the cooler head counter clockwise into mounting position however depending on the AIO tube mounts, length, and flexibility this doesn't always work or you might be limited in movement and have to mount the pump head upside down which doesn't look nice if you have a printed logo but functionally should be ok.

Here is an example of that on my home server but my rad is rear mounted to a large antique case that only had dual 120 fan exhaust. The concept would be similar for top mounting but with an additional 90 degrees rotation of the rad to the top making a tighter coil. My bending limitation was primarily because of how my 1st Gen Corsair cooler hoses attached to the cooler head with the 90 deg angled fittings so I had no choice in this case but to mount the head upside down.
View attachment 374976

That's also my suspicion. If I rotate the radiator 180 degrees, I should also rotate the pump with the whole thing by 180 degrees, right? The brackets should stay in their default positions, so when the CPU is on top, the "L" is on the left and "R" is on the right? Or is it better to rotate the brackets too? Will this change affect the cooling performance?

I have maybe 4-5 cm of space maximum on the left side before the radiator gets too close to the rear fan.

The only video i saw on the install for that AIO was from GN. I'm not sure why it ended up off-axis like your picture, I'd be concerned too. My only suggestion would be to take it apart and take pictures of everything to see if anything looks off before installing. Theoretically, it wouldn't hurt performance much anyway, as long as the pressure is good and the contact over the chiplets and controller are good (which are all towards the bottom of the CPU in the image, so the slight rotation wouldn't really be an issue, it just doesn't look as good as you'd want it to). The one thing that always helps when installing a CPU cooler is to lay the case down on its side so that the CPU is flat when you're installing the CPU and the cooler. It's easy for things to slip and be off-center when trying to install it all vertical.

Edit: Also, the way the cooler's VRM-fan snaps on top of the pump there (on the CPU), it will likely mask any slight rotation in the mount. Edit2(sheesh sorry): I apparently missed the part of your note that said "or securely mount it down". This sounds like what GN showed in their video. I would echo my previous statement about laying the case down while installing it so that you can push down with your screwdriver and make sure the screws thread into the bracket properly. It looks like it's really easy to only get 1-2 threads in, then switch to the other side, then have the first side pop back out. You'll want to make sure you have enough threads engaged before swapping sides that you don't pop out of the threads. I could see this being an issue the way they make you thread it with the screws under tension, and even damage the threads possibly. Hopefully that has not happened for you.

I agree on rotating the radiator so the tubes come down on the left side of the radiator (from the picture's view). I had to do similar on a build at one point. I even moved my rear fan to outside the case, which was not ideal lol, I don't think you'll need to do that.

That's exactly how I struggled when I tried to mount the thing with the pump The guy in the video also says it’s very complicated, but he’s experienced and somehow managed to get it done in the end. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to get it right either.

 

[lexluthermiester]

If I rotate the radiator 180 degrees, I should also rotate the pump with the whole thing by 180 degrees, right?

Yeah, that should work. If it doesn't you'll know at that moment.

 

[Waldorf]

only if you can make a full 360 with the block, not just 180.

there is a build in offset for amd, doing 180 will mess it up, as the mounting brackets cant be rotated with the block.
ppl should look at the manuals, before giving generalized advise that doesn't match what is actually used.

@hmn888
you can still mount the fans first, then the rad, should also allow to push further to the back as the fans are usually "smaller" than the rad.

you use two sets of shorter screws (one set fans to rad, one set fans to case)

 

[hmn888]

only if you can make a full 360 with the block, not just 180.

there is a build in offset for amd, doing 180 will mess it up, as the mounting brackets cant be rotated with the block.
ppl should look at the manuals, before giving generalized advise that doesn't match what is actually used.

@hmn888
you can still mount the fans first, then the rad, should also allow to push further to the back as the fans are usually "smaller" than the rad.

View attachment 374979

you use two sets of shorter screws (one set fans to rad, one set fans to case)

I can certainly try that, as long as I don’t mess anything up or break it That would give me only 4-5 cm,
but based on how my hoses look, I might need around 10 cm for them to hang down nicely and relaxed.
I don’t understand why everything looks different in other Builds compared to mine.

I’m starting to think maybe the hoses are too short or for some reason, not flexible enough

 

[Bobaganoosh]

thanks for the confirmation of what's going on. So there are two issues to sort out, I'll start with radiator location:
1. Your case manual (found here) shows that the radiator/fan mounts are slots:

^this (as someone here mentioned) should allow you to slide the radiator and fans towards the back side (left in your picture) to give you the most slack on the tubes possible the way you already have it installed. This may provide enough slack and it's the easiest thing to try, so I'd try that first. your tubes don't look that bad in your picture, so a little bit of wiggle to the left in the mounting slots might be all you need to do.

As for rotating the cooler-mount, I agree with @Waldorf that some caution is advised as the orientation is important for most coolers. You cannot rotate the mounting brackets ("L"/"R") that you've mounted to the board. The Liquid Freezer iii user manual seems to indicate that the orientation has to be that way.

2. Mounting the block. So this seems to be the biggest issue to me. Can you take a picture of the screws and the bracket threads? I'm curious if they're all chewed up now or if they're still ok to try and use. I'm hoping they're ok as otherwise you'd have to seek replacements. If they're ok, it's a matter of laying the system flat, getting one screw threaded in and then applying pressure to thread in the second. Make sure you apply constant pressure with the screwdriver while turning it as nothing strips threads or causes mis-threading more than inadequate leverage on the screwdriver. You may even want to try and press on the spring clip a little bit to pre-load it while you're screwing.

 

[A Computer Guy]

That's also my suspicion. If I rotate the radiator 180 degrees, I should also rotate the pump with the whole thing by 180 degrees, right? The brackets should stay in their default positions, so when the CPU is on top, the "L" is on the left and "R" is on the right? Or is it better to rotate the brackets too? Will this change affect the cooling performance?

I have maybe 4-5 cm of space maximum on the left side before the radiator gets too close to the rear fan.


That's exactly how I struggled when I tried to mount the thing with the pump The guy in the video also says it’s very complicated, but he’s experienced and somehow managed to get it done in the end. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to get it right either.

Per my prior comment...my bad for not more explicitly pointing out you need to check the specs of your block mounting to determine if and how you can rotate it if needed, I had not sufficient time to dive into your specs in detail but to give you a general idea that might be useful. For AM4/AM5 you can only rotate 180 degrees as the mounting is rectangular and in AMD's case if your blocks cold plate is offset that can cause other adjustments to be made such as rotating the cold plate which might not be recommended for an AIO user. Some blocks may or may not be able to rotate in addition to the mounting hardware. I'm not sure about the particulars for Intel mounting.

Another thing to consider is you could ditch the rear fan to slide the AIO back even further then optionally replace the fan with a smaller one but you will need to improvise on the fan mounting if using a smaller fan such as only using one screw and 1 to 3 zip ties for the remaining mount points of the fan. Since your rad will be an exhaust position the rear fan isn't strictly necessary and you could benefit from a rear fan as a fresh air intake instead if that configuration is suitable for you.

Here I will try to visualize what may be possible. (green arrows represent air flow)

Also now that I think of it many cases have removable magnetic mesh on top. For a top exhausting rad removing the top mesh will allow better airflow from the rad.

 

[phanbuey]

I can certainly try that, as long as I don’t mess anything up or break it That would give me only 4-5 cm,
but based on how my hoses look, I might need around 10 cm for them to hang down nicely and relaxed.
I don’t understand why everything looks different in other Builds compared to mine.

View attachment 374983

I’m starting to think maybe the hoses are too short or for some reason, not flexible enough

Are you exhausting out the front restrictive grill? Might want to turn around the exhaust fan to give yourself a bit more airflow.

 

[A Computer Guy]

OP pardon my crude diagram. If you decide to change your fan position on your rad from the typical noted as diagram A to a diagram B or diagram C mounting configuration you should do a test fitting first first for the screw lengths as the included short or long screws with your AIO may be too short or too long. If they are too short then obviously the mount will fail to the rad and/or fan. If they are too long they will crunch into your rad fins so you want to check to avoid damaging your radiator.

 

[Waldorf]

@hmn888
they dont need to be hanging down, just lose enough so there is no pull on the rad/block fittings, so you wont have trouble later.

the block on arctic III for AM5 can NOT be mounted in any other direction than it is/listed in manual, with the hoses below the vrm fan.
if you mount the rad with the hoses towards the rear fan, you can rotate the block, as long as its a full 360* to coil up the hoses

 

[A Computer Guy]

@hmn888
they dont need to be hanging down, just lose enough so there is no pull on the rad/block fittings, so you wont have trouble later.

the block on arctic III for AM5 can NOT be mounted in any other direction than it is/listed in manual, with the hoses below the vrm fan.
if you mount the rad with the hoses towards the rear fan, you can rotate the block, as long as its a full 360* to coil up the hoses

From watching the GN breakdown video the mounting location seems to be horizontally symmetrical with the block so as long as you install the mounting brackets in the correct orientation it might work inverting the pump head 180 degrees as long as one does not have VRM clearance issues. I probably wouldn't do it this with this AIO unless I didn't have any other good options.

The animated install instructions are really nice.


( from GN )

( from reddit, yes I know, I know... slaps forehead )

 

[hmn888]

Thank you all, guys! You’re the best!!! So many helpful tips.
I just got home from work, making myself something to eat, and then I’ll see what I can do.
I’ll try solutions from small to big steps. I’ll keep you updated!

 

[A Computer Guy]

Thank you all, guys! You’re the best!!! So many helpful tips.
I just got home from work, making myself something to eat, and then I’ll see what I can do.
I’ll try solutions from small to big steps. I’ll keep you updated!

Good luck. Just keep it simple and enjoy!

 

[hmn888]

So, guys, I’ve pushed the radiator as far back as it would go.
I haven’t mounted the block yet, just holding it by hand to take a reference photo.
Does it look better now? Can I mount it like this?

 

[Bobaganoosh]

It looks pretty good in the photo.

 

[A Computer Guy]

So, guys, I’ve pushed the radiator as far back as it would go.
I haven’t mounted the block yet, just holding it by hand to take a reference photo.
Does it look better now? Can I mount it like this?


View attachment 375027

Looks good. Next test with GPU in and see if the tubes press on the GPU in a way that would be concerning.

 

[lexluthermiester]

So, guys, I’ve pushed the radiator as far back as it would go.
I haven’t mounted the block yet, just holding it by hand to take a reference photo.
Does it look better now? Can I mount it like this?


View attachment 375027

Yeah, that looks good.

 

[hmn888]

Hi guys, the problems with assembling the PC seemed to be resolved, but unfortunately,
more issues came up during the installation of Windows 11. After a while, the installation failed with a blue screen.

Now... well... I used secure erase to reset my SSD to factory settings, and after that, the SSD is no longer being detected. Can anyone help me with this?

 

[lexluthermiester]

Hi guys, the problems with assembling the PC seemed to be resolved, but unfortunately,
more issues came up during the installation of Windows 11. After a while, the installation failed with a blue screen.


View attachment 375154View attachment 375155


Now... well... I used secure erase to reset my SSD to factory settings, and after that, the SSD is no longer being detected. Can anyone help me with this?


View attachment 375156View attachment 375157

Seems like some BIOS settings need adjustment.

 

[hmn888]

Seems like some BIOS settings need adjustment.

Is there a way to make my SSD show up in the BIOS again? Can you please provide some references or guides on how to configure it correctly in the BIOS?

 

[lexluthermiester]

Is there a way to make my SSD show up in the BIOS again? Can you please provide some references or guides on how to configure it correctly in the BIOS?

If it's not showing up, you might need to re-seat(unplug it and plug it back in) the SSD. IF that doesn't work, try a different slot. If that doesn't work you might have a dead SSD.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Is there a way to make my SSD show up in the BIOS again? Can you please provide some references or guides on how to configure it correctly in the BIOS?

Another thing you can try is an extended power down cycle. Unplug the PC and walk away for awhile. See if it comes back after you plug it back in. Check the UEFI/BIOS and see if it can see the drive first. Odds are if the UEFI/BIOS can see it (for example in the secure erase section) the OS can too.

Are you using a USB stick to install Windows 11? Perhaps something is wrong with the USB stick and the image is damaged. Try using a different USB stick for the installation and use the motherboard USB port for the installation not the front panel header port .

 

[hmn888]

Thanks for your tips! I’ll try them out after work. If there are any additional suggestions, I’d be happy to try those as well. Thanks again!

 

[Bobaganoosh]

I agree it needs to show up in BIOS for you to continue. Make sure your BIOS boot settings are in EUFI mode and not "legacy" mode. If you boot into legacy mode or you're trying to install Windows 11 onto an MBR formatted drive, it can be problematic.

If you can't see it in BIOS, I would agree to try reseating it (do you have a picture of how it's installed? Maybe there was some unclear information in your motherboard manual leading you astray or something we can see/identify to help with there). Also note that you may not see it on the boot list at first as it isn't formatted yet, but it should definitely show up in the m.2 device list (not sure where exactly that's located in your BIOS).

If you can see it in BIOS and you're booting in EUFI mode, you can try this next idea:
I'm not sure what secure erase tool you used or what it does specifically, but I'm curious if it somehow got changed to an MBR recognized drive. If that happened, there's a tool you can use to fix it, which is "diskpart". Here's a page that shows how to do that (method 1). It's also a way to verify that the disk is clean and properly formatted for the Windows install.

 

[phanbuey]

might be time to just RMA that SSD--- that's a pretty nasty error.