Installation

The first step in installing the SilentiumPC Grandis XE1236 is to attach the backplate to the motherboard. First, line the proper mounting holes on the backplate up with those on the motherboard, before inserting the long screws into the backplate. Now, use the small rubber O-rings to hold the screws and backplate in place.


Place the black spacers over the screws before sliding the mounting arms into place. Once done, use the provided nuts to secure them in preparation for mounting the heatsink.



It is now time to prepare the cooler for mounting by applying an adequate amount of thermal paste to the CPU. Once done, line the crossbar's holes up with the mounting arms' screwholes. Use the thumbscrews to secure the cooler to these mounting arms, and make sure to get everything nice and tight.


The last step is to attach the fans to the heatsink and plug the fans into the motherboard's CPU fan header.

The install was quick and painless in part because of SilentiumPC's simple and effective mounting hardware. Granted, it is not perfect, but the fact that there are no meaningful issues to report on means SilentiumPC has done a good job. I would rate its installation procedure an 8 on a scale of 1 (hardest) to 10 (easiest).