Assembly
Assembly
We now move on to the assembly stage of our configuration inside this 2000D Airflow from Corsair. Here are the components that will be used for the assembly:
- Motherboard : MSI Pro B350i AC
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 1700X
- Graphics card: ASUS HD 7970
- Cooler: Cryorig C1
- Power supply : Silverstone SX750
Power supply:
Mounting the power supply is quite simple, by coming to drop the block in its slot. Of course, given its position in the case, you will have to hold it on one side while screwing it on the top of the 2000D Airflow.
On our side, we chose to orientate the PSU fan towards the mesh panel, towards the outside of the case. It would also have been possible to turn it towards the inside, however, our SSD would have obstructed it. This would hinder the proper ventilation of our little SX750.
Storage:
To mount the SSD, nothing could be simpler since it is enough to release (via a hand screw) the plate hosting our storage medium. Then, we fix our storage unit on its plate that we put back in place… On the power supply support. Note that it is also possible to position the plate slightly higher on the support.
Installation of the motherboard :
The installation of the motherboard will be done simply by placing it on its slot. All that remains is to screw it to the chassis via four screws. However, we can only advise you to remove the plate positioned in front of the motherboard. This will greatly facilitate access to the motherboard tray. On the other hand, it impacts the rigidity of the chassis which is subject to torsion much more easily.
The ventirad, graphics card:
To install the graphics card, nothing complicated, since you just have to plug it into the PCIe slot of the motherboard. Nevertheless, we will take care to remove the hand screws of the extension slots of the case in order to make them usable. The generous space allocated to this component makes its installation easy.
Concerning the cooling unit, same observation, no particular difficulty since by removing the two side panels, we have a clear access to the front and rear of the motherboard. We will be able to handle the backplate of the cooling unit without any difficulty unlike the GD11 from Silverstone for example.
Cabling :
The control panel:
As usual, we start the cabling with the control panel which is not really difficult. We pass the cables through the back of the motherboard tray and then connect them to the motherboard. The audio and F_Panel connectors will pass right in front of the PCIe slot so as not to interfere with the connection of the graphics card.
As for theUSB 3.0, we run the cable along the top of the motherboard.
Motherboard:
Actually, the biggest difficulty in wiring this case is the lack of space to store the cables. Indeed, as the power supply is positioned, the connectors come out directly on the motherboard. When you have cables that are a bit rigid like the 24-pinATX , it becomes immediately more complicated… But no choice. So we plug the connector on the motherboard and roll the excess length into the power supply compartment. Of course, if like us, you use a Top Flow ventilator, you will have to wire the motherboard before plugging it in.
However, theEPS12V 4+4 pins for the CPU is far away from the block, so we can easily consume some length. It is easier to manage! Of course, it will be plated to the case with two nylon clamps that will also attach the USB 3.0 cable!
The graphic card:
We continue with the graphics card whose cable undergoes the same treatment as the 24-pinATX: rolled into the power supply compartment. However, in order to facilitate the routing of the PCIe 6+2 connector, the cable will come out through a side opening in the power supply compartment.
Storage:
Finally, we repeat ourselves, but ball rolling the SATA cables in the power supply compartment… Again. In addition, like the PCIe cables we bring out everything from the side of the power supply cover, the SSD being mounted transversely… Its connectors are therefore positioned towards the graphics card.
A quick word on the connection:
Now that our configuration is mounted, we have to connect it (keyboard, mouse, screen, power supply…). Contrary to many cases, the motherboard connectors will only be accessible from the inside of the case. To have access to these connections, you will have to pass the different cables through a small opening located under the case. The space offered is quite limited, especially for video cables, so plan an HDMI or DisplayPort cable with a bent port.
As for the power cord, the extension cable provided will be threaded through the top of the case, a notch being provided for its passage. The plating of the latter will be done via the velcro strips present all along.
Globally:
In general, the assembly of a configuration is not very difficult, for an ITX case. We have a generous space for our components. However, the cabling is a bit more complicated in the sense that even the smallest piece of cable has to be stored in the power supply compartment. If you have rigid cables you’ll have to deal with that. But we wonder about the ATX 12VHPWR which is particularly sensitive… No choice, it will have to be left in evidence.
However, it’s a pity not to have access to the graphics card or motherboard connections from the outside of the case. All the connections will be made internally, not very practical. We feel that the design takes precedence over the practicality.
