Assembly
Assembly
We’re now ready to assemble our configuration inside this Dark Base Pro 901 from be quiet! Here are the components we’ll be using for assembly:
- Motherboard: Asus Crosshair VI Hero
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 1700X
- Graphics card: ASUS HD 7970
- Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 4
- Power supply: NZXT C1000 Gold
Power supply :
To mount the PSU, you can simply slide the PSU in from the side and finish by screwing it to the back of the case. This is feasible if your PSU is relatively short, as is the case with NZXT’s C1000 Gold.
Otherwise, the other option is to slide the power supply through the rear of the case. To do this, you’ll need to remove the rear grille of the CTE T500 to be able to unscrew the power supply surround and then screw it onto the block. Once this is done, you can slide it onto the back of the case, screw it back on and you’re good to go.
Storage:
Mounting the SSD is really quite easy, since you’ll need to remove the plate held in place by a single hand-tight screw. Once removed, you can screw in your storage medium and then put everything back in place.
If you wish, you can mount the SSD in one of the HDD cage baskets. Simply remove the basket and attach the storage unit, then put everything back in its place. Just pay attention to the direction of the connectors, which should point towards the outside of the case.
Installing the motherboard :
On the motherboard side, there’s nothing really special either, except that you have to place it in its slot. There’s no extra spacer to screw onto the tray, or anything else. Just drop it in, screw it in, and you’re ready to go. What’s more, given the format, there’s plenty of room to handle the motherboard without running out of space, which is really nice.
Wiring :
Control panel:
With this CTE T500, Thermaltake is offering us something different when it comes to cabling. Indeed, given the particularity of the chassis, the wiring and connector output points are different from what we’re used to, and we’re not disappointed.
In this case, the control panel cables pass through the bottom before exiting through the openings at the rear of the case. In this way, you can connect the F_PANEL,HD_Audio andUSB 3.0. As forUSB-C, the cable passes through the first opening at the bottom before being plated..
Storage:
As far as storage is concerned, it’s a simple matter to bring the SATA cable bundle up from the rear of the case, while a power connector is brought out at the SSD.
For the data part, we connect the cable to the SSD and then bring the cable back down to the motherboard. Once again, we use the Velcro strips along the way to secure the cables.
Motherboard, graphics card:
Finally, it’s the motherboard cabling where the orientation is a little more challenging. Indeed, given the positioning of the 24-pin ATX connector, the cable must not be too long, as the connector is located just above the power supply. Excess cable is stored in the power supply cover.
For the EPS12V CPU, we simply route the cable to the front of the case. We bring it up to the front panel before connecting it to the motherboard. Once again, we make the most of the Velcro strips along the way.
As for the 6- and 8-pin PCIe for the graphics card, they pass through the first opening just above the power supply unit. We’ve routed them this way in anticipation of the future positioning of our graphics card.
Installing the ventirad and graphics card :
We continue with a little assembly, in particular of the ventirad. Yes, depending on the case, if the ventirad is mounted before wiring, sometimes there isn’t enough space to plug in the EPS12V CPU… This is not the case here, as space is at a premium.
In short, before accessing the motherboard backplate, you’ll need to remove the fan grill positioned at the rear of the tray. Once removed, access is unobstructed and the backplate can be held in place while the ventirad is fitted.
As for the graphics card, all you have to do is remove the PCIe brackets corresponding to its slot in the case, before plugging it in and powering it. Nothing too complicated. What’s more, with this positioning, no matter how bulky the graphics card, it will exert little pressure on the motherboard’s PCIe connector.
Overall:
In broad terms, Thermaltake’s CTE T500 is an original case, thanks to the 90° orientation of its motherboard tray. There’s plenty of space at both front and rear, and cabling is clearly uncomplicated thanks to the numerous Velcro strips here and there. All that remains now is to see how the case fares in terms of ventilation and cooling.
