Rebuild current PC advice

[FRD]

I'm thinking of rebuilding my PC later this summer. It's my new build since only Christmas 2020, but I think I'm not satisfied yet. For example the fan controller is still hanging around in the case.

My goal is to change the position of the motherboard and have the PSU on top, which is possible in my case. I also want to add some RGB that I got, now my PC is still a blue theme. I'm using a 240mm AIO and the motherboard sits on a removable tray that I can slide out of the case.

 

My question is, is it possible and also safe to rebuild my PC without disassembling my AIO CPU waterblock from the motherboard?

I would like to know this, since I used Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut. It's been on there for just a few months and I don't want to waste it. The only thermal paste I have laying around is Cooler Master, which is worse and cheaper. I'm happy with my 20 degrees Celcius idle temperatures right now.

 

Other than that, am I going to run into problems having the PSU on top? Should the fan face down or up? I assume it's just a lot of new cable management work.

 

[Boyohan]

7 minutes ago, FRD said:

I'm thinking of rebuilding my PC later this summer. It's my new build since only Christmas 2020, but I think I'm not satisfied yet. For example the fan controller is still hanging around in the case.

My goal is to change the position of the motherboard and have the PSU on top, which is possible in my case. I also want to add some RGB that I got, now my PC is still a blue theme. I'm using a 240mm AIO and the motherboard sits on a removable tray that I can slide out of the case.

 

My question is, is it possible and also safe to rebuild my PC without disassembling my AIO CPU waterblock from the motherboard?

I would like to know this, since I used Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut. It's been on there for just a few months and I don't want to waste it. The only thermal paste I have laying around is Cooler Master, which is worse and cheaper. I'm happy with my 20 degrees Celcius idle temperatures right now.

 

Other than that, am I going to run into problems having the PSU on top? Should the fan face down or up? I assume it's just a lot of new cable management work.

 

If shouldn't be a problem for you to leave the AIO pump/cpu block mounted on as long as you are careful when you are changing position of AIO/mobo. 

 

As a general rule most PSUs have the fan blowing into the casing and components of the PSU and out the back.  

A top mounted PSU fan should therefore be placed either down towards the mobo/cpu or if you have open ventilation at the top of your case you can place the fan up. 

To simplify it... Don't place your PSU fan against a closed panel. 

[FRD]

4 minutes ago, Boyohan said:

If shouldn't be a problem for you to leave the AIO pump/cpu block mounted on as long as you are careful when you are changing position of AIO/mobo. 

 

As a general rule most PSUs have the fan blowing into the casing and components of the PSU and out the back.  

A top mounted PSU fan should therefore be placed either down towards the mobo/cpu or if you have open ventilation at the top of your case you can place the fan up. 

To simplify it... Don't place your PSU fan against a closed panel. 

It's going to be crampy to be moving the motherboard and AIO and maybe radiator around at the same time, but I will try to be careful. Maybe I will ask someone to assist me.

So generally I should have the PSU face fan down. My case does have holes at the top, however they mostly run out at the end edge of the case where the PSU is supposed to be. I need to make sure whether it's enough ventilation, if not I will just go fan face down. Thanks!

[Boyohan]

2 minutes ago, FRD said:

It's going to be crampy to be moving the motherboard and AIO and maybe radiator around at the same time, but I will try to be careful. Maybe I will ask someone to assist me.

There is no reason to remove the AIO from the CPU but it will be hard to move everything around so having someone with an extra pair of hands to help you would be very useful. 

[FRD]

20 hours ago, Boyohan said:

There is no reason to remove the AIO from the CPU but it will be hard to move everything around so having someone with an extra pair of hands to help you would be very useful. 

Yep, definitely will do that.

I just realized that my question is kind of useless. Of course the waterblock is going to be upside down, which is going to bug me later on, which makes me want to rebuild again.

Is it possible to take of the waterblock carefully, turn it around and put it on correctly without losing thermal paste or messing it up?

Another thing in my build is that the radiator is really hard to take off, because I'm using a 4 fans on the radiator and a lot of fan cables are in that part of the case.

[Boyohan]

34 minutes ago, FRD said:

 

Is it possible to take of the waterblock carefully, turn it around and put it on correctly without losing thermal paste or messing it up?

Another thing in my build is that the radiator is really hard to take off, because I'm using a 4 fans on the radiator and a lot of fan cables are in that part of the case.

Yes you can do that but it is not recommended. 

 

You can't guarantee that when you remount the AIO pump you will get the same even spread of thermal paste.

There is a risk of having small gaps of air where the thermal paste is not touching the CPU and/or pump. 

Those gaps would cause increased heat. 

[FRD]

Just now, Boyohan said:

Yes you can do that but it is not recommended. 

 

You can't guarantee that when you remount the AIO pump you will get the same even spread of thermal paste.

There is a risk of having small gaps of air where the thermal paste is not touching the CPU and/or pump. 

Those gaps would cause increased heat. 

I see, it's a small risk then. I could try to squeeze the last drop out of the Kryonaut tube, but I think it's better for me to postpone the rebuild until I upgrade my Ryzen 5 to a Ryzen 7, which is still my plan. For now I think I'm fine, rebuilding is for aesthetics and fun only. Thanks anyway.