I've had this computer for a few years and removed the cooler to replace the thermal paste. Now I'm having trouble figuring out how the AIO pump and mounting hardware go back onto the CPU. The mounting screws have springs, and I'm not sure whether the screws should attach to the motherboard bracket first or to the pump bracket. Any guidance on the correct installation order would be appreciated.
3 Answers
The spring-loaded screws need to engage with the threaded mounting posts. First, put the threaded posts through the holes in the pump’s mounting bracket and loosely attach the spring screws. Once everything is hanging together, hook one side of the bracket onto the motherboard mount, start tightening it, then attach the other side. Tighten both screws gradually and evenly rather than fully tightening one side first.
If you no longer have the original instructions, look up the installation manual for the exact AIO model. The bracket and screw arrangement can vary, but the general process is to assemble the spring screws and posts through the pump bracket, loosely catch both sides on the motherboard mounts, and then tighten them evenly.
Make sure both sides have started threading before tightening anything down. Alternate between the screws in small increments so the mounting pressure stays even. If one screw is tightened all the way before the other catches, the second screw may not line up properly and the cooler may not make good contact.
I had the order backward and didn’t realize the hardware needed to be assembled onto the pump bracket first. After putting it together correctly and running stress tests, the CPU is sitting around 40 degrees cooler than before, so everything seems to be working well.