As indicated on its accent field, the North Momentum consists of 16 M3 screws for attaching as much as 4 2.5-inch drives, eight screws for attaching the motherboard to factory-mounted standoffs, 4 energy provide screws, an additional motherboard standoff, eight shoulder screws and eight rubber grommets for mounting 3.5-inch drives, and 4 cable ties. You’ll additionally discover a fashionable person handbook, however that’s packed outdoors the case.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
Now for the simple half! As soon as we had our motherboard put in, we related it to entrance panel buttons and ports through an influence change and break up energy LED leads, an HD Audio cable, and Gen 1 (19-pin) and Gen 2×2 USB cables. As their sign cables are daisy-chained in collection, the case’s three Momentum followers connect with a single motherboard fan header.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
We purpose for take a look at consistency, which often means mounting our cooler as far again on the case’s high mount as we are able to match it, in order that its followers will give the best potential airflow over our motherboard’s CPU core voltage regulator. Although the North Momentum gives solely 35mm of vertical clearance for our 54mm-thick cooler, its 44mm of horizontal clearance nearly allowed every thing to suit usually: Solely the mirrored cowl of our motherboard’s lighted I/O connector concealer caught out previous the I/O defend, and 45mm past the standoffs.
Our choices had been to both slide the cooler ahead round 30mm, or squeeze it in. After initially squeezing it in and discovering that the highest of the case wouldn’t snap into tempo, we slid it ahead round 10mm, squeezed it in, and located that the highest snapped into place as anticipated. A slight compromise, however full transparency right here!
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
Whereas our fitment difficulty seems distinctive to the mirrored plastic plaque of our take a look at motherboard, that problematic function (see the blingy “ROG”?) actually seems good all lit up. However, in the event you’d like to repeat this construct, we’d suggest sliding the cooler slightly farther ahead than I did, even when doing so barely reduces its airflow over the voltage regulator. As you’ll quickly see, the voltage regulator is greater than cool sufficient.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
We talked about earlier that cable passages above the highest of our motherboard had been sparse and presumably inadequate, however discovered the one gap to be utterly adequate…if not precisely handy.
