Install CPU and MOBO in case early?

[mavsynchroid]

Heya folks. I'm building a brand new pc. Right now, I'm just waiting for PSU, RAM, and HDD to come tomorrow. I was wondering if I should install my CPU in my motherboard and put that in the case today while I wait. To be honest, I'm quite nervous concerning installing the CPU and the cooler and what not. Always worry I'll screw it up, especially with the thermal paste. Just want to get it over with.

Anyway, I was wondering if doing that early would somehow work against my PC. Like, if the CPU and cooler were installed on the mobo, the mobo installed in the case, but the pc wasn't turned on for a whole day. I dunno if the thermal paste needs to be heated right away for it to be most effective, or if I need to let it sit for a while after installing before actually turning on the PC.

So I came here to ask what is I guess a two part question.

1.) Is it ok to install the CPU and cooler onto the MOBO a day earlier than assembling the PC?

2.) If it IS ok, and if I need to wait a while after installing the CPU and cooler to let the thermal paste... cure? I think it was, how long do I need to wait?

Thank you for any help in advance. As you can tell, I'm pretty new to this.



EDIT: Also! My MOBO is a tomahawk arctic b350, and my CPU is a Ryzen 5 with the stock cooler. Concerning the cooler and the MOBO, do I need to remove those bracket thingys on the MOBO that are next to the spot the CPU goes in? I feel like they'd get in the way of the cooler. I watched another video... this one here..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMcd4eO9D4o

At 3:40, you see him remove the brackets because it's in the way of the stock cooler for the Ryzen 5. My MOBO is a different kind, but it also has those brackets there that can be unscrewed. Do I need to remove them?

 

[feelinfroggy777]

You do not need to wait and the thermal paste does not need to cure. If you installed the cpu and cooler today and let it sit for a year the thermal paste would be just as good as it was when you installed it.

Additionally, dont over think it. It looks confusing, but all of the parts just snap together. If you get confused, go to google. The hardest part is wiring the case to the motherboard because they are all different. But just read the motherboard manual and you will be good to go. Have fun.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

Yes, if your motherboard has the brackets and you are using the stock cooler, you will need to remove the brackets.

 

[Sedivy]

First, do not install the cooler. Cpu you can but no point until you can mount the cooler so hold off on it. Why? Coolers are massive. The most finicky part of installing are all the front panel connections (audio, reset, power, usb), and finding exactly where they go, plugging them in. Then plugging in all the fans, all the power cables for all the components. After you're done all that and you've wrangled all the cables you can to the back and into some sort of coherent form, only then do you consider installing cpu and mounting the cooler, and then for the last, the gpu. Memory you can install now, but that too I usually do just before the CPU Cooler (always check first the memory fit and if the cooler is going to hit the memory sticks, before you apply thermal paste and mount).

Thermal paste I don't think needs to be heated instantly (don't quote me on this, I"m not certain), but it does need to be heated at some point in order to properly bind and reach best heat conductivity.

It looks like yes you'll have to remove the brackets if you're getting the same cpu/stock cooler, in order to mount it but video shows that's pretty easy to do. Otherwise I see no other holes on your board to screw the mount into. It should be pretty obvious when you take out the mount, position it over your board/cpu area and try to find holes to match up with your screws.

 

[mjslakeridge]

Check to see if your CPU cooler already has thermal paste applied. Some do, and others provide a tube in the package. Depending on the location of the motherboard mounting screw holes, it might be easier to install the cpu and cpu cooler to the motherboard before installing in the case. Make sure you install the motherboard standoffs in the back of the case according to the motherboard manual's mounting instructions. Most cases will have more mounting holes than are needed for a specific motherboard, to allow for the use of different size motherboards. So it is important to install the standoffs in the proper locations.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

First, do not install the cooler. Cpu you can but no point until you can mount the cooler so hold off on it. Why? Coolers are massive. The most finicky part of installing are all the front panel connections (audio, reset, power, usb), and finding exactly where they go, plugging them in. Then plugging in all the fans, all the power cables for all the components. After you're done all that and you've wrangled all the cables you can to the back and into some sort of coherent form, only then do you consider installing cpu and mounting the cooler, and then for the last, the gpu. Memory you can install now, but that too I usually do just before the CPU Cooler (always check first the memory fit and if the cooler is going to hit the memory sticks, before you apply thermal paste and mount).



He wont have an issue with the cooler being to big for the memory sticks, it is a stock cooler. I prefer to install the cooler outside of the case because you really want to make sure you install it properly. You want to make sure that the cooler is flush and none of the screws are cross threaded. You wont be able to see any of that with it installed in the case. Granted, large air coolers are a pain, but with a stock cooler he will have easy access when he wires up the PC. But that is just my opinion.

 

[mavsynchroid]

Thank you all for you advice! To Sedivy, I heard from a couple other people that I should install the CPU and cooler onto the motherboard while the motherboard is OUTSIDE the case, as they say installing it in the case is much more difficult. What's your view on that?

Also, I don't know if this makes a difference, but I'm pretty sure my PSU that's coming tomorrow in the mail is modular. I think that means I only have to have the wires that I actually need connected to the PSU, and can take off all the ones I don't need. I think that would make things easier and less cluttered.

I do hope the PSU comes with some sort of tie to clean up the wires though. I currently don't have anything like that with me. Would it be terrible if for some reason I didn't tie them all together after the fact? I don't care how it looks right now, as long as it runs well. That's my first concern. Maybe the PSU will come with something though?

EDIT: Muwahahaha! I found some. My current PC's psu died recently, so i got a mediocre replacement for it before I knew I was building a new pc. It found the ties that came with it. Kind of like velcro but they somehow stick to the other non velcro side too! Perfect!

 

[Sedivy]

It very much depends on the case. Last I did this, I had a phanteks enthoo pro m which is very roomy by mid tower standards, so I installed it after installing the motherboard in the case, to minimize chance of bumping the radiator around in any way, while still having space to put my hands in there and work.
However, when I worked before on the much smaller cases, which also had a slim type cooler (laid down orientation like your stock cooler), it would have been really awkward to try and get my hands in there without bumping into the case in some way had I not assembled it on the motherboard first, on the bench, and then moved over the whole thing inside.
I am also closer to small and slim when it comes to hand size so this helps too.

Modular was the right choice, makes things 100x easier, especially if you plan to assemble on the bench first. You can plug in stuff into the motherboard while you have space to work with so you don't need to stick your hands into the limited space after (need some degree of force to get those power cables in and that's very hard without proper space), and then just thread the cables after through appropriate holes in the side of the case to hide them, and plug them into the psu at the bottom.

The psu does typically come with zip ties or velcro strips but this can also come with the case? If you take off the other side cover behind the motherboard, that's where the ties would be. If not, better PSUs do come with them (or you can just get some zip ties separately).
Aesthetics are completely up to you, but do try to move them to the back through the rubber grommets/holes after you plug them into vga/motherboard, and then route them through that space behind the motherboard to the bottom, where there are usually holes again to bring it back up front to the psu. How you tie them up in the back is up to you, and how much time you want to spend on cleanup. You'll never look in there but keeping it tidy might help in future repairs.

 

[mjslakeridge]

My recent PSU purchase (Seasonic G450) came with a bunch of zip ties and a couple of the velcro ties. I ended up not using many as I was able to route most of the cables in the space behind the motherboard (not under the motherboard, but the panel inside of the case that the motherboard is attached to) and out some holes designed to keep most of the cables nice and neat. My case allows both of the side panels to be removed, so routing the cables wasn't too hard.