Preparing the Motherboard

Note in this guide the writer is using two differing motherboards in order to further highlight parts. It must be noticed that the motherboards shown were two seperate installations carried about the writer of this article.

Ensure your motherboard is clean and free of dust.

Pick up the bottle of nail polish and carefully paint the area AROUND the CPU socket, (NOT inside the socket itself) not forgetting to coat any MOSFET’s or capacitors around the processor socket area. Once complete leave to dry or alternatively you can use a hairdryer to fast dry the layer of nail varnish. It is recommended to use three layers in order to be safe. Repeat on the underside of the main board.

Cpu Socket Area

Insulate any and all Chokes

Handy Tip: You can tell where you have coated the nail varnish as it should leave a highly polished surface. Any dull section is where there is no trace of nail polish.

nail polish on the top side of the motherboard

Another motherboard insulated

Handy tip number two: If you choose to use acetone as a suspension medium then this substance can also be used to clean the polish off the main board should the equipment ever needed to be dissembled.

As mentioned earlier in the guide, Dragon Skin FX can be used, however the costs of this are much higher than a bottle of nail polish.

Once you are happy that a liberal covering of the system board has been completed then we are ready for the next step.

Assemble your motherboard backing plate hardware (that came with your copper pot). Screw in the M4 mounting bolts, taking care to use the enclosed plastic washers. Once completed place your Armaflex foam sheet through the foam bolts so it rests against the backing plate. If foam sheets are unavailable then putty erasers can be used here. When this is completed simply slide the bolts through the motherboard and push the backing plate firmly against the rear of the motherboard. Whilst doing this place the plastic washers on the top-side of the motherboard and then tighten the nuts.

Mounting Plate and the long bolts attached

Armaflex-sheets

Only the mounting bolts poke through the foam

Backing plate mounted

At this stage place a plastic washer on each of the long bolts and slide it down to the surface of the mainboard. Once this has been completed use the securing nut and screw the retaining nuts down.

Washers to protect the motherboard

Locking nuts

Handy tip: You may need to push against the backing plate in order to get a tight fitting when using the locking nuts for the assembly

Backing Plate installed

Wow we have covered a lot of ground havent we? Great let us move onto step two of preparing your motherboard for a sub-zero enviroment.

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