MonsterLabo Only The First User manual

USER MANUAL – THE FIRST
V1.1-2020
August

Prepare your tools:
Screwdriver, wrench and cutter.
Take off the top skin and the top mesh.
Reserve the power button.
Unscrew the 3 aesthetic skins –screws are
at the back of the case.
STEP 1
STEP 2
1

Take off the 3 aesthetic skins.
Unscrew the back skin and remove the skin.
STEP 4
STEP 3
2

Place The First horizontally with the GPU
cooler face up and remove accessible
foams.
Remove the adhesive taps on the metal
stud between GPU cooler and CPU cooler.
Reserve if you want to place it back. The
adhesive taps are used to prevent scratches
during transport. Unscrew the 5 screws on
the metal stud.
STEP 6
STEP 5
3

Remove the 2 screws that fix the metal stud
onto the heatsink –wrench is required.
The First should look like this without the
metal stud.
STEP 8
STEP 7
4

If you have a box of accessories into your
case, remove it.
STEP 10
STEP 9 Remove carefully the foams that protect the
CPU cooler and GPU cooler.
5

Place your First vertically. Unscrew the fan
slot (4 screws).
STEP 12
STEP 11
If you plan to mount a fan into your case,
prepare your fan with the dedicated fixtures
provided in the bag « HDD, Fan & Power ».
Only possible with a SFX power supply.
Only possible with a SFX power supply.
6

Screw the slot fan into the case.
Cut the fan silicon fixtures if needed.
STEP 14
STEP 13 Fix the fan into the slot fan.
Only possible with a SFX power supply.
Only possible with a SFX power supply.
7

If you mount a SFX power supply, simply
screw it on the dedicated part at the back
of the case. Screws are provided in the bag
«screws ».
STEP 16
STEP 15 Start the mounting of your power supply.
Do not prewired.
8

STEP 18
STEP 17
If you plan to mount an ATX power supply,
first remove the compatible plate for SFX
power supply. Then, mount the power
supply with screws provided in the bag
«screws ».
Prewired your HDD and mount it with the
screws provided in the bag « screws » and
anti-vibration kit provided in the bag « HDD,
Fan & Power ».
9

STEP 20
STEP 19
Screw the 3D back panel with screws
provided in the bag « screws ».
Place your First horizontally, CPU cooler face
up. If you plan to change your standard
back panel with a 3D printed back panel
(customized), start to unscrew the back
panel already mounted on The First.
Non-contractual photo
10

Prepare your graphic card. Remove the
fan(s), cooler and back plate if necessary
(most of the time). Always protect your card
with something between the card and the
table.
Pay attention that most of the graphic cards
loose their warranty when disassembling
their cooler. More information can be read
on warranty policy of each brand online.
STEP 22
STEP 21
Remove carefully the blue plastic film used
to protect the GPU and the CPU cooler
blocks.
11

Port panel might need to be removed. If
necessary, remove it.
STEP 24
STEP 23 Pay attention to the cable that connect the
fan(s) to the PCB. Unplugged carefully.
12

Check that your graphic card is well
compatible with the fixture provided with
your case (an email has been sent after you
placed your order to know the components
you will mount into your First, this to
provide you with the right fixtures).
STEP 26
STEP 25
Clean up the chip of your graphic card with
dedicated alchohol cleaner such as
Isopropyl.
13

The VRM cooling should be mounted as
shown. Depending on the thickness of
components, spacers might be required.
STEP 27b
STEP 27
Place your First horizontally, GPU cooler
face up. Place the fixture for your graphic
card on the GPU cooler block. For some
PCBs, the fixture might be mounted from
the right to the left.
14

Place the VRMs cooling solution on the
components and use the screws provided to
fix it.
STEP 27d
STEP 27c
Place the thermal pad provided at the back
of the PCB, where are the components you
want to cool.
15

Start to prepare your card with the kit
provided in the bag « GPU ». Carefully clean
up the area around holes for the fixture
mouting (checked on step 26) with alcohol
cleaner and stick the plastic washers.
Washers have double-face adhesive.
STEP 28
STEP 27e
You can use two VRMs cooling solution
when possible, as also small heatsinks
provided as a kit for your memories.Small
heatsinks can also be used to cool VRMs
when the solution is not compatible.
16

If your components require an assembly
with a riser, bend a little bit the GPU pipes
to allow more space between the graphic
card PCIe port and the mortherboard PCIe
slot. Pipes are flexible and easy to bend
without risks to breake them when done
carefully.
STEP 30
STEP 29
Mount the counternuts, previously cleaned
up with alcohol cleaner, into the holes –
they should stick to the washer.
17

Prepare your motherboard. Remove the
plastic protection on the CPU slot.
STEP 32
STEP 31
Proceed in a trial assembly (no thermal
grease) to check the position of the card,
chip, fixture and cooler block. Protect the
back of the PCB with a fabric or foam. Use
the bag « GPU » and mount the columns,
place the spacers, place the springs and
place the bars. Do not tight yet. You can
also note the position of screws and cooler
block on the fixture to help you during the
final assembly.
18

Mount your DIMs.
STEP 34
STEP 33 Place your processor carefully.
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