Gigabyte 3D Galaxy Water Cooler   

     Here are all the parts, fresh out of the box and ready to go into the system. The 3D Galaxy will come with all the hardware necessary, down to each clamp and screw. In the event that you are planning on using the 3D Galaxy in an enclosure other than the 3D Aurora, all you'll be left with for additional hardware are two plain case screws. I'll be mounting the 3D Galaxy onto an LGA775 motherboard, the Asus P5ND2-SLI Deluxe. Some pictures will utilize the Gigabyte GA-8N-SLI Royal, to show challenges presented with difference in motherboard arrangements.

     The universal water block will be mounted with the adapter plate shown on the right. By making the mount separate from the block, this allows the user to decide which way the pipe fittings need to face based on your motherboards layout.

    The LGA775 will need to have a retention bracket installed, using the preformed holes for the socket heatsink. This brings it back to the Socket 478 days, but makes the water block much easier to install and remove. The frame will use the bolt through board method, with screws being run through the backside of the board.

     Here is a perfect example of how motherboard arrangement can dictate how you set up the water block. From our perspective, on the right side of the water block is the slot for the boards Universal DPS card. Directly behind the water block is the board's Northbridge. Once the fan is installed on the Northbridge there may be contact between the water pipe and the fan. Rotating the water block 90° clockwise would have the water pipe running into the U·DPS card, which obviously can't happen. This is something to keep an eye on during installation.