Motherboard And Add-In Card Installation
I/O Shield Installation
As with the last few cases we reviewed, our motherboard's I/O shield slides right into its opening in the back of the case, fitting tightly (as it should), but without bending.
Backplate Opening
The motherboard tray features a well-sized opening for easy access to CPU cooler backplates. This makes switching out coolers easy. In the images below, you see Socket AM3+ (Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3) and LGA 1155 (Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD4) motherboards.
Cable Routing for the CPU Power Supply
Just like its predecessor, the Arc Midi R2 features two rubber-framed cable openings next to the top edge of the motherboard. You can route +12 V cables through them, or fan cables that aren't hooked up to motherboard headers.
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Motherboard and Graphics Card Installation, Maximum CPU Cooler Height
The motherboard spacers are not installed; you have to screw them in yourself. Fortunately, Fractal Design does bundle a small tool to make this process a little easier. It's a small hexagon bit with grooves for a screwdriver on the top, making the stand-offs compatible with any normal screwdriver.
Once the motherboard is securely in place, no modern CPU cooler’s height should cause a problem. This is due to the case's generous width, which allows heat sinks as tall as 180 mm to fit.
The PCI slots are equipped with solid covers painted white. They're held in place by thumb screws and are easy to pop out when it comes time to install a graphics card. In the Arc Midi R2's stock configuration, the enclosure supports cards 300 mm-long. This increases to 430 mm if you pull out the top hard drive cage.
