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FormD T1 Build Guide & Review Part 1: How To Assemble The T1

At long last, our next ITX build guide will be in the highly sought after, incredibly well optimized FormD T1 case. For those who don’t know, the FormD T1 is the best sandwich design ITX computer case on the market. A true SFF (small form factor) case, the T1 possesses remarkable cooling ability in a mere 9.5L! This special case will receive a multipart build guide from assembly to an AIO watercooled build and eventually a full custom loop. If you purchased this case and need help assembling it, we hope these instructions will be helpful. Let’s dive right in!

Unboxing

The T1 arrives fully disassembled in a square shaped box.

The parts are divided into layered sections. The first section has the front and rear panels as well as the primary case struts and all the screws necessary to assemble the T1.

Layer two contains the aluminum mesh side panels (which had a surprising heft to them) and the power cord.

Here is one of the side panels. They are really well-made. I mean it, these things ooze quality.

The next layer has the power switch, fan brackets, case feet, GPU brackets and cable ties, etc.

Layer four contains the PCI-express riser cable and the top and bottom panels.

I couldn’t spot a single flaw in these panels. The anodized finish is smooth, the CNC machined aluminum ventilation holes are flawless. So far, this case exemplifies the build quality associated with a premium product.

How To Assemble The FormD T1

Before we begin, here is a breakdown of the included screws and standoffs. There are:

Start with the front and rear panels, two side struts and the spine strut.

Using a long screw, connect the spine strut to the rear panel.

Next connect the spine strut to the front panel.

Again, using long screws connect the side strut to each panel. The smooth end connects to the front panel. The notched end connects to the rear panel.

Now do the same on the other side.

Make sure the side struts look like this when looking down into the case.

Next, install the GPU bracket. We will be installing the 2-slot bracket and will show you how to change it later in this guide.

Use a combination of long and short screws for the GPU bracket. Here you can see the T1 stamped into the rear panel. The only identifier/branding on the case. Very subtle, very clean and minimalistic!

Next install the SFX power supply bracket using long screws.

Flip the case so it looks like this when you install the power supply bracket.

Make sure the bracket looks like this when you’re done.

Now install the riser strut. You will add 1-2 long standoffs depending on whether you are in 2-slot or 3-slot mode.

You will you also add one short standoff on the other side which will be used to mount the motherboard. This is what 2-slot mode looks like. You’ll see 3-slot mode later on.

Here is the riser strut installed. Use a long screw through the side strut to secure the long standoff and use another screw on the left side to connect the riser strut to the rear panel.

Next install two more short standoffs in the areas circled in red at the top of the case.

To install the PCIe riser cable, you will need two pan head screws. Drop the riser cable in the orientation shown in this picture and secure it with the pan screws through these two holes.

Here’s a close up of a pan head screw securing the riser cable to the riser strut.

PCIe riser cable installed!

Next, we will add the front lid and secure it with a short screw through the hole where the arrow is pointing.

This is a good time to go ahead and add the case feet to the bottom panel. Both top/bottom panels are identical so it doesn’t matter which one you use.

Here’s where we installed our case feet. You can see one full hole in the corner and a partial hole on each side of one of the case feet.

We added the long fan brackets next as we will be using a 240mm radiator in our AIO build.

You will use one long screw through the middle and a short screw on each end.

Switch FormD T1 From 2-Slot Mode To 3-Slot Mode

Since the air cooled GPU we will be using is massive, we need to switch to 3-slot mode. First swap out the 2-slot GPU bracket for the 3-slot bracket. As seen in this picture, the 2-slot bracket is installed and the 3-slot bracket is on the table.

You will use a combination of long and short screws to secure either GPU bracket.

In addition to the GPU bracket, you must also have the spine and the riser strut in the correct position to utilize 3-slot mode. In this picture you can see we have moved the spine into position for 3-slot mode but the riser strut still needs to be moved.

For 3-slot mode, the riser strut will require two long standoffs connected together.

Now normally at this point you will be installing hardware prior to closing the case; we will show hardware installation in Part 2. The bottom panel connects to the front panel at angle then you slide the back part over the rear panel and use two long screws to secure the two sections.

Here’s a shot from the front. The T1 looks amazing in silver! It reminds me of the 2008 HP VooDoo Omen.

Here’s a shot from the rear of the T1. There are three exposed areas at the top of the rear panel. One is used for the power button, the middle is used for the power cable and the second circular area can be used to route cables or tubing outside of the case.

Installing the power cable is easy, just route it through and click it into place.

The power cable installed in the correct orientation. We will move the blank ring to the left side and install our power button on the right side when we build.

We are currently in the process of an AIO build in the T1. Here’s a sneak peek of the monster GPU we are using!

We hope this guide helps you assemble the T1 more quickly and correctly when it comes time to build your PC in it.

See Part 2 here: FormD T1 Build Guide & Review Part 2: RTX 3080 FTW3 AIO Build