[SOLVED] Asus Maximus Z690 Extreme Glacial - missing washer

[therealcrash8]

Hey, guys.

I'm building a new system with the Asus Maximus Z690 Extreme Glacial motherboard. There are lots of thermal pads to apply and then you need to mount and secure the monoblock to the motherboard. This thing is a beast of a motherboard and it took me like 2 hours to assemble it. The problem here is that there are six washers that need to be applied to the front of the motherboard and four washers that need to be installed along with four "A" screws on the back of the motherboard. Of the ten washers required, I had only six and the sixth one actually did a really good job of hiding until AFTER I decided to proceed without it and completed assembling the motherboard.

EKWB, the manufacturer of the monoblock, is willing to send me the missing washers. The four that go on the back of the motherboard would be a breeze to install as I have easy access to the "A" screws though an opening on the back plate of my case. The washer that goes on the front of the motherboard, however, is impossible to installing without completely disassembling the motherboard, which I obviously want to avoid doing at all costs unless it's absolutely necessary. The missing washer on the front is in a group of three washers that form three corners of a square. I figured if I was only going to install 2 of those 3 washers, it would probably be best to put them in the two corners that were diagonally across from each other. I'm linking a diagram below which is a page from the installation manual where I indicate which washers I DID install with green check marks and which washer I did NOT install with a red "X".

In searching the web, I've seen lots of conflicting information on the subject. I've spoken with EKWB who were somewhat ambiguous as to whether or not the missing washers are really required. I spoke with Asus who at first recommended that I install the missing washers, but when I expressed "extreme" displeasure at the thought of completely disassembling the motherboard if it wasn't necessary, they then said it was ok to leave the one missing washer out based on the diagram I sent them. I should just be happy with that answer... ha... but I wanted to also ask the opinion of the experts here. Do you think I should go through the extreme hassle of completely disassembling the motherboard just to install that one missing washer? Or should I feel secure moving forward without it? I would really hate to fry my $2K motherboard because of one missing washer... LOL.

https://imgur.com/9DmlIbk

 

[Darkbreeze]

Are the washers you are talking about the ones that go under the screws that mount the motherboard to the standoffs in the case or are they for actually mounting the blocks to the board?

Can you provide a link to the actual manual that your image is from?

 

[therealcrash8]

Are the washers you are talking about the ones that go under the screws that mount the motherboard to the standoffs in the case or are they for actually mounting the blocks to the board?

So if you watch the installation video at:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-ec4yBWA0Y&t=237s

the same washers I'm talking about on the front of the motherboard are the very ones he's mounting at 3:42-3:51. The four "A" screws on the back of the motherboard are the ones he's mounting at 9:48-10:11.

 

[therealcrash8]

Are the washers you are talking about the ones that go under the screws that mount the motherboard to the standoffs in the case or are they for actually mounting the blocks to the board?

Can you provide a link to the actual manual that your image is from?

Here is a link to the manual:

https://rog.asus.com/us/motherboard...us-z690-extreme-glacial-model/helpdesk_manual

The relevant diagrams are on pages 2-5 (top) and 2-12 (bottom). And no, these are not for the screws that mount the motherboard to the case. These are for mounting the monoblock to the motherboard.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Ok, if they are the screws used to mount the Ultrablock to the motherboard, then those washers are, in my opinion, required components as they set the depth of the block from the board as well as setting the mounting pressure since they go in between the block and the board. Also, with two installed and one missing you are inviting the block not being evenly mounted which itself can sometimes cause it's own problems, just like having a CPU cooler that is not evenly tightened.

I'm not sure anybody can actually tell you yes or no on this one for certain, but in my opinion EK designed this to be installed in a specific manner and considering exactly where those washers go, I would be inclined to say it is worth your time to take the time to go back again and do it right even though it is a PITA.

 

[therealcrash8]

I'm not sure anybody can actually tell you yes or no on this one for certain, but in my opinion EK designed this to be installed in a specific manner and considering exactly where those washers go, I would be inclined to say it is worth your time to take the time to go back again and do it right even though it is a PITA.

I appreciate your responses. You're probably right, and it's probably the only way I'll be 100% at ease that my motherboard isn't going to fry itself when I finally power up my system (or somewhere later down the line). EK is shipping me the additional washers, but they won't be here until Monday. They also say that all the thermal pads I placed before mounting the Ultrablock should be ok when I take it back off. I hope they're right.

I guess at least now, I'll see if I lowered the Ultrablock down properly and it distributed the thermal paste evenly across the CPU... hahaha.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I know what you mean, and I've done similar things before and while I am almost always tempted to just "let it fly", I generally don't because I know if I have problems I'll be kicking myself for not just doing it right away and even if I don't I'll be constantly distressed (Read: Keeps me awake at night) over the idea that it still might cause me a problem down the road.

It's pretty much always worth it, especially when it comes to computer hardware, to just take the time to make sure it's right so there is no need to worry about it later OR to have to redo it after, in your case for example, the loop has been filled etc. which then makes it an even larger PITA.

 

[therealcrash8]

Well, I got the new washers from EK and I cracked my motherboard back open...

I found that the large white washers are actually ONLY for the "A" screws that go on the back of the motherboard. The six washers required on the front of the motherboard are actually those tiny washers that I thought couldn't possibly be the right washers. Those are all correctly in place now.

As a little bit of added drama, once I pulled the Ultrablock off of the motherboard, I only found four of the five large white washers I had put on there... ha. I actually found one inside the case, so those things could could conceivably be anywhere now. I did find one "hiding" on the front of the motherboard, but I looked everywhere I could think of on the front of the motherboard and couldn't find the last one, so I'm hoping it somehow ended up in another dimension. Also, I'm really not as worried about a possible extra plastic washer floating around as I was about a required washer that was definitely not there.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I'd agree. Unlike a metal washer, if a plastic one gets in somewhere and is touching something it's not potentially catastrophic. Hopefully now you'll be able to finish up and get to using it.