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[SOLVED] Can a 1300g 2-tower heatsink after 6/7/8 years damage the motherboard?

Grealish01

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Jan 22, 2022
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I have to get a z690 on which to over clock, so I necessarily need a 2-tower heatsink, but I wonder if over the years all that weight and pressure can damage it ...
 
Solution
BeQuiet is the maker of the Dark Rock series and does have very good reputation. Scythe also makes a good cooler with large models and properly designed backplates. I'm sure CoolerMaster's designs will be good too.

As noted, the problems with damage from cantilevered loads on motherboards by heavy tower coolers is really a thing of the past. Both AMD and Intel have published standards for cooler mounting and design which any reputable brand will adhere to...or they won't remain reputable for long.
This was a fairly common point of failure on older motherboards with heavy coolers installed. Modern coolers have a tendency to have better support/backplates and in conjunction with a high layer motherboard is not something I have run across on a personal level in years.
 
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This was a fairly common point of failure on older motherboards with heavy coolers installed. Modern coolers have a tendency to have better support/backplates and in conjunction with a high layer motherboard is not something I have run across on a personal level in years.
thanks, would you recommend me some air coolers which have better blackplate?
 
thanks, would you recommend me some air coolers which have better blackplate?

I think it would be rather tough to beat the Noctua, if it will fit and clear your RAM choice. It is my preferred go to brand for air cooling. I happen to keep a Hyper 212 as a backup because of it's nice mounting system and price to performance but would not recommend something that "small" for what I suspect you would pair with a motherboard like what you are asking about.

My understanding is that the Dark Rock series are also good coolers and are recommended regularly by many members of the forum. I have no personal experience with them.
 
BeQuiet is the maker of the Dark Rock series and does have very good reputation. Scythe also makes a good cooler with large models and properly designed backplates. I'm sure CoolerMaster's designs will be good too.

As noted, the problems with damage from cantilevered loads on motherboards by heavy tower coolers is really a thing of the past. Both AMD and Intel have published standards for cooler mounting and design which any reputable brand will adhere to...or they won't remain reputable for long.
 
Solution
Scythe also makes a good cooler with large models and properly designed backplates.

Carey Holzman is a well known YouTube reviewer and system builder/repair/etc. He builds predominantly Intel systems by choice and his go to cooler is the Scythe Mugen 5 IIRC. He has never mentioned a problem with them. Based on the price to performance this is a VERY strong contender in that category.
 
Carey Holzman is a well known YouTube reviewer and system builder/repair/etc. He builds predominantly Intel systems by choice and his go to cooler is the Scythe Mugen 5 IIRC. He has never mentioned a problem with them. Based on the price to performance this is a VERY strong contender in that category.

The measures of performance everyone looks at is pretty much exclusively the noise output and ability to cool monster processors...which most of the big coolers from these mfr's seem to do well enough. But the point is this: with reviewers like Steve@GN who LOVES to rip into mfr's for foisting hardware on us that could damage expensive motherboards I have to think we'd all be hearing about it if any of these things were destructive.

And one thing that does deserve saying is to be sure to follow mfr's instructions precisely for mounting. Simple things may make the difference with that much weight, so read twice assemble carefully. If anything is missing from the kit contact the mfr. and get it replaced. I personally know both Noctua and CoolerMaster will send replacement hardware and brackets if missing.
 
More likely to be an issue when your moving the PC.

Yep. I wouldn't worry about this issue generally if the PC is stationary.......but if moving it around much I would try to keep the motherboard parallel to the ground to avoid the "hanging off the motherboard" issue.

If moving your household, you might even consider temporarily removing the heatsink. I've heard of people doing that out of fear...particularly if relying on a moving company that might toss stuff around.
 
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Not likely to be a problem.
Modern motherboards are much thicker and will not bend easily.
Then, also, the right case can fix your worries.
I use a CM HAF XB EVO in which the motherboard sits horizontally.
I needed a case with limited depth to fit my space.
There are others.