Question Cheap Contact Frame

[frozensun]

Hi guys.
I got my self used Stri Z 690 F board and guy sent contact frame with it.I suppose this one is not from Thermalright, when I googled it's marking, it's clear this one is cheap.
When I removed stock LGA 1700 bracket installed cotnact frame and inserted screws, top right side screw did not want to insert into it's whole with whole depth (picture below).
When I started to tighten them in X direction that screw was tigthening much more then others.I removed the contact frame,turned it around and saw that holes for screws are not matched (picture below with my skin below contact frame).
I was stubborn and somehow I did succeed in installing it, but did not yet tried the board (2 weeks passed).
Now I have anxiety that because this holes on contact frame are not matched that I destroyed either socket or CPU, which probably is nonsense.
So what do you guys think, should I leave the contact frame and try to boot up machine or remove it?
It's all because these holes are not equally matched.
Picture number 4 from top to bottom is final installation how it looks like.
Picture number 1 is showing clearly how screw does not inset into hole by itself.

 

[Lafong]

Hi guys.
I got my self used Stri Z 690 F board and guy sent contact frame with it.I suppose this one is not from Thermalright, when I googled it's marking, it's clear this one is cheap.
When I removed stock LGA 1700 bracket installed cotnact frame and inserted screws, top right side screw did not want to insert into it's whole with whole depth (picture below).
When I started to tighten them in X direction that screw was tigthening much more then others.I removed the contact frame,turned it around and saw that holes for screws are not matched (picture below with my skin below contact frame).
I was stubborn and somehow I did succeed in installing it, but did not yet tried the board (2 weeks passed).
Now I have anxiety that because this holes on contact frame are not matched that I destroyed either socket or CPU, which probably is nonsense.
So what do you guys think, should I leave the contact frame and try to boot up machine or remove it?
It's all because these holes are not equally matched.
Picture number 4 from top to bottom is final installation how it looks like.
Picture number 1 is showing clearly how screw does not inset into hole by itself.

My guess is that all you can do is try to assemble it as it sits right now and evaluate the results. If the results are tolerable, accept it.

Further fiddling with that frame may well just dig you into a deeper hole.

What's the strongest reason you have for getting involved with a contact frame at all? Fear? Can't resist hobbyist urges? Rank curiosity? You make money with the PC so a temp reduction might allow you to complete a job in 2 hours rather than 2.1 hours?

 

[frozensun]

My guess is that all you can do is try to assemble it as it sits right now and evaluate the results. If the results are tolerable, accept it.

Further fiddling with that frame may well just dig you into a deeper hole.

What's the strongest reason you have for getting involved with a contact frame at all?

Was told from seller it will fix thermal issues.

 

[Lafong]

Was told from seller it will fix thermal issues.

What thermal issues did you experience?

 

[frozensun]

What thermal issues did you experience?

I have not experienced, as I wrote I still have not assembled the PC.
The seller sent me contact frame alongside motherboard and told me to install it, and that it will fix thermal issues with 13th Gen CPU.

 

[Lafong]

In your shoes, I'd just assemble it as it now sits.

You can't know what the results of that might be without trying.

If not happy with the results of that, consider your next options...but hope it doesn't come to that.

If your temps are X, it might be that if you removed the frame the temps would be X plus 3 or X minus 3. Who knows? I'd resist the urge to find out because that has some chance of making a poor situation even worse.

You may be one of those who is terrified of temps or has a very strong urge to tinker.....even though only a small percentage of people use a contact frame at all.

If temps are way way out of line with the frame, then maybe you do something else.

You'd have to compare your anxieties: temp anxiety versus anxiety from further fiddling......that's a personal decision for you alone.

I have heard that there is a significant difference in the manufacturing tolerances among the several contact frame makers....so I'm not surprised. Leaving aside whether even the best ones are necessary.

I thought about using one, but decided against it due to anxiety over how much to tighten it down...how many screw turns, how much torque, etc, etc.

 

[thestryker]

The Thermalright ones are pretty cheap and are designed to be tightened down easily so I'd suggest either buying one of those and installing it or just reinstalling the ILM. The board you've got is fairly well made so the ILM curve may not matter as it will depend on both the board and CPU. No matter what I wouldn't use the contact frame you have.

 

[frozensun]

The Thermalright ones are pretty cheap and are designed to be tightened down easily so I'd suggest either buying one of those and installing it or just reinstalling the ILM. The board you've got is fairly well made so the ILM curve may not matter as it will depend on both the board and CPU. No matter what I wouldn't use the contact frame you have.

20 euros for contact frame ain't cheap, at least notg for me, my friend.

 

[thestryker]

20 euros for contact frame ain't cheap, at least notg for me, my friend.

and that is why I said that you could just reinstall the ILM...

 

[frozensun]

Okay.
Now I dunno how much should I tighten the screws?

 

[thestryker]

It is hard to describe something done by feel, but the word I would use is snug. Basically screw them all of the way in until you first feel resistance and it isn't loose anymore then go another quarter turn.