Question Heat sink very close to Ram

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silenthunt316

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Mar 12, 2020
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Hey guys happy Memorial Day weekend, I just got the noctua d15. And the front fan in numbing into the ram. Not putting pressure on it or nothing. What should I do? Any help will be appreciated :)
 
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Karadjgne

Karadjgne

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It's overhang. The front fan protrudes into the second ram slot, and Op's ram is a few mm too tall, forcing the fan to be moved upwards. And has 165mm of clearance in the case. By using a slim fan, that's 1cm thinner, that missing 10mm should be enough where the fan slides down between the socket and the ram, not touching. As to whether that'll work for you, the current fan is 25mm deep. If the leading edge of the ram is less than halfway into the fan, it'll work. If the ram is further in than halfway, it'll not work. You'll have to look at it from the side and judge.

According to the way I'm reading this post. It's hard to judge without a side-view picture.

And yes, you can use a 120mm fan, it might take a little tweaking to the mounting springs but it's definitely doable. It's how I have my Cryorig R1 Ultimate setup, because the stock 140mm front fan couldn't be moved upwards because of case height. Using a 120mm fan in front instead fits perfectly above the ram without having to raise the top edge.

Noctua used that same design in the venerated NH-D14, a 140mm in center and a 120mm in front. Just because of ram clearance heights and case restrictions.
 
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Gintama69

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Ok.. i didn't read all the posts cos it's 3 pages long... but it would def help if OP posted a photo(freaking easy now days, everyone's got camera phone), and also state the model of the Z390 motherboard and RAM... doh!!!
cos I've used Noctua NH-D15 on few different setups and never had issue like OP.

Anyway short answer for ya OP, 9900K can run on Noctua NH-D15 with only fan, even without any case fans.
I've had couple of 9900K's and also 9900KS and never had overheating issue with D15 using one only fan.
 
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Karadjgne

Karadjgne

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Yep, tall heatsink right in the middle. If it had been the same height all the way across as the sides, not a problem.

As for picture, as perpendicular to the exact side as possible, so you can tell how the fan hits the ram, pretty much so that the picture is dead sideways to the front fan.
 
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GorillaMonsoon

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silenthunt316 said:
If it wasn’t touching the ram it’ll still be big because I would have to push up the fan. And if I do that then I would be able to close the case
Click to expand...
In that case (no pun intended) then getting a smaller fan, different cooler or bigger case would be your options. And a good lesson for next time.
If your just going for least amount of money a smaller fan makes the most sense. I've been bit hard by the building bug so I'm replacing parts on mine so I can have extra parts to build another soon.
 
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Gintama69

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real easy fix.. can't believe it's 4 pages and still not fixed.. lol

solutions
  1. just leave thing as is.. it's not gonna hurt your RAM or mobo or CPU..
  2. u can move the fan up little bit.. which is very easy.
  3. just remove that fan.. as i said 9900K will be fine on D15 with one fan.
 
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Karadjgne

Karadjgne

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I'm cheap. I also modify stuff to fit my needs. So honestly I'd shave a few mm from the peak of that ram, it's all heatsink that really doesn't do anything. But thats me. Mr. Warranty Voided.

That's a sharp looking case, and quite expensive, I'd not be in a hurry to dump it if you really like it.

A $20 120mm Noctua is far cheaper than a new case and won't hurt the performance or looks of the cooler.
 
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SamirD

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Gintama69 said:
real easy fix.. can't believe it's 4 pages and still not fixed.. lol

solutions
  1. just leave thing as is.. it's not gonna hurt your RAM or mobo or CPU..
  2. u can move the fan up little bit.. which is very easy.
  3. just remove that fan.. as i said 9900K will be fine on D15 with one fan.
Click to expand...
#1 is wrong. Over time the vibrations from the fan going into the memory socket will cause problems.
#2 Doesn't allow the OP to close the case.
#3 Might be the best option for now until there's a slimmer fan.
 
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Karadjgne

Karadjgne

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No. The ram itself is rectangular, it's a straight strip of green pcb across the bottom of the heatsink. The heatsink itself is semi-useless, it's main purpose is bling. Let's show off the XPG logo...

So looking at it flat, there's a peak in the center. Just some thin aluminium. That pointy peak is just decoration, and that stick is under the fan. You can even fully remove the heatsink and not affect the ram (you can find directions on YouTube easy enough).

Me, (not that I'm saying you should, only that you can if you wish) I'd shave that center peak down a few mm. Will allow you to drop the front fan placement and have ram clearance. And not be visible.

Low profile ram such as Corsair LPX would also be an alternative, and cheaper than a new case, and far easier to install instead of having to fully disassemble your current case and clean it all up for sale/return etc.
 
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Karadjgne

Karadjgne

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There's 2 fans that are usually high on the list of Noctua 120mm. The NF-A12x25 and the NF-F12 2000 IPPC. I prefer the A series, it's quieter and performance is better per db, but the ippc is cheaper. Both come standard or in black chromax now.
 
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