Is the Thermalright U-120 too heavy?

[ExTechie]

I'm thinking about buying the Thermalright U-120 or U-120 Extreme. The system I'm putting together will have a Gigabyte 965P-DS3 MB, E6600 and a Antec Solo case. I've read one review that said the Thermalright U-120 heat sink was too heavy and could cause the motherboard to flex and fail.

Any body got any insight in regards to heavy heat sinks and mid-tower or tower cases? Could this be a real problem or is it a load of hogwash?

Any recommendations in regards to quiet 120mm fans that fit well the Thermalright U-120 would be appreciated.

Thanks

Tom

 

[apt403]

As it is there's no way a heavy hsf like the Ultra 120 or Tuniq Tower 120 could damage a mobo just because of it's weight. The load plate that goes on the back of the mobo does it's job well, it evenly distributes the stress of the 4 screws used to mount the Ultra 120 across the mobo. PCBs are alot more durable then most people realize. I always pick up my mobo by it's hsf, since it's easier to lift out of the case and I dont get grease and crap from my fingers on the PCB.

 

[jay2tall]

The back plate spreads the weight out over a large surface. It's from Thermalright, IT HAS TO BE GOOD. haha.. they really put alot of thought in their designs and i trust them.

I always pick up my mobo by it's hsf, since it's easier to lift out of the case and I dont get grease and crap from my fingers on the PCB.

I do the exact same for the same reasons.

Any 120mm fan will do.. People seem to like the sythe queit fans. They are a little more expensive but queit and with it. I agree with this but i needed... aka wanted a blue led fan for everything in my case so i took a roswell fan. I have a fan control so i dont worry much I just turn everything down when idle and general use. I initially got a queit 1000rpm fan that i found i put at 100% all the time. I'd get something that moves more air. Something that pushes over 40cfm 60 would be good at max. These coolers are great though. among the best if the the best.

 

[graysky]

Yeah, it's not too heavy. Once you get it fastened down it's quite secure.

 

[tool_462]

That is true, but even at that weight I don't think any real damage could result unless you had your case in a car and hit some big bumps or you dropped your case, in which case (pun?) you would probably have bigger problems to deal with 😛

Once a motherboard is screwed into the case, it is pretty damn sturdy. Try to break an old piece of PCB, it's tough stuff, and the traces are so thin that they can handle a decent amount of flex.

 

[tool_462]

Yeah, I like that you used technical terms to make sure we know it's really strong!

 

[Dade_0182]

I have the big typhoon vx. Mine doesn't have a backplate though, it came with a lever like the standard AM2 HSF. If the pc just sits there then no problems. Just don't be too aggressive when carrying it to a lan or whatever. I try to carry it (or when I put it in the car) with the mobo at the bottom so that there is no force sideways that'll do anything to the mobo. Though it should be fine otherwise they wouldn't have cleared it for retail.

 

[Rugger]

I wouldn't worry about damaging the PCB, but I would worry about enough width to stuff that beast into your rig. Good, quiet, inexpensive fans: Yate Loon D12SL-12 -> a great fan and at $5 a pop you can't afford not to try it out.