Question Is there RAM clearance on this build?

Jun 22, 2024
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Hi guys I’m wondering if the following components allow for proper ram clearance?

Motherboard MSI PRO B760-P DDR4 II

Cooler Thermalright PS120SE

RAM 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2x16GB)

Thank you!!
 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
You might need to mount the front fan slightly higher than it's normal position to clear the ram;
thermalright-phantom-spirit-120-review-simply-the-best-v0-4mCQ315rt0rmk5QzOMZOoa6FEpmifbGTxylD9ywtIIM.jpg

What processor are you going to pair with that motherboard and ram combo? You could get away with another cooler if you want to stick to the ram you've chosen.
 

Aeacus

Titan
Ambassador
Your RAM is 44mm tall.
Your CPU cooler has RAM clearance of 42mm, so, you need to lift up the front fan a bit to get enough clearance for the RAM.

It would look like so:

G6CDniMZJmcDpMmYmH8tYh-1200-80.jpg


Whereby, the CPU cooler clearance of PC case is the main issue.

CPU cooler itself is 154mm, but if you lift the fan up, it may go to ~158mm. So, check your PC case CPU cooler clearance limit.
Or mount the front fan at the back of 2nd tower.

Then it would look similar to this:

Noctua-D15-Install-7.jpg
 
Jun 22, 2024
8
0
10
Your RAM is 44mm tall.
Your CPU cooler has RAM clearance of 42mm, so, you need to lift up the front fan a bit to get enough clearance for the RAM.

It would look like so:

G6CDniMZJmcDpMmYmH8tYh-1200-80.jpg


Whereby, the CPU cooler clearance of PC case is the main issue.

CPU cooler itself is 154mm, but if you lift the fan up, it may go to ~158mm. So, check your PC case CPU cooler clearance limit.
Or mount the front fan at the back of 2nd tower.

Then it would look similar to this:

Noctua-D15-Install-7.jpg
Thanks for that 🙏
Do you think there’s a detriment to performance/loudness if I were to mount the fan on the rear instead? Or would it be better to offset the fan at the front a little higher?
 
Jun 22, 2024
8
0
10
You might need to mount the front fan slightly higher than it's normal position to clear the ram;
thermalright-phantom-spirit-120-review-simply-the-best-v0-4mCQ315rt0rmk5QzOMZOoa6FEpmifbGTxylD9ywtIIM.jpg

What processor are you going to pair with that motherboard and ram combo? You could get away with another cooler if you want to stick to the ram you've chosen.
Thank you Lutfij
The CPU I’m going for is the i7 12700

The case I’m going for is: ‘be quiet!’ Pure Base 500DX
 

Aeacus

Titan
Ambassador
Do you think there’s a detriment to performance/loudness if I were to mount the fan on the rear instead? Or would it be better to offset the fan at the front a little higher?
Short version: i think there's negligible diff between the two mounting methods of a fan.

Long version:
Lifting the fan a bit does skew the alignment of airflow, where some part of the fan is pushing air over the top of the heatsink, while airflow at the base of the heatsink is reduced (since fan doesn't cover it anymore). This is amplified the more you move the fan upwards. Now, it may have an impact on cooling performance, since entire airflow doesn't go though the heatsink. But since you have 2 fans there, diff would be negligible (or at most 1-2C).

Putting the fan at the rear of the heatsink, would keep the correct airflow alignment. Noise wise, it is either of the two; either even less noise since fan is further away where you're sitting; or a bit more amplified noise since fan is more enclosed with hardware around it (namely rear exhaust fan). All-in-all, i think there would be 1-2 dB(A) diff noise wise. Could be higher, could be lower. This is actually something that isn't tested and here, i'm guessing, by also applying logic to the situation.

In the end, i'd say it comes down to aesthetics. Do you prefer to see the fan in front of the heatsink, by having it lifted a bit due to RAM below it. Or do you prefer to see heatsink itself, with fan at the rear and on level plain with 2nd fan. Some people have OCD and can't stand misaligned stuff.