[SOLVED] Should I take the motherboard out when installing the Noctua NH-D15 ?

[knowledge2121]

I am upgrading my CPU to 7700K and my air cooler to the D15, How do i install the D15 ? should I take the motherboard out or not ?

I guess installing the heatsink will be easy, but installing the fans might be a little tricky because you have to plug the fans into the motherboard and there might be no room ?

 

[Math Geek]

i find it easier to do it with the mobo outside the case. but it is not required if you can get to everything you need to with it inside the case.

this is especially true with large coolers like you have that make it hard to get to anything around it inside the case. plugging the fans and such should be easier with it outside the case. but you have to also look at the rest of the connections. can you get to everything else with the cooler installed? often there are at least a few other connections like 8-pin cpu power and such that will end up impossible to get to with that big cooler in the way.

you have to look it all over carefully and decide which would be the easiest to struggle with the fan connection or whatever is blocked by the cooler once the mobo is back in place.

 

[Zerk2012]

I install large ones inside the case as long as the cutout is big enough for the backplate.

Most of the time with the board out of the case it's almost impossible to plug in the CPU power cables into the motherboard.

Either way will work so pick your poison. Make sure you have low profile memory using that cooler.