What kind of difference does 3mm make?

[beesmoko]

Hi everyone quick and easy question here, my case has the clearance of 155mm cooler while the cooler I want has 158mm how much does 3mm differ?

 

[SkyBill40]

That's 3mm of clearance your case doesn't allow without modification (if that's an option). In the scheme of things as far as cooling? It's about as close to nil as one could get.

 

[COLGeek]

It differs by 3mm and won't fit into a 155mm space. Either change your case or the heatsink. Good luck.

 

[Eximo]

Eh, it varies. Sometimes case vendors are wrong on the maximum height. They tend to be conservative or don't take into account non-flat side panels. They do that to avoid someone claiming an enormous cooler didn't fit, when a more standard size normally would. In the days of side panel fans being common, they often list the height allowed the fan installed, not the maximum available space without it.

Other times you can force things to fit with a little bending. Not ideal, but if you are stuck with what you have it is an option.

Name the specific parts and we can get you a specific answer.

 

[why_wolf]

That really depends on the case. Some may report their max clearance height as a bit less than what it is in reality. Look up your case on PCpartpicker and look for completed builds using it. You can then see if anyone else reported being able to use a taller heatsink or not.

 

[beesmoko]

Thanks for helping and answering my question guys. My case is Thermaltake Versa H18 and I wanted to get Noctua NH-U12S then I checked PC part checker that it's not compatible... should I get smaller ones from Noctua as well or should I go to another brand?

 

[USAFRet]

At first blush, 158mm does NOT fit in 155mm. Ever.
3mm the wrong way Will Not Work.

However..this depends on which marketing and engineering team fudged the measurements, and in which direction.
Do you feel lucky?

Given the plethora of CPU coolers that are under 155mm....why gamble?

 

[beesmoko]

What do you guys think about NH-D9L

 

[COLGeek]

For what CPU?

 

[beesmoko]

I'm using the Ryzen APU R3 2200G and I like to overclock still trying to hit 4GHz stable which is quite hard on temp

 

[COLGeek]

That Noctua is a good heatsink. I have used in several systems. I am not sure I would recommend for an aggressive OC with it.

You might be better served by a larger case if this is your goal.