[SOLVED] Where can I get some pins to hold down this cpu cooler?

[guest2019user]

I have this LC Power cpu cooler from Amazon but I don't know what I did with the pins that secure it to the board. Are they universal? Where can I buy some?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3QbtdQTTSNzUqbaS6

 

[geofelt]

Go to a hardware store and buy some screws and nuts to attach the cooler.

 

[guest2019user]

Go to a hardware store and buy some screws and nuts to attach the cooler.

That is a good idea but what about something that will not force me to take the motherboard out of the case?

 

[InvalidError]

Aside from nuts and screw, you may also want washers to spread pressure over a greater surface area to reduce the likelihood of destroying things and plastic/rubber bushings/washers thick enough to conform around any SMD components that might be on the board's bottom to put between the steel washer and motherboard to prevent short-circuits and crushed SMDs.

Since rigid mounting like this will ratchet pressure up quite fast, bring all screws to evenly snug to make sure the block is level on the IHS, then give the screws about an extra turn by giving them an extra half-turn in an X-pattern.

Push-pins are the only way to install a heatsink without taking the motherboard out when the motherboard does not have some other compatible mounting mechanism pre-installed. Many cases have a motherboard tray cut-out to allow access to the CPU area by removing the side-panel, so you may want to check for that first if you don't already know al whether this is the case in your case.

 

[guest2019user]

Aside from nuts and screw, you may also want washers to spread pressure over a greater surface area to reduce the likelihood of destroying things and plastic/rubber bushings/washers thick enough to conform around any SMD components that might be on the board's bottom to put between the steel washer and motherboard to prevent short-circuits and crushed SMDs.

Since rigid mounting like this will ratchet pressure up quite fast, bring all screws to evenly snug to make sure the block is level on the IHS, then give the screws about an extra turn by giving them an extra half-turn in an X-pattern.

Push-pins are the only way to install a heatsink without taking the motherboard out when the motherboard does not have some other compatible mounting mechanism pre-installed. Many cases have a motherboard tray cut-out to allow access to the CPU area by removing the side-panel, so you may want to check for that first if you don't already know al whether this is the case in your case.

Where can I get some of those push-pins?

 

[InvalidError]

Where can I get some of those push-pins?

The HSF manufacturer.

There are too many different HSFs on the market with different dimensions, you'd need to have one of the original pins to make measurements to make sure that whatever you get will correctly fit all parameters such as the shaft length required to go through the retainer legs and board with just enough clearance on the board's back to maintain proper pressure and the correct dimensions on the top-side for mechanical clearance from everything else so you can actually install and operate the pins.

If you don't want to take the motherboard out to use screws instead, you may be better off just buying a new push-pin HSF.

 

[geofelt]

Pushpin mounts can be tricky.
The only way to see for certain that you have all the pins pushed in evenly is to be able to look at them from the back of the motherboard.
If your case does not have a cutout, then, yes, you really should take the motherboard out to do the job.
The key to installing a pushpin mount is to simultaneously push down on a DIAGONAL pair.
If you do them one at a time you will not get the cooler to seat evenly.