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Does tightening the screws of a CPU cooler diagonally matter?

TheBiggestOfBuschemis
By TheBiggestOfBuschemis
in Cooling
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Tightening the screws in a diagonal pattern helps reduce stress in any one side of a component. Typically, you should screw one screw in most of the way, then the one opposite it. Then you can screw in the other two and tighten the first one. 

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3 minutes ago, TheBiggestOfBuschemis said:

Does it actually matter or is it some sort of myth amoungst PC builders? 

It does, because if you go left left left you’ll be ‘uneven’ or screwed down more on one side than the other. It can hinder cooling performance if not adequate contact with IHs

 

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2 minutes ago, Stormseeker9 said:

It does, because if you go left left left you’ll be ‘uneven’ or screwed down more on one side than the other. It can hinder cooling performance if not adequate contact with IHs

And what if my cooling is actually pretty decent even if I didn't diagonally screw in the cooler? I basically screwed in by screwing in the top screws first and then the bottom ones. Is the whole point of screwing in the cooler diagonally is so that it's making perfect contact with the IHS?

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Have you ever changed a flat tire before?  The benefit to the pattern is much more observable on a larger scale such as installing a wheel onto a car.  

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11 minutes ago, nick name said:

Have you ever changed a flat tire before?  The benefit to the pattern is much more observable on a larger scale such as installing a wheel onto a car.  

No, but thanks for the example. If my temps are perfectly fine, should I not be worried?

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24 minutes ago, TheBiggestOfBuschemis said:

And what if my cooling is actually pretty decent even if I didn't diagonally screw in the cooler? I basically screwed in by screwing in the top screws first and then the bottom ones. Is the whole point of screwing in the cooler diagonally is so that it's making perfect contact with the IHS?

If temps are good then there's no problem, but if temps were awry you'd have one reason to suspect.

I WILL find your ITX build thread, and I WILL recommend the SIlverstone Sugo SG13B

 

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Draws 400 watts under max load, for reference.

 

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42 minutes ago, Fasauceome said:

If temps are good then there's no problem, but if temps were awry you'd have one reason to suspect.

Alright, thanks for the answer! I have one more question though, since I screwed in the screws in the top and then the ones at the bottom, it won't cause my CPU to bend or anything, will it? I don't mean to be a bother or anything with that question. Just wanted to clear this up.

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51 minutes ago, TheBiggestOfBuschemis said:

Alright, thanks for the answer! I have one more question though, since I screwed in the screws in the top and then the ones at the bottom, it won't cause my CPU to bend or anything, will it? I don't mean to be a bother or anything with that question. Just wanted to clear this up.

No worries about bending

I WILL find your ITX build thread, and I WILL recommend the SIlverstone Sugo SG13B

 

Primary PC:

i7 8086k - EVGA Z370 Classified K - G.Skill Trident Z RGB - WD SN750 - Jedi Order Titan Xp - Hyper 212 Black (with RGB Riing flair) - EVGA G3 650W - dual booting Windows 10 and Linux - Black and green theme, Razer brainwashed me.

Draws 400 watts under max load, for reference.

 

How many watts do I need? ATX 3.0 & PCIe 5.0 spec, PSU misconceptions, protections explained, group reg is bad

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6 hours ago, TheBiggestOfBuschemis said:

And what if my cooling is actually pretty decent even if I didn't diagonally screw in the cooler? I basically screwed in by screwing in the top screws first and then the bottom ones. Is the whole point of screwing in the cooler diagonally is so that it's making perfect contact with the IHS?

Even and tighter mounting can make a dramatic difference in performance. If you have good cooling now, a better mount would be even better. That's not to say you couldn't have gotten a good mount with your method. It's just harder to be consistent about it. 

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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Back in the day, it mattered more. Many cpu's didn't have any ihs and if you didn't screw down evenly, you could chip the die. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
On 9/4/2019 at 5:44 AM, Blue4130 said:

Back in the day, it mattered more. Many cpu's didn't have any ihs and if you didn't screw down evenly, you could chip the die. 

 

Back in those days of of AMD Duron/Athlons without IHS there were just a metal clip you tightened down. They where very prone to chip the die... Intel wasn't all that sensitive with their PIII/Celeron socket 370-chips as the die had a protective layer on top of the die. Was not uncommon at all that the plastic tab on the socket of the MB snapped off if the clamp was to tight...

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