Any way to mod a mobo that only takes proprietary heatsinks?

[DCCFan]

Hey guys and gals, not sure if this should be a topic for the modding forum. I have an issue. Am upgrading an old AM3 system and the CPU fan is so bad, it's so noisy it's impossible to even hold a conversation near it. Even though the mobo works well. I bought a new CPU (well, a used one) and I was planning to also change the heatsink but sadly, it only takes a proprietary cooler. This is just a fun little project, will use this PC to play oldies and just watch videos, it's not my main rig but I still would like to get rid of its cpu cooler. Is there any way to mod this heatsink mount system? Are there any adapters? or can I make an adapter? Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Fasauceome]

you can always take the old ziptie route, or tap new screw holes on a good cooler and use plastic washers to fix the cooler on

 

if you wanna get really crazy, shear the top half of the current cooler off and weld a bigger heat sink onto the top of it and strap a 120mm fan to that. There are a lot of cheapo junk heat sinks you can get for like $10

[minibois]

The ultra simple ghetto solution would be zip-ties.

The slightly better solution would probably be to machine something/cut something out of aluminium. Of course keeping in mind you make the side that will touch the motherboard out of non-conductive material, so you don't short the board.

 

What you need to make is possibly a backplate (unless that is included with the board already) and something for the front, that screws into the mounting holes available and makes a more standard screw form factor.

You need to make something quite sturdy though, as you want the cooler to be mounted properly.

[DCCFan]

Thanks so much guys, Once the new cooler arrives I'll take a look at it and see which route might work. Got one yesterday on cyber monday for $15. I think it will suffice for this rig.

 

Would it be possible to buy a front bracket that's standard am3 shape and glue it onto the mobo? that sounds really bad but I might have seen modders glue things to a mobo before (online), just don't think it was a heatsink mount haha

[minibois]

15 minutes ago, DCCFan said:

Thanks so much guys, Once the new cooler arrives I'll take a look at it and see which route might work. Got one yesterday on cyber monday for $15. I think it will suffice for this rig.

 

Would it be possible to buy a front bracket that's standard am3 shape and glue it onto the mobo? that sounds really bad but I might have seen modders glue things to a mobo before (online), just don't think it was a heatsink mount haha

If you're gonna glue, be sure to use non-conductive glue.

The thing I would be afraid off though is two things:

1. not enough mounting pressure

2. It not holding onto the motherboard at all, since a motherboard is kinda smooth, not rough . That means not much for glue to hold on.

[Tristerin]

Based on it being a OEM and green Im doubting its in a visible case - Zip Ties will accomplish all you need for the cheapest (since air cooler already purchased) - what is the model number of that mobo, I have a few proprietary machines I mod the living hell out of for fun, and have yet to have a proprietary mobo have proprietary CPU mounting spacing in my life.  Are you sure its not just missing the AM3 mounting bracket?  ($3 shipped on Ebay, just had one shipped to me) because it probably had a proprietary MOUNTING cooler (I.E. I bet this mobo backplate is actually the case and you are screwing in the proprietary heat sink directly to the case itself which is what Ive run into on these machines)

 

EDIT - if that's the case, which Ive done this, pull the mobo and use a grinder and remove the "motherboard mounts" that are actually just the case pressed into that shape with thread points under the CPU motherboard socket to screw the cooler into.  Then you can install the actual mounting bracket (since the mobo CPU cooler mounts that are actually the case are now gone and you have space for a backplate) for the socket of the CPU that they didn't have to put into the cost of the machine, because the cooler attaches THROUGH the mobo and to the case itself.

 

EDIT 2 - or you can just buy same/same threaded screws at specific length (or use longer ones with washers blah blah DIY here is endless) and attach the cooler...unless of course this is a first for me and you have some proprietary socket cooler spacing holes, which Ive never come across and would like to see if it does exist.

 

 

[DCCFan]

Thanks so much for the great ideas  I'm a newbie so will have to come back to this thread a few times while I google this stuff lol. So my mobo is part of an eMachines desktop PC. Its model is ELI1352. There's a guy on YouTube that's upgraded his a lot, but I don't believe he has switched the cooler.

 

I have yet to remove the mobo from the original eMachines case so not sure whether the backplate for the heatsink is part of the case, but that might be the case, no pun intended lol, as it's a really basic PC. I will buy an AM3 mounting bracket just in case that's the only issue. The screw holes for the mount do seem to be way too far apart though.

 

If I'm not able to figure this out on my own I'll ask a friend for help but will try some of the suggestions I'm getting first. Glad there are some options to mount a different cooler. I do plan to build on AM4 next so if anything I can always use the new cooler on that build but I'd love it if I could put it here. 

 

Will try to post some pictures of the mobo and heatsink later

[WoodenMarker]

What's the hole spacing? 

Are you sure that there isn't a removable backplate still install on the motherboard? 

[DCCFan]

Hi WoodenMarker! I haven't measured the holes as of yet because I'm using it to study as my kids use our main rig to game. But will be opening it up to measure once I'm done with something I'm writing. I've looked at pictures of the motherboard online though and it seems to me like the holes are way too far apart to be able to take a normal AMD bracket.

 

Here's an aftermarket AM3 motherboard with standard holes

And here's mine

 

 

[WoodenMarker]

On 12/4/2019 at 9:38 AM, DCCFan said:

Hi WoodenMarker! I haven't measured the holes as of yet because I'm using it to study as my kids use our main rig to game. But will be opening it up to measure once I'm done with something I'm writing. I've looked at pictures of the motherboard online though and it seems to me like the holes are way too far apart to be able to take a normal AMD bracket.

It's hard to tell without measuring. Looks like lga 775 from the 71-72mm spacing. 

 

If you can confirm that along with measuring the cooler clearance available between the socket and side panel, we may be able to figure out some cooler options. 

 

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