Heat Killer IV mounting on 1151 - not meeting IHS?

Kalm_Traveler · December 30, 2019

Just got my 9900ks, so I was replacing the 9700k, and noticed that although the thumb screws were all the way down, there was so little pressure on the IHS from the block that the thermal paste barely spread out at all.

I'm 100% positive I used the correct mounting hardware (no backplate yet so just screws + plastic washers through the back of the board), correct standoffs, etc but obviously something wasn't happy.

After installing the 9900ks I (against the instructions) held the standoffs with pliers, and cranked on their rear screws with the included hex wrench to really snug them onto the PCB, and installed the block again as per instructions (metal washer, spring, thumb screw until it stops).

Idle temps are lower, the 9700k was idling around 35-36 C, this 9900ks is idling around 25-26c but under Cinebench R15 it hit mid 90's, in Time Spy Extreme it hit 85 C.

My only other Heat Killer IV block is on the lga2011 rig and on that one it's mounted nice and flush, but screws into the stock mounting mechanism.

Anyone else here had issues getting this thing to mount securely on LGA 1151?

Kalm_Traveler · December 31, 2019

nvm - in case anyone searches and finds this - the block may need to be installed 'sideways' which is actually 'normal' per Water Cool. The text should be vertical, and the outlet port should be below the inlet port.

Based on a thread I found on OCN I tried flipping the block around to match and voila, better mounting pressure and not hitting TJ max at stock settings anymore - seeing max temps of ~ 63 C instead of 95 C.