why is every cooler I get missing hardware?

[Rusty Proto]

I'm trying to find something to fit my Ryzen (AM4) but most every cooler that I'm getting is missing part of the hardware that holds the cooler to the processor. My motherboard come with a dinky direct bolt on cooler that I'm replacing, but when I go to put the newer cooler on, there is nothing that actually holds the new cooler down to the processor. Was this piece supposed to come with my motherboard, but it remains undocumented, except possibly in the AM4 design standard? Why are they assuming I have the pieces that are missing, or don't even mention them? Usually, the exactounting scheme is different between cooler to cooler, but the end result is the same--the piece that goes between the cooler's hardware and the motherboard itself is missing or doesn't line up with the mounting holes on my motherboard.

[BiotechBen]

They're assuming you still have the backplate that came with your motherboard, AM4 motherboards come with a backplate that you screw the cover into if it is a direct mount. 

[Rusty Proto]

6 minutes ago, BiotechBen said:

They're assuming you still have the backplate that came with your motherboard, AM4 motherboards come with a backplate that you screw the cover into if it is a direct mount. 

Oh. I wish they would have marked it in the instructions for the cooler. Mine didn't ship with that backplate. Instead, it come with that default spiral cooler that bolts directly down to the motherboard and it's own backplate, whereas the coolers expect something completely different.

[BiotechBen]

10 minutes ago, Rusty Proto said:

Oh. I wish they would have marked it in the instructions for the cooler. Mine didn't ship with that backplate. Instead, it come with that default spiral cooler that bolts directly down to the motherboard and it's own backplate, whereas the coolers expect something completely different.

Yeah, the backplate from the spire cooler is the backplate they want you to use.

[Rusty Proto]

33 minutes ago, BiotechBen said:

Yeah, the backplate from the spire cooler is the backplate they want you to use.

That still leaves me with pieces missing.

[mariushm]

Just to clarify the AM4 backplate looks like this : https://www.amazon.com/DGZZI-Backplane-Heatsink-Motherboard-Mounting/dp/B084GQFFBY/

Here's another example (which doesn't have that protective material that will go between the plastic and the board) : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MQK7JQ3/

 

You have the part that goes on the back, and the plastic bits on the other side, which are screwed into the backplate. 

Some coolers have a metal clip which gets attached to those plastic bits that come out of the big plastic components. 

Other coolers tell you to unscrew the plastic bits and give you some other metal or plastic frame to screw to the backplate, or have some standoff /spacer things that get screwed into the backplate, and then you screw the cooler into those standoffs. 

 

It would help if you say what cooler you're trying to install .. maybe you have a brain fart and one of use can find some installation instructions or a video for you or explain further.

[NaClKnight]

1 hour ago, Rusty Proto said:

I'm trying to find something to fit my Ryzen (AM4) but most every cooler that I'm getting is missing part of the hardware that holds the cooler to the processor. My motherboard come with a dinky direct bolt on cooler that I'm replacing, but when I go to put the newer cooler on, there is nothing that actually holds the new cooler down to the processor. Was this piece supposed to come with my motherboard, but it remains undocumented, except possibly in the AM4 design standard? Why are they assuming I have the pieces that are missing, or don't even mention them? Usually, the exactounting scheme is different between cooler to cooler, but the end result is the same--the piece that goes between the cooler's hardware and the motherboard itself is missing or doesn't line up with the mounting holes on my motherboard.

Did you throw away the plastic tabs that come with the motherboard and are held on by screws?

 

AM4 motherboards involve a backplate (usually the stock one that shipped with your motherboard and also fits your Spire cooler) and a front portion. 

 

The Spire cooler is installed directly to the back panel with its own screws, so you have to remove the 2 black plastic retainers and the 4 screws that attach those retainers to the backplate. 

 

Many aftermarket coolers rely on those plastic retainers as a way to latch down and provide force onto the CPU's heat spreader. You can buy a replacement set of the plastic retainers/clips on Amazon or ebay or wherever, but if the cooler is expecting to latch down and you don't have both the plastic retainers and the stock backplate, you're gonna have a bad time

[Poinkachu]

1 hour ago, Rusty Proto said:

That still leaves me with pieces missing.

Just buy the AM4 backplate & retainer from amazon if you don't have one, should be pretty cheap.

@mariushmlinked some already, the first link looks okay

 

Dunno where you bought your motherboard from, but they should've sent the backplate along.

[Rusty Proto]

My Spire cooler has four spring loaded machine screws that go directly into the threaded bosses on the metal backplate. Only plastic on it is the fan. ...though my Cooler Master AIO did show some sort of top plate similar to what Marishum linked, though it looked to be a crude drawing with no info on it. I ordered one as a guess whether or not it is needed and am waiting on it to come in. However, my ID Cooling FrostFlow AIO included zero mounting hardware at all. I was able to get a Corsair AIO to mount, as it uses studs, but there's too much crap in the way to properly mount the rad. It still keeps the processor below 60c as is, though I would like to be able to get a proper mount.

 

...though I'm also wondering if part of my issue is the fact this machine is a Lenovo recan, and Lenovo does their own thing sometimes. Still, at this point, I'm seriously doubting that what most manufacturers call AM4 is really AM4.

[mariushm]

There's various mechanisms ... look at Gamers Nexus AM4 cooler reviews and you'll see plenty of mounting methods 

 

using original backplate but own standoffs  - deepcool AK620  - at 6:40 is the mounting method

 

deepcool ak400  - original backplate + standoffs  + metal frame - at 10:30

 

 

kind of the same  - thermalright assassin (original backplate, spacers, brackets (at 8:40) : 

 

 

 

screw metal brackets to the heatsink , then screw the brackets into the amd backplate   vetroo v5  at 6:40 

 

 

 

 

[Rusty Proto]

With that, I'm wishing they would somehow indicate what they expect you to have instead of just assuming and causing me to wind up with pieces missing. Especially since it's looking likely that the factory solution for some main boards isn't what they're expecting. It would be handy to know if I need other accessories instead of saying it's universally AM4. Some coolers I used to use came with their own backplate and everything, and I was expecting more of the same this time. Just knowing would help.

[Tegneren]

4 minutes ago, Rusty Proto said:

With that, I'm wishing they would somehow indicate what they expect you to have instead of just assuming and causing me to wind up with pieces missing. Especially since it's looking likely that the factory solution for some main boards isn't what they're expecting. It would be handy to know if I need other accessories instead of saying it's universally AM4. Some coolers I used to use came with their own backplate and everything, and I was expecting more of the same this time. Just knowing would help.

AM4 is quite universally AM4 when it comes to off-the-shelf motherboards, but as you mentioned, pre-builts like Lenovo and Dell etc. sometimes have their own stupid s**t going on. The mounting holes should however be the same.

 

Can you take some pictures of the existing mounting mechanism so we know what we are dealing with?

[mariushm]

Not really, you'll have to try really hard to find one or two AM4 motherboards that DON'T come with backplate and those plastic chunks screwed to the backplate. 

 

The screw thread and hole size is standardized, so all coolers can rely on that being the same, so there's no need to add some plastic backplate in the package - it would be just more waste for maybe 99% of the people buying a cooler.

 

AM5 from what I heard keeps the holes and screw threads the same, so you can reuse AM4 coolers on socket AM5 motherboards as well.

 

 

[Rusty Proto]

15 minutes ago, mariushm said:

Not really, you'll have to try really hard to find one or two AM4 motherboards that DON'T come with backplate and those plastic chunks screwed to the backplate. 

 

I somehow found one. ...though I'll have to get pics next time I go in, be it once off work, Saturday, or after my trip which is coming up.

[fonzz1e]

did you buy a used am4 mobo?

 

i know my b550m mortar (used) came like this

[Rusty Proto]

23 hours ago, Rusty Proto said:

 

...though I'm also wondering if part of my issue is the fact this machine is a Lenovo recan, and Lenovo does their own thing sometimes.

Fonz1e, did you try reading the thread? We were talking about my computer being based on a prebuilt, earlier.

[fonzz1e]

28 minutes ago, Rusty Proto said:

Fonz1e, did you try reading the thread? We were talking about my computer being based on a prebuilt, earlier.

my apologies, lack of sleep 

 

are u still using the prebuilt case? it might have issue with amd stock backplate, I know the screws are m3.5

 

I believe u can just grab stock am4 mounting from ebay 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/134123969459

 

 

 

[Rusty Proto]

3 minutes ago, fonzz1e said:

my apologies, lack of sleep 

 

are u still using the prebuilt case? it might have issue with amd stock backplate, I know the screws are m3.5

 

I believe u can just grab stock am4 mounting from ebay 

 

 

Got rid of the stock case, as I couldn't fit my GPU. (RX 6700 XT) 3.5mm screws look right for the stock cooler, though one of my coolers expects me to use a hook plate that wasn't supplied and another apparently expects me to glue the heat plate directly to the CPU, as it included zero mounting hardware. I've been doing a lot of trial and error, so I have four or five coolers that I can't use and one that does fit, but is suboptimal for my case.

[Blue4130]

28 minutes ago, Rusty Proto said:

Got rid of the stock case, as I couldn't fit my GPU. (RX 6700 XT) 3.5mm screws look right for the stock cooler, though one of my coolers expects me to use a hook plate that wasn't supplied and another apparently expects me to glue the heat plate directly to the CPU, as it included zero mounting hardware. I've been doing a lot of trial and error, so I have four or five coolers that I can't use and one that does fit, but is suboptimal for my case.

Can you send some pictures of all the things you have tried. I am finding it hard to believe that every cooler is lacking hardware. I is likely that the motherboard is missing hardware.