Cooling motherboard backside

ManWithBeard1990 · January 10, 2015

I've been wondering. My computer has a motherboard cutout that was designed specifically for this but I haven't bothered to try this yet. What I'd like to try at some point is cooling the backside of the mobo, because it's quite warm. Now I know it's been tried before but the people who did it weren't very clear about whether the performance potential actually increased, or whether they just had lower temps from the socket temp sensor. I wonder how doing that would affect performance of not only the CPU, but also of the VRMs, the RAM (cooling the copper traces would, in my imagination, make them transmit the signal better), and such.

Any thoughts?

Enderman · January 10, 2015

the motherboard cutout is for mounting the CPU backplate without having to remove your motherboard, not for sticking heatsinks to the back

nvidialover · January 10, 2015

I've been wondering. My computer has a motherboard cutout that was designed specifically for this but I haven't bothered to try this yet. What I'd like to try at some point is cooling the backside of the mobo, because it's quite warm. Now I know it's been tried before but the people who did it weren't very clear about whether the performance potential actually increased, or whether they just had lower temps from the socket temp sensor. I wonder how doing that would affect performance of not only the CPU, but also of the VRMs, the RAM (cooling the copper traces would, in my imagination, make them transmit the signal better), and such.

Any thoughts?

it may work to some level

EcoBoost · January 10, 2015

I've been wondering. My computer has a motherboard cutout that was designed specifically for this but I haven't bothered to try this yet. What I'd like to try at some point is cooling the backside of the mobo, because it's quite warm. Now I know it's been tried before but the people who did it weren't very clear about whether the performance potential actually increased, or whether they just had lower temps from the socket temp sensor. I wonder how doing that would affect performance of not only the CPU, but also of the VRMs, the RAM (cooling the copper traces would, in my imagination, make them transmit the signal better), and such.

It does work, but it's not worth the extra noise and money required to stamp another fan mount onto the case. Cases like the Antec Eleven Hundred had a fan mount behind the mobo tray, barely anyone used it.