Mounting Incompatible Coolers

[NoxiousOdor]

Hello everyone, I ran into a dilemma while building my computer. I have a dual socket board that uses non-standard heatsink mounting points. They are LGA 1366 sockets but unfortunately the mounting holes are not located where normal ones would be. I have one proper heatsink that was made for the motherboard that does fit but a second one would be about 200USD which is irritating. I also have two GAMMAXX 400 heatsinks that I bought back before I realized they wouldn't fit and if possible I would like to use these.

 

The way I see it I have four options:

1. I could zip-tie them on. I have never tried this though and I don't know how reliable it is.

2. I could solder them in. I have the best cpus that are compatible with the board so replacing them would be unlikely anyway.

3. I could have custom backplates and brackets made. I know a guy who will do this for fairly cheaply but it will be complicated and take a long time because he can't see it in person because we no longer live in the same state.

4. I could buy the overpriced cooler anyway

 

Please give me your thoughts and if anyone has a better idea please let me know.

[Zando_]

Option one. Haven't you seen Linus's homemade cooler? He zip tied it on, and it works just fine. Just be sure to use quality ones that won't melt. 

[TheNextLinus]

Just ziptie it together, it's the LTT endorsed method

[Doramius]

Ziptie works for temp method, but the zipties get brittle over time with the heating and cooling of the heatsink.  I've done similar, but used copper wire, where I twisted the wire to tighten it down, and then soldered the twist.  If I need to remove the heatsink, I just cut the copper wire.  Use solid 16-gauge wire for best results.

[doomsriker]

1 minute ago, Doramius said:

Ziptie works for temp method, but the zipties get brittle over time with the heating and cooling of the heatsink.  I've done similar, but used copper wire, where I twisted the wire to tighten it down, and then soldered the twist.  If I need to remove the heatsink, I just cut the copper wire.  Use solid 16-gauge wire for best results.

This method seems a lot less jankey then zip ties, witch I know from trying to diy a heat sink on a 775 dell motherboard can be a pain.  

[NoxiousOdor]

8 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Option one. Haven't you seen Linus's homemade cooler? He zip tied it on, and it works just fine. Just be sure to use quality ones that won't melt. 

 

8 minutes ago, TheNextLinus said:

Just ziptie it together, it's the LTT endorsed method

 

4 minutes ago, Doramius said:

Ziptie works for temp method, but the zipties get brittle over time with the heating and cooling of the heatsink.  I've done similar, but used copper wire, where I twisted the wire to tighten it down, and then soldered the twist.  If I need to remove the heatsink, I just cut the copper wire.  Use solid 16-gauge wire for best results.

 

1 minute ago, doomsriker said:

This method seems a lot less jankey then zip ties, witch I know from trying to diy a heat sink on a 775 dell motherboard can be a pain.  

Thanks for all of your input, I was leaning in the ziptie direction. I'm glad to hear that it isn't a bad plan. I will probably use the ties until I notice them becoming brittle then I will replace them with something more permanent but for now I can get the ties from work.

 

Thanks again! 

[Doramius]

I've used zipties in the past on a FC-PGA 478 CPU where I had accidentally broken the harness on the custom cooler (not paying close attention and cross threaded ).  They definitely worked, but after several months performance issues appeared.  Thinking it was the video card, I opened the case and laid the case down and swapped out the video card.  Closed the case and lifted it up and heard 'CLUNK'.  Opened the case back up and saw the zipties had broken.  I started to use zipties again, but the first I tightened too tight and snapped it.  As with many builders, I just got frustrated and stormed off cursing.  I came back to it thinking, "What could be the cheapest fix without having to get another cooler?"  It was a really nice cooler at the time, and the mounts were obviously good to hold the zipties.  I found some leftover 16-gauge wire from when I redid the wiring for the doorbell.  I stripped the sleeving off and ran it around the areas I was using the original zipties.  Twisted it tight with a pair of needle-nosed pliers, and then touched solder to the twist.  It held amazingly.  Never had a single issue with performance since...even with the original video card that didn't have a problem in the first place.