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derFunkenstein
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cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Wed Apr 05, 2017 11:01 am

So Ryzen CPUs have been available at retail for a month now, but there are still coolers out in the wild that don't have AM4-compatible mounting hardware. I figured I'd share my experience with three companies, since I own coolers from each and I figured I might as well get all the free AM4 brackets I can get my hands on, "just in case". If you've had to get AM4 mounting hardware, I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences.

Phanteks:
I have a PH-TC14PE that lived in the Ivy Bridge system that my Ryzen rig replaced. Since that rig was going back to stock clocks to be given to my dad, I put a CM Hyper 212 Evo back in it and it's fine. At any rate, the cooler is in its box in my closet, but I had the Amazon invoice and Phanteks offers a free bracket if you email their support address. I sent the email on Friday with the invoices for my motherboard, CPU, and cooler. I got a response on Monday that a bracket had been shipped out. It arrived at my door in central Illinois today from California. The bracket arrived in a cardboard envelope about a half hour ago. It had insufficient postage, however, so the mail man knocked on the door and set off my dog while I was on a conference call. My wife happened to be off work and paid the $1.55 in extra postage. This isn't the cooler I wanted to put in the Ryzen rig, but it's the one I have the hardware for, so I can now do that.

NZXT:
I have a Kraken X31 that lives in my wife's i5-4690K PC. I got it in September. There's a page on NZXT's website where you can again send the invoices for your CPU/mobo/cooler and they will mail you a bracket, eventually. The company got back with me right away to tell me that there was an issue with getting brackets from Asetek, which actually builds the Kraken line. I was assured it would ship after 3/15, though. Last week I got an email thanking me for my patience and they were expecting the hardware to ship "early next week" (so this week) and that I would receive tracking information when it shipped. So far, that hasn't happened, but we'll see. This is the reason I've been using the Wraith Spire since I built my system, but I've gotten impatient with Asetek so that's why I got the Phanteks bracket.

Corsair:
My Skylake box has an H75. This is also made by Asetek, so theoretically it has the same production issues as NZXT. However, I haven't been able to even order the bracket. The promo code that Corsair has posted on its website doesn't work for me, and I'm not going to pay for it. The code was not valid the day I ordered my CPU and motherboard on March 3, and it's still not valid today. Regardless, the hardware is still in "pre-order" status on Corsair's webshop so it's apparently not ready yet.

It's not fair to malign NZXT or Corsair here. So don't think I'm doing that. Instead, the problem lies (apparently) with Asetek getting the mounting hardware stamped and shipped. Although it's fair to say that Corsair should fix their dang shop.

The lesson here, of course, is to not re-use coolers with Ryzen. Buy something compatible along with it. If you want to go closed-loop, there are select models available from Cooler Master and Corsair that should work. If you want to go with a big tower, I was happy with my Phanteks experience, although I haven't actually installed it yet.
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Wed Apr 05, 2017 11:07 am

According to Cooler Master's web site, Hyper TX3 series is already supported. Will probably use one of those (I have a couple in the spares pile) when I eventually build a Ryzen system. Unless the Wraith cooler is actually better than the TX3 (which is possible; the TX3 is pretty pedestrian).
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derFunkenstein
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Wed Apr 05, 2017 11:24 am

If you want something bigger, they say the same thing about the T4, which uses a 120mm fan like the Hyper 212 series. I'm guessing it uses the mounting bracket instead of a through-board design, though.
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ptsant
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Wed Apr 05, 2017 1:16 pm

I bought the Crosshair VI, which has holes for AM3+ backplates. Haven't actually tested, but in theory you should be able to use your cooler if it comes with its own backplate. If you have a kinda expensive cooler, it's worth considering the Crosshair VI for that reason.

My Corsair H80 worked without any modification, but the newer v2 version would not. The first edition uses screws that tighten on some sort of "hooks", and these can be applied without difficulty on the AM4 bracket.

As I also noted before, AMD launched the AM4 platform in 2016 with the 9800 series APUs. Sure, it was only for OEMs, but I believe that the physical mounting is the same and the cooler manufacturers should have been better prepared...
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Welch
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Wed Apr 05, 2017 5:48 pm

I wonder if manufacturers in general didn't expect for AMD demand to be great. So they figured they would save money and not support it out of the gate to see if it failed. That is just the odd feeling I get, probably not true but who knows. Waaay too much time was available and too many manufacturers are a day late and 2 bucks short.

Out of all of those coolers you own, which would you say was the best purchase and for what use?
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Wed Apr 05, 2017 6:12 pm

Welch wrote:
I wonder if manufacturers in general didn't expect for AMD demand to be great. So they figured they would save money and not support it out of the gate to see if it failed.

Could be a combination of that, plus the fact that the AMD stock cooler doesn't suck any more so people who buy one that includes a HSF are less likely to go 3rd party. Before Wraith their stock HSFs had gotten bad enough that they just went straight into my spares box, unused.
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derFunkenstein
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:21 pm

I think the biggest thing is that it supposedly launched earlier than expected.
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:36 pm

derFunkenstein wrote:
I think the biggest thing is that it supposedly launched earlier than expected.

...and with poor support of the motherboard makers from AMD, if the article is correct. Glad I am not an early adopter.
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derFunkenstein
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Thu Apr 06, 2017 8:14 am

Had that article run before I bought, I may have just built an i7-7700K system. I don't want to reward poor support. OTOH, things are getting better in that last few weeks (at least for me). X370 boards are starting to stay in stock, so the market is stabilizing.
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Thu Apr 06, 2017 8:21 am

I'm going to wait a while longer. Probably won't start seriously looking at a Ryzen build until fall (which, realistically speaking, probably means I'll finally get around to it next spring).
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sometimes you do get what you pay for

Thu Apr 06, 2017 9:04 am

Noctua had adapters and updated versions on amazon and newegg at least a week before launch. They will also send you an adapter for free if you don't mind waiting a bit, not for a limited time but as their standard service for most coolers.

Buy once cry once ;)
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derFunkenstein
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:29 pm

Update on NZXT: the bracket has shipped. That's good news, since that means that all Asetek partners should be getting brackets now.
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LostCat
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:32 pm

just brew it! wrote:
Could be a combination of that, plus the fact that the AMD stock cooler doesn't suck any more so people who buy one that includes a HSF are less likely to go 3rd party. Before Wraith their stock HSFs had gotten bad enough that they just went straight into my spares box, unused.

pretty much. I've never been so embarrassed by a default cooler as I was with Kaveri, even though I never used them before the Wraiths.

It's like they just assumed you weren't going to have a GPU in the system heh.

(Though to be fair that may have had more to do with my crap initial motherboard than anything else.)
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:03 am

Anyone have any opinions on the MasterLiquid 120 or MasterLiquid 120 Lite

(note I'm not actually thinking about the lite, but it is nicely priced)

I really don't feel like I need to OC yet, but eventually I'll want to be able to.
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Fri Apr 14, 2017 8:56 am

I checked on Corsair's webpage to confirm AM4 compatibility out of the box before I ordered a H110i for my 1800X build. The H115i requires a bracket.
 
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Fri Apr 14, 2017 8:59 am

derFunkenstein wrote:
X370 boards are starting to stay in stock, so the market is stabilizing.

My GA-AX370-Gaming 5 motherboard finally shipped yesterday, two weeks after I bought it from NCIX.
 
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:12 am

did you ever wind up installing the phanteks? afaik its one of the best if not the best air cooler, when compared against the d15, cryorig r1 and such using the same fans.

it would definately outperform the aio's in cooling and noise.
 
derFunkenstein
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Fri Apr 14, 2017 12:11 pm

Yes, I did it later that night and it works like a charm. I've been able to get to all-core boost of 3.9 at 1.35v. Temperatures are outstanding. Under a "power virus" kind of load like Prime 95 small FFT, I hit around 70C and the fans are only running at 50%. I intentionally keep the fan profile at a point where the CPU won't ever go above 70C or so. I've successfully booted 4GHz but it wasn't stable at 1.35v and I was afraid to go higher since the heatsinks on my motherboard's VRM arrangement is kinda puny.

I'm pretty happy with the performance of the cooler, and of the CPU.
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snarfbot
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Sat Apr 15, 2017 2:50 pm

good to hear, and a very solid oc!
 
Welch
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Sun Apr 23, 2017 2:26 am

Any feedback on the bracket vs mount through the board style coolers Funk? The stock wraith cooler uses the mount through, I'd assume that is the more secure and possibly more uniform way for the cooler to be married to the chip's lid.
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derFunkenstein
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Re: cooler manufacturers and AM4 hardware

Tue Apr 25, 2017 11:43 am

The Wraith does use the backplate of the stock mount. It's very solid, and I had very few problems getting installed, although I had to hold the plate in place because nothing holds it on once you take out the screws. The AM4 bracket for the Kraken does, too, and I'm guessing most Asetek AIOs will as well. It has these funky screws with cups that conceal the pegs of the backplate sticking through the board. I haven't actually used it but I imagine it's fine. I would hope that as more coolers come out designed specifically for AM4 that more of them will use this method. Every board has this solid metal plate with uniform screw sizes so it should be easy as pie.

The Phanteks uses through-board mounting hardware. That varies so much from manufacturer to manufacturer that I have no idea what I could say that's generally useful. I will say the Phanteks mounting method is very easy as far as through-board systems go. You only have to bolt down one side at a time and I had no problems with that. The Phanteks cooler has been on the board since I got the bracket and a few weeks on it's just as solid as it was before. The Intel bracket is one of those X-shaped backplates and I found installing the AMD bracket was actually easier than the Intel version due to the differences.
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