How many of you has a giant Noctua almost touching your video card?

I fixed the link. Now, to cut to the chase, I would like to be safe than sorry. IF the tail of the solder of the PCB is touching the heatsink, and that heatsink also touched another tail of another solder, then it could short circuit your video card. And god knows what other damage to your motherboard
 
Happy Hopping said:
I fixed the link. Now, to cut to the chase, I would like to be safe than sorry. IF the tail of the solder of the PCB is touching the heatsink, and that heatsink also touched another tail of another solder, then it could short circuit your video card. And god knows what other damage to your motherboard
Click to expand...

Yes, this is why you find tons of threads of Noctua users with dead systems :rolleyes:

Aside from that, Noctua has a lot of mounting options and size options. Use your brain and buy stuff that fits together.
 
Never had a problem with the 14 or 15. Still have the 14 around someplace. The 15 is on the 5820k system.
 
Yes, that is bad! I at least had a little gap with my D15 but a slightly loose fan clip fried my GTX 780 :( Thing is just a bit too massive.
 
Been running a D15 for the last 6 years. No issues. Dont you think if there was an issue that people would have reported it years ago? Dont you think editors would have written follow-ups due to everyone having issues if there was one?

Would seem you get worried easily. You might want to try something like this.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835203026
 
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Gideon said:
Just put some thermal tape on the back of the video card and that will protect it from being shorted out. Or at least some electrical tape, just layer it up a bit.
Click to expand...

This is what I was going to suggest.
Something like this,
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186164&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-CPU+Thermal+Paste+/+Grease-_-N82E16835186164&gclid=CjwKEAjw07nJBRDG_tvshefHhWQSJABRcE-ZuSoMXni5BVRTMd3ORH_oaP6tXcfZsHwh1YsjSISnhBoChFDw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
 
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PliotronX said:
Yes, that is bad! I at least had a little gap with my D15 but a slightly loose fan clip fried my GTX 780 :( Thing is just a bit too massive.
Click to expand...
see, this is precisely my point. Meanwhile, Short Circuit said this is a "paranoid, pointless thread."
 
doz said:
Been running a D15 for the last 6 years. No issues. Dont you think if there was an issue that people would have reported it years ago? Dont you think editors would have written follow-ups due to everyone having issues if there was one?

Would seem you get worried easily. You might want to try something like this.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835203026
Click to expand...

First of all, I bought the biggest noctua CPU cooler on Jan 2, 2014, I bought 2 of them because I have dual Xeon on my Asus. So D15 couldn't have been out for 6 yr. otherwise I would have bought it. Actually, your D15 came out in 2014.

http://noctua.at/en/products/cpu-cooler-retail/nh-d15/review

do I think editor write follow up if there were a problem? NO, I really don't. I bought the NZXT back in Jan. 2014 based on Kyle's review. Have a look at my problems on Post #56, in Nov. 2014, only 10 mth. later. And it's not just me. Read the 2nd link posted by someone else just the other day. So using NZXT as an e.g., there are serious problems.

https://hardforum.com/threads/nzxt-...-case-review-h.1726978/page-2#post-1041247675

https://hardforum.com/threads/round...zxt-hue-light-strips.1933572/#post-1042998115

===================


As to Noctua, I am using their 2 x D14 for 3 year, excellent product. But my video card, the double width 650 GTX Ti, is on the SECOND Slot of my motherboard, and my motherboard has 4 x x16 slot + (x16 lane EACH) , it's Z8PE, $600 motherboard. The reason it's not the on 1st x16 slot is because of the above reason.

But my upcoming motherboard is only x16 (x16 lane) on the FIRST slot, the rest is x8 lane. So now I have a problem.
 
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Krenum said:
This is what I was going to suggest.
Something like this,
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186164&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-CPU+Thermal+Paste+/+Grease-_-N82E16835186164&gclid=CjwKEAjw07nJBRDG_tvshefHhWQSJABRcE-ZuSoMXni5BVRTMd3ORH_oaP6tXcfZsHwh1YsjSISnhBoChFDw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Click to expand...


Gideon, Krenum, thank you, both of you. I didn't know there is such a toy. I guess if I use my x16 slot, I'll buy the above and duct tape it to the back side of my video card
 
Slide some shrink tubing or electrical tape on the fan clips. If the clip were to ever touch, it wouldn't be metal on metal.
 
The D14 is a little smaller in that direction I think, I bought a couple when the D15 came out just to make sure I had something that'd fit. I've never tried a D15, but even Noctua seems to acknowledge there might be an issue. From the D15S page:

Thanks to its asymmetrical design, the NH-D15S clears the top PCIe slot on most µATX and ATX motherboards.
Click to expand...
 
Happy Hopping said:
is it a bit risky to have the heat sink virtually touching back side of your video card?
Click to expand...

"Virtually" touching? No risk at all. Actually touching? Sure, that's a bit risky. But nothing that can't be fixed with a small piece of electrical tape.
 
You don't need one of those massive things unless you're going to overclock more than four cores. A 120mm single-fan tower can easily cool an overclocked 7700k.

Also, that dual-processor motherboard is particularly cramped. Most modern motherboards come with a lot more space in-between the video card slot and the ram slots. I'm sure that's why they chose it for a worst-case fit test :D
 
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Happy Hopping said:
Gideon, Krenum, thank you, both of you. I didn't know there is such a toy. I guess if I use my x16 slot, I'll buy the above and duct tape it to the back side of my video card
Click to expand...

You should just buy gear that fits together. You are only increasing the problem if you add even more material between the CPU cooler and the video card. Hopefully no one is stupid enough to try fixing that tiny gap by cramming more stuff into it.

No reason not to just use a smaller cooler or a D15S which is designed for these tiny boards with the CPU slot too close to PCIE.
 
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But when I check out home depot, that acrylic sheet is only 0.007 in. think, or 2 mm
 
You have a valid concern. The problem is motherboards do not have a standard position for CPU socket, or RAM sockets, but do have standards for PCIe and I/O. This results in some mobos having as little as50mm and others having more than 75mm center CPU to PCIe sockets.

As long as you have a couple mm clearance you will be fine.

Another option is to put insulated material on closest parts of cooler (usually the fan clips). Plasti Dip Liquid Tape works well, but it's not as cheap as other insulation. I've used heat-shrink, good electrical tape (one that does not come loose when warmed up)
 
Mine is pretty close

img-20170623-190336.jpg
 
so if that pin on the right falls off, it can fly your video card like the above poster who describes how his video card get cooked
 
You could just get the D15S, it's offset and so leaves more room under the socket.
Only single fan included though, so the cost for push-pull is a bit higher.

Xs8a3Xn.jpg
 
I'm just using the Scythe Kotetsu on my 4790k, which was the first tower to start these offset layouts. Has plenty of room between itself and the rest of my components, since it's also 120mm. Still completely silent, and keeps things very cool.
IMG_3397_edit.jpg



You can clearly see here where the ram isn't even obscured by the fan! You also have a much easier time hooking up the Motherboard 12v line with a smaller single-cooler tower like mine.

This is what I mean when I say: those dual-fan monsters are overkill for four cores, except for people who won't take anything less than 5.0 :D
 
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whateverer said:
I'm just using the Scythe Kotetsu on my 4790k, which was the first tower to start these offset layouts. Has plenty of room between itself and the rest of my components, since it's also 120mm. Still completely silent, and keeps things very cool.
View attachment 28730


You can clearly see here where the ram isn't even obscured by the fan! You also have a much easier time hooking up the Motherboard 12v line with a smaller single-cooler tower like mine.

This is what I mean when I say: those dual-fan monsters are overkill for four cores, except for people who won't take anything less than 5.0 :D
Click to expand...

the reason we use dual fan is in case 1 fan fails, the other one still going.

By the way, I can't believe you put up w/ those cable management, you're supposed to push those cables to the other panel
 
Happy Hopping said:
so if that pin on the right falls off, it can fly your video card like the above poster who describes how his video card get cooked
Click to expand...
I have never had or heard of a fan clip 'falls off' when clipped on properly. It's a non-issue.

whateverer said:
I'm just using the Scythe Kotetsu on my 4790k, which was the first tower to start these offset layouts. Has plenty of room between itself and the rest of my components, since it's also 120mm. Still completely silent, and keeps things very cool.
View attachment 28730

You can clearly see here where the ram isn't even obscured by the fan! You also have a much easier time hooking up the Motherboard 12v line with a smaller single-cooler tower like mine.

This is what I mean when I say: those dual-fan monsters are overkill for four cores, except for people who won't take anything less than 5.0 :D
Click to expand...
Here is drawing of Kotetsu .. clearly it has no offset at all.
267-kotetsu-kotetsu-cpu-cooler.jpg


As for overkill for 4 cores, my i7 920 @ 4.3GHz at full load uses your 'overkill' cooling to run at 60c under a TRUE Spirit 140 Power with fan at 1150rpm. ;)

Happy Hopping said:
the reason we use dual fan is in case 1 fan fails, the other one still going.

By the way, I can't believe you put up w/ those cable management, you're supposed to push those cables to the other panel
Click to expand...
Dual fans are for more cooler airflow, not your far-fetched idea of it being for in case one fails.

Cable management many not be the best, but hardly worth insulting someone.
 
doyll said:
Dual fans are for more cooler airflow, not your far-fetched idea of it being for in case one fails.
Click to expand...

I have seen fans stop spinning just because of a big chunk of dust blocked the fin from rotating.

I have also seen people who has pets, in which dog hair, cat hair etc. blocked the fan from rotating
 
stashix said:
Because I bought an extra fan? I mean duh.
Click to expand...
You do realize the fan you bought is 1200rpm and the fan that came with D15S is 1500rpm. For both fans to run same speed the Noctua LNA (Low Noise Adapter) on the 1500rpm fan .. it lowers it's speed to 1200rpm. ;)
 
doyll said:
You do realize the fan you bought is 1200rpm and the fan that came with D15S is 1500rpm. For both fans to run same speed the Noctua LNA (Low Noise Adapter) on the 1500rpm fan .. it lowers it's speed to 1200rpm. ;)
Click to expand...

My solution to this was to buy multiple D15S for various systems (almost every good 2011 board needs the space) along with extra 1200rpm fans. The biggest baddest cpus got 1500 pairs along with a triple (because...reasons...something, fuckit, I had an extra) the others got 1200 pairs. I'm only sort of joking, as it wasn't exactly intentional but it worked out that way in the end.
Another interesting note, the AM4 edition D15 comes with 1500 fans too.

Guarana [BAWLS] said:
I'm shocked more people haven't caught onto his inanity yet.....
Click to expand...

Yeah, its pretty obvious.
 
The HR-02 in one of my cases is pretty close to a PCI-E wifi card so I covered the back of it in electrical tape. It doesn't appear close enough to be a problem but didn't want to chance it.
 
doyll said:
You do realize the fan you bought is 1200rpm and the fan that came with D15S is 1500rpm. For both fans to run same speed the Noctua LNA (Low Noise Adapter) on the 1500rpm fan .. it lowers it's speed to 1200rpm. ;)
Click to expand...
Yeah I know. That said I have kept them both at 1500 and 1200 rpm respectively, didn't really see a reason why that would be a bad idea. The 1500 rpm fan is in the middle since it seemed like it would have to work harder, being obstructed by the front tower and all.
 
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