NB heatsink compatibility issues?

[StopSign]

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That's how it looks currently with my Freezer 7 Pro on there. Being a relatively small motherboard, the NB is very close to the CPU socket and the only way to mount a Freezer 7 Pro is having the fan pointing upward. Currently the fan barely clears the stock heatsink, as seen in the pictures. By eyeballing it, I'd say it's overlapping about 1 cm.

So which NB heatsinks out there can fit this setup? I've looked at the Zalman NB47J, Thermalright HR-05, HR-05-SLI and Noctua NC-U6. It appears the NB47J won't fit unless I cut some fins off. The Noctua I'm really not sure about because there's a 5 mm clearance from the fins to the base, and I don't know how big the base is in comparison with the stock DS3 heatsink. The HR-05 seems to be the same shape as the Noctua but it can't rotate like the Noctua. And I really have no idea how the HR-05-SLI would fit in here...

Or would something like this be better?
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18355&vpn=VC-RE&manufacture=Evercool

I'm really surprised that very few people have mentioned the NB placement issue on the DS3. The Freezer 7 Pro is pretty big but lots of people are user even bigger coolers and haven't reported problems with the NB heatsink getting in the way.

 

[TheDro]

Heh, I never knew Gigabyte changed the NB heatsink, but as long as the pin holes are in the same place the Noctua NC-U6 should fit no problem, even with your Freezer 7 Pro installed.

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[3LEMENT0]

I replaced mine with this one NB Cooler which is smaller than the stock + replaced the TIM with shin etsu.

The only caveat is the fan, I had to put it on the CPU fan slot on the MB and have the MB control the speed coz if it runs on full speed you'll hear a high pitch whine from it.

Good luck

 

[StopSign]

Originally posted by: TheDro
Heh, I never knew Gigabyte changed the NB heatsink, but as long as the pin holes are in the same place the Noctua NC-U6 should fit no problem, even with your Freezer 7 Pro installed.

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Is that a 120mm fan on your Scythe heatsink? If so then my Freezer 7 Pro would definitely fit because it's a 92mm fan.

 

[TheDro]

Thats a 92mm fan. I still think your Freezer 7 Pro would fit with a Noctua NC-U6 installed, judging by where the heatsink fan ends is just about where the push pins are located on the NB heatsink, and if you check out the pic with the NC-U6 theres enough room between where the push pins are and the actual NC-U6's tower of fins. Only problem would be installing the NC-U6 with the Freezer 7 Pro already installed might be tricky.

 

[StopSign]

Then our heatsinks are the same width so it should fit just like yours...unless the Rev. 2 board has a different layout. I'll look inside the case again later tonight and compare it with your case.

And if it works I'll just take off the Freezer 7 Pro to install it.

 

[StopSign]

Okay, I just peaked inside my case again and it looks like the thing will fit. Thanks for the picture.

 

[zagood]

I'm using the ZM-NBF47 (not J) on my DS3 with a Asus SilentSquare. The lower fins overlap a little bit, but it fits fine. Cheaper than the NC-U6, but up to you.

-z