Another Gigabyte EP45-UD3R vs Zalman fan question.

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Weaksauce
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Dec 31, 2008
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Ok, so I just received my Gigabyte EP45-UD3R mobo, my Q6600 cpu and my Zalman 9500 heatsink/cooler. But the Zalman won't fit into the motherboard.

To be more specific, the Clip support and Backplate sockets fit perfectly, but the cooler can't be fastened to the Clip support because the Clip itself is to big, it collides with other motherboard components that surrounds the CPU input.

See how the Clip that attaches the Zalman onto the CPU, collides with one component:

61181018tt9.jpg


It's suppose to be pressed down and attach to a Lug on the Clip support socket, but with the Clip this big, there is no room for movement at all.
Here's what it would look like with the Zalman fan ontop, it sticks out way too much:

87947773hc4.jpg



2 additional questions, am I doing this all wrong?,
and,
will this really sit tight without any screws, just Clip attached to Lug?

If the truth simply is that the clip/fan is too big, I'll settle with the Q6600 heatsink for now.

Thanks for listening guys.

Thanks guys
 
Hey Zero82z, this is the only way the Clip Support Socket fits. If I rotate it 90 degrees, it does not fit at all, it floats above the Motherboard cause there are small components that blocks the Clip Support Socket to be lowered. If I turn it 180 degrees, I have the same problem as the first position, the clip lever collides against the surrounding chipset heatsinks (the 'ULTRA DURABLE' part on pic). And that lever is metal, so I don't see anyway to ignore that problem.

I'm surprised nobody has come across this issue before. It's really tight around the CPU socket on the Gigabyte EP45-UD3R.

Thanks man, if you have any other ideas please do share.
Any insight is appreciated!
 
Okay I got a solution that might work, if I got the OTHER Clip lever, that they include with the Zalman 9700, the clip that just screws onto Clip Support socket instead of being bent down, it will actually work.

The Left one on this picture:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowI...S 9700 NT 110mm 2 Ball Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler

Cause the the Right one I already have,which is waaay to big/long for the Mobo design.

But how do you order just a Clip lever from Zalman?

Thanks guys.
 
That mounting clip is not too big at all... if you have an AMD socket board. That specific mounting clip is meant for use with AMD CPUs.

The smaller clip will work with the q6600 on a LGA775 board, which is what your board is. Whether the Zalman mounting bracket will properly fit on your mobo is another story.

As far as obtaining a clip by itself, you should be able to find the mounting clip for less than $5 via google.

Also, you have the mounting bracket incorrectly placed on your mobo as shown on the pic you provided. The bulging corner portion of the bracket currently facing northwest needs to be rotated so that it is facing southeast. That is the "parking" spot for the socket lever when it is not holding down the LGA775 socket cover.
 
Yeah you will have to get the screw in clip, tough luck man. My EP45-UD3R comes in today and I got my trusty S1283 and Crossbow ready.
 
hdnut, Nice, thanks for the info! The mounting bracket fits, it's just the clip that's too long. Although if I rotate the mounting bracket, so that the inner bulging corner points southeast, the longer Clip Lug pointing to the east side will touch the (west) chipset heat sink. So when rotated the mounting bracket will come in contact with that blue heatsink. It is plastic though, think it'll be ok?, and is it really vital to be in that position? Thanks again hdnut!

SixtyWattMan, Sweet man, like hdnut mentioned, I did find a couple of sites, through Google, that sells the screw in clip! Now the hard part is...the wait. :)

Thanks guys, highly appriciated!
 
No, the positioning of the bracket isn't "vital" per se, but you will have to hold the lever while you put the CPU in the socket. As long as you can manage to secure the cooler on the bracket without issues, it should be fine.
 
Alright I solved it! I wanted to show pictures how, but my camera died when I took the photos, and my battery charger is miles away, so I'll have to post those after I come back from Colorado (Monday).

I never bought the screw in clip, I stuck to the clips and mounting brackets that came with the Zalman 9500. It's a bit tricky but if you mount the clip (not the square bracket, just the clip lever) 180 degrees opposite to what the manual says, you can fit the Zalman into a Gigabyte EP45-UD3R.

But it raised one question, a big one I think. There is NO way to see if there is any thermal grease oozing out on the sides! Judging by the mirroring reflection on the heatsink (only way to get a hint) there actually might be some sticking out, is this a big issue?

IF there is thermal grease sticking out on the sides, will this be disastrous?
Can I just remove the fan, and wipe of the part that is sticking out?, or must I redo the whole procedure? (cleanup, re-apply thermal compound and install fan ontop again)

Thanks!
 
So that's the AM2 clip you're trying to mod? My 9700 fits fine when using the right clip - the clip is no longer than the mounting bracket is wide.

Note that your mounting bracket needs to be rotated 180 degrees. See on the top left corner in your picture the little notch in the bracket? Thats to allow the CPU retention lever to clear the bracket. The way you've got it installed is fine functionally, but you cannot remove and replace the CPU without removing the retention bracket completely (which means removing the board). Not a big deal unless you plan to swap CPUs regularly (I only know this because I've mis-installed my Zalmans about every time and don't notice till I want to change CPUs)
 
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