Thermalright XP-120 HSF + Gigabyte K8NSNXP-939

[Brickster]

Has anyone read/heard about compatibility with the Thermalright XP-120 and the K8NSNXP-939 from Gigabyte?

Looking to replace stock HSF with a new high-end one so I can OC.

Noise and price are not a factor.

Thanks!

 

[Brickster]

Anyone, anyone........BUELLER!

 

[Cheetah8799]

I was looking at that heatsink in a review, and to me it looked the heatsink would stick way above the motherboard in a vertical tower case. In most cases, the psu is right there at the edge of the mobo, so the heatsink simply wouldn't fit.

here's the review Check the 3rd pic down.

 

[Brickster]

Originally posted by: Cheetah8799
I was looking at that heatsink in a review, and to me it looked the heatsink would stick way above the motherboard in a vertical tower case. In most cases, the psu is right there at the edge of the mobo, so the heatsink simply wouldn't fit. <BR><BR>here's the review Check the 3rd pic down.

The board in that review looks like one tiny-ass mobo, though. Could fit, but guess if I want it, I might have to take the RMA risk and try it. Still would like to avoid that via other's user experience...

Any others?

 

[gimp0]

call thermalright and ask them

they will know better than anyone guessing...hopefully

 

[Brickster]

bump. Thanks, I wil call. Anyone physically attempt it?

 

[imported_davey]

hi i did email thermalright about this issue, and here's their reply:

All Gigabyte K8 motherboards will NOT take either XP-120 or XP-90. The reason is they use their own motherboard backplate that uses push pins to fix to motherboard while other motherboard makers such as Asus, ABIT, MSI, use screw/standoff type of backplates that are okay to use TR K8 RM.

that means... it would NOT fit on K8NSNXP-939...

 

[Robor]

I found this thread while searching for a decent 939 motherboard for my .90 A64 3200+

I had the Gigabyte K8NSNXP-939 board and davey is correct - the CPU bracket is mounted to the motherboard backplate via push pins and the XP heatsink doesn't fit on the stock CPU bracket. You have to remove the stock CPU bracket and mount the one that came with the Thermalright. That's not a problem - the trouble is the Thermalright bracket is secured to the motherboard via 2 screws and the stock Gigabyte backplate (secured by push pins) will not work with the screws.

That said, I had an old backplate from a Zalman I installed on an Intel setup. I was able to secure an XP-90 to this board with that backplate so the short version is...

A Thermalright XP-90 will fit on a Gigabyte K8NSNXP-939 motherboard *IF* you have a backplate that will work.

I don't know about the XP-120 as I never had one to try. I can say the XP-90 was a pretty tight fit though.

 

[AMDFanatic]

This sucks since I was supposed to get a Gigabyte K8 board for my new rig and I really wanted the XP-120.

 

[JenniAMDCHP]

I have and use the K8NSNXP-939 motherboard from Gigabyte. I've ordered the XP-120 and I'm waiting for it to arrive - and I'm not too worried about the response that Thermalright gave..

The plastic backplate on the backside of the motherboard that holds the stock sink in place DOES use plastic push pins to anchor the plastic bracket/retainer in place - but I had little trouble in removing it. You have to flip the motherboard around, and get a pen or something (be careful) - and push the middle area of the plastic in. This will make the middle of the pins pop up on the other side. Once I did this I was able to push the 'clamp' like end of the plastic pin in and through the hole on each side. What this does is effectively remove the black plastic cradle that the stock athlon 64 heat sink locks against.

Now you are left with 2 holes on either side of the CPU. Just thread a nipple that I'm guessing comes with the XP 120 on each side and we're in business and able to take the XP 120 on that board.

Yeah I'll probably have to go get a metal backplate since the plastic 'screws' in the old plastic bracket/retainer don't fully eject - but all this means is going to a comp store and buying a metal backplate that will serve as the anchoring device for whatever Thermalright has as a set up for the Amd 64.

I had to remove my backplate when I was trying the Zalman, and it came with its own backplate. I just threaded those n*pple screws into the motherboard and into the backplate holes on the back, then screwed the heat sink in - this after removing the stock backplate/retaining device.


Can anyone ele back me up on this? To say you can't use this sink because it won't fit on the backplate seems kind of weird when you can just remove the stock backplate and buy one that accepts screws/etc

The only thing that worries me is components touching the heatsink, but Thermalright's own webpage states that the K8NSNXP-939 is 'Okay' as far as compatibility goes. Sorry if I typo'd anything..just woke up.
-Jen

 

[Brickster]

Any luck with that one, Jenni, or others?

 

[Mik3y]

Text

 

[JenniAMDCHP]

I had to use some washers and nuts to go with the screws to keep the heat sink in place since the backboard for the motherboard isn't 'screw in' compatible. I'm not sure if I'd recommend people do what I tried - but I got it to work for me (Only coz we have a huge collection of rogue screws/nuts/bolts/washers in our garage - so it was easy to find some washers and nuts that fit the screws that came with the heatsink)

At the very worst folks might just have to get a metal/screw in back-plate from some retailer online..
-Jen