What type of screws to use with brass standoffs (4-40 vs 6-32)

tracerbullet

Golden Member
Feb 22, 2001
1,661
19
81
They don't cross with each other if that's what you're asking.

You know the small screws that hold DVD drives to a case? Those are M3. Know the screws that are a little bigger that hold cards down and hard drives in? Those are 6-32.

Mobo standoffs use the smaller finer thread, usually anyhow. I do remember occasionally being surprised by needing the bigger ones though at some point years ago, so thruthfully the answer might be "it depends". If you have 2 of those kits you'll have what you need either way.
 
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Xenphor

Member
Sep 26, 2007
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Well I tried the 4-40s in the case I have right now and they didn't screw into my bay drives so I'm assuming that HDD, cd-rom, etc. are 6-32 threaded? The screws I have left from another build did not screw into the 4-40 standoffs so I'm assuming those are 6-32 as well.

So I guess for now I can use the 4-40 screws with the 4-40 standoffs for the motherboard and the left over 6-32 screws from a pervious build with everything else? Or should I just buy another kit that has 6-32 screws and 6-32 standoffs and just forget about using 4-40 threads?

I'm confused because I thought the type of screws used for computers would've been standardized by now but I guess not?
 

suteck

Member
Jan 17, 2013
25
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No, not always. The difference is that the computer case makers usually supply the standoffs that they want you to use for their case. Sometimes you can use other standoffs but finding an exact match is hit or miss as the case manufacturer might tell you the screw thread size for the motherboard side but not the screw into the case side making it close to impossible to get it wright without an original standoff...

I know it's late in the game but you left it off with a question that I didn't see an answer to.
 

evanknighs

Junior Member
Jan 29, 2013
2
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me too,I know it's late in the game but you left it off with a question that I didn't see an answer to.thanks
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