I'm building a system with a Nitro+ 9070 XT, a TRYX Turris 620 air cooler, and a B650M Project Zero motherboard. I didn't realize how tight the clearance would be, and the graphics card and cooler are making contact. They don't seem to be pushing hard against each other, but the GPU's top plate won't fit, leaving part of the card exposed beneath the cooler. Is this safe to use, or should I replace the cooler or change the layout?
2 Answers
Light contact by itself usually won’t hurt anything beyond possibly scratching some paint. However, don’t force the parts together or leave the cooler pressing on the GPU. If the card can’t be fully assembled or secured as designed, use a slimmer or differently oriented cooler, or adjust the mounting position.
Are the components only touching, or is the cooler applying pressure to the graphics card? If the parts merely make light contact and everything fits without force, it may not cause an immediate problem, but the missing cover and exposed area are still worth addressing.
They mostly just touch, but the GPU’s top plate can’t be installed because of the cooler, so that section of the card remains exposed.