I have been using a PC with an ASUS Prime B450M-K II motherboard for about four years. The CPU runs around 60°C at idle, reaches about 70°C in-game, sits near 85°C in the lobby, and can climb to 92°C while loading a new map. It has also started shutting down because of high temperatures. I reapplied the thermal paste and am still using the stock cooler, so I want to replace it with a better air cooler. However, two coolers I purchased seemed too large, and one of the mounting brackets did not fit. The motherboard uses the AM4 socket. What cooler and mounting hardware should I use, and what measurements or case details do I need to check?
3 Answers
The board itself is a standard micro-ATX AM4 design, so the motherboard usually is not the limiting factor. The important measurements are your case's maximum CPU-cooler height and the clearance around the RAM and graphics card. Also, a full cooler is different from just replacing the fan—the heatsink and mounting system are what make the biggest difference.
Most AM4 tower coolers use the motherboard's rear backplate, but you normally have to remove the two black plastic retention clips around the CPU socket by unscrewing their four screws. The replacement cooler then uses its own AM4 brackets in those holes. Do not leave the cooler unsecured or try to improvise the mounting hardware. Check the installation manual carefully, since the box often includes separate brackets for Intel and AMD sockets.
I still have the original backplate underneath the motherboard. I was unsure whether to remove the black clips and use the cooler's brackets, so I will check the AM4 instructions again.
A common tower cooler such as a Thermalright Phantom Spirit or another AM4-compatible model should work if your case has enough height clearance. If the front fan touches the RAM, it can often be raised slightly on the cooler; if the tower appears to interfere with the graphics card, try checking the orientation. If the rear bracket does not fit, it may be an Intel bracket rather than the AM4 hardware. Before buying another cooler, identify your CPU model, case model, and the exact way the previous coolers were too large. Also verify that the cooler is seated evenly, the fan is spinning, the thermal paste was applied properly, and the case has reasonable airflow, since temperatures high enough to cause shutdowns should not be ignored.
I was referring to the complete cooler with the heatsink. The mounting bracket that came with one of them did not fit, even though the product listing said it supported AM4.