I'm installing a Noctua NH-D15 cooler on my AM4 motherboard with a Ryzen 5 5600 processor and a large triple-fan 9060xt graphics card. I'm using the stock AMD AM4 backplate and Noctua's NM-AMB mounting bars, and I've mounted the cooler following all instructions. However, after tightening everything down, I noticed that the lower fin stack of the cooler overhangs the PCIe x16 slot by about 10mm. This blockage prevents me from properly seating my graphics card in the top PCIe slot. I've confirmed that the cooler is mounted correctly, and I've even removed the GPU during the installation. I haven't yet taken the motherboard out of the case, which might be my next step, but I'm wondering if I'm missing something or if there's a compatibility issue here.
2 Answers
You might want to check if your motherboard is listed on the Noctua compatibility page. The NH-D15 is a big cooler, and while it should generally work with AM4, some mATX boards might not have enough space for it alongside a large GPU. If your motherboard is an A320M-K, that could be the issue! Have you thought about trying to install the cooler without the fans just to see if that helps?
It’s possible the cooler is just too large for your setup. Consider removing the motherboard from the case for better access and maybe even trying to adjust the cooler's position slightly to see if that helps align everything. And don't worry if you're not tech-savvy with photos—sometimes a detailed description is just as good!
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