AM4 backplate thread size

[lorry]

As the title says, I am trying to find out AM4 backplate thread pitch size (the thread that air and water coolers screw into).

http://imgur.com/jAA75d1

I was told that they were M3.5 or 6/32, Finally found M3.5 (they aren't that easy to track down), but whilst they seem to be the right diameter they are not the right pitch.
So before I go and order some 6/32, is anyone able to tell me definitively what are their thread sizes please?

Thanks

 

[eidairaman1]

Find a pc repair shop or a hardware store if possible. Or contact AMD/board maker

 

[TheLostSwede]

It would seem both types are used, depending on who made the parts...
Don't you just love standards?

I actually had problems with the Wraith cooler that came with my old Ryzen 7 1700, as although it screwed in to the backplate with the Asus board I had at the time, it was almost impossible to remove...

 

[lorry]

Find a pc repair shop or a hardware store if possible. Or contact AMD/board maker

I was hoping that some clever person would be able to tell me

It would seem both types are used, depending on who made the parts...
Don't you just love standards?

I actually had problems with the Wraith cooler that came with my old Ryzen 7 1700, as although it screwed in to the backplate with the Asus board I had at the time, it was almost impossible to remove...

sure do, When they are applied consistently, heh.

Looking like I will maybe need to buy both in and then wait until I can take the air cooler of to try then.

Hmm, no hang on. Do have the small stock screws and they do Not fit M3.5, so I'm guessing that my Gigabyte board is 6/32 then.

 

[TheLostSwede]

This thread claims 6/32, but that's for AM3+, which in theory is the same, but...

What size screws are these? (AM3+ mounting bracket screws)

www.overclock.net

 

[lorry]

What a PITA and in some ways I am somewhat surprised, as I would have thought that most things made in China/Japan etc would use metric sizes as standard

 

[eidairaman1]

I was hoping that some clever person would be able to tell me



sure do, When they are applied consistently, heh.

Looking like I will maybe need to buy both in and then wait until I can take the air cooler of to try then.

Hmm, no hang on. Do have the small stock screws and they do Not fit M3.5, so I'm guessing that my Gigabyte board is 6/32 then.

If im not sure about a diameter or thread pitch I go to a hardware store.

 

[lorry]

Gonna order a thread pitch gauge instead, for myself that is way easier (disabled, so getting out of my home takes major planning).

 

[eidairaman1]

Gonna order a thread pitch gauge instead, for myself that is way easier (disabled, so getting out of my home takes major planning).

Get standard/metric, wood/machine screw types

 

[lorry]

Get standard/metric, wood/machine screw types

getting metric and whitworth I think it is unc not unf?

 

[flmatter]

@lorry your local nut and bolt company or fastener supply company should be able to tell you and may have what you want on hand. You just have to take your back plate to them.

 

[eidairaman1]

Coarser thread are typically wood screw type, machine screw type are finer.

Woodscrews are for speed, machine screw are for fine adjustment

@lorry your local nut and bolt company or fastener supply company should be able to tell you and may have what you want on hand. You just have to take your back plate to them.

He is disabled, logistics involved to get transpo are difficult for him

 

[lorry]

@lorry your local nut and bolt company or fastener supply company should be able to tell you and may have what you want on hand. You just have to take your back plate to them.

Not an option mate in reality as that would mean breaking down my current build, Plus getting me out of my home, no easy task

No Wonder I was confused! Just tried out some M3.5 locking nuts on the back of my Gigabyte MB and they looked to fit onto the protruding Noctua bolts that were sticking through,
But, I got a spare AM4 backplate to mess with, maybe drill the threads out of etc and for that the M3.5 do Not fit. No wonder there are problems at times with some coolers!!

 

[flmatter]

Not an option mate in reality as that would mean breaking down my current build, Plus getting me out of my home, no easy task

Roger that, I did not know. If I had a spare one I would spec the threads out for you but with my luck yours would have the opposite ones. GL

 

[lorry]

Roger that, I did not know. If I had a spare one I would spec the threads out for you but with my luck yours would have the opposite ones. GL

Cheers mate - see what I said above. Tried out a M3.5 nut of the Noctua protruding bolts, and they looked to fit ok but I'd also bout a spare backplate to mess with and on That one the M3.5 do Not fit, so that one is likely 6/32

 

[Bill_Bright]

I was hoping that some clever person would be able to tell me

There's no industry standard for those and nothing says that AMD uses the same throughout their product lines either. It would make sense if they do, but I would not assume it. They may have different sources that aren't manufacturing from the same spec sheet.

Here near me we have an Ace Hardware store (ironmonger or DIY store on your side of the Big Pond) and they have "open bins" of every size and shape of screw, bolt, nut, washer you can imagine. There have been many times over the years where I have taken a piece to this store and worked my way through the bins until I found the right bold, or nut I needed. Then, if I needed 4 bolts, I could buy 4 instead of a whole box. Maybe Crawley, being a pretty big town, might have such a store.

 

[lorry]

Maybe Crawley, being a pretty big town, might have such a store.

No such luck mate, we barely have Any useful shops yet an abundance of damn coffee shops.
If worst comes to worst, I Do have a small precision engineering firm that are willing to do 'beer money' jobs. They cut and bent my simple custom PSU shroud for me for well under £10 I could only find one other custom one in Portugal which would have costed around $50 posted

 

[TheLostSwede]

What a PITA and in some ways I am somewhat surprised, as I would have thought that most things made in China/Japan etc would use metric sizes as standard

Not when it comes to computer screws, as these things weren't designed/invented in Asia. Also, keep in mind that the Chinese are terrible when it comes to following manufacturing standards, so sometimes screws end up not being quite to spec...

Get standard/metric, wood/machine screw types

Metric is standard, that other stuff is not

Coarser thread are typically wood screw type, machine screw type are finer.

Woodscrews are for speed, machine screw are for fine adjustment

Not really true either, only if what you refer to as "wood screw type" is intended to be self tapping.
It's more about how coarse or fine the thread is and the pitch. For example, case/HDD screws have a coarse thread and a fairly large pitch, so they're quick to screw in (they also use imperial standards) whereas the FDD/optical drive/SSD screws are fine thread and pitch. Neither are "wood screw type" or even self tapping though.

No such luck mate, we barely have Any useful shops yet an abundance of damn coffee shops.
If worst comes to worst, I Do have a small precision engineering firm that are willing to do 'beer money' jobs. They cut and bent my simple custom PSU shroud for me for well under £10 I could only find one other custom one in Portugal which would have costed around $50 posted

What you might need is something like this.

Adjustable Silver T-Handle Ratchet Tap Holder Wrench with 5pcs M3-M8 3mm-8mm Machine Screw Thread Metric Plug T-Shaped Tap : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Free delivery and returns on all eligible orders. Shop Adjustable Silver T-Handle Ratchet Tap Holder Wrench with 5pcs M3-M8 3mm-8mm Machine Screw Thread Metric Plug T-Shaped Tap.

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[lorry]

What you might need is something like this.

Adjustable Silver T-Handle Ratchet Tap Holder Wrench with 5pcs M3-M8 3mm-8mm Machine Screw Thread Metric Plug T-Shaped Tap : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Free delivery and returns on all eligible orders. Shop Adjustable Silver T-Handle Ratchet Tap Holder Wrench with 5pcs M3-M8 3mm-8mm Machine Screw Thread Metric Plug T-Shaped Tap.

www.amazon.co.uk

hope not, I doubt that my hand strength is up to that These days. I have now found some reasonably cheap M3.5 nuts and bolts, from Sussex Model centre would you believe! Accu Ltd also do them but at about £2 each bolt! Then found some 6/32 nut and bolts on eBay dirt cheap, so hopefully I'm covered either way now.

Thanks guys, appreciate the input and help

 

[biffzinker]

Socket AM3+ - Left
Socket AM4 - Right

Edit: Same from left to right

Edit 2: The left screw is actually from Socket AM3+

The left screw came from a Gigabyte motherboard, and the right is from the MSI B450 Tomahawk that I have listed in my System Specs. The thread pitch seems the same except for the missing thread on the bottom of the screw from AM4, and the larger head.

 

[lorry]

Yet I have 2 AM4 backplates with different threads, go figure

as a just out of interest item -
"
The #6-32 UNC is a thicker screw with a more coarse thread. This makes it more suitable for fastening larger parts and thicker materials requiring increased holding strength. Its larger size and coarse thread make it easier to work with during assembly, with less risk of cross threading. The integrated flange provides greater holding strength with less risk of pull through. The hex head makes it easier to work with during assembly with powered torque screwdrivers.

The M3 is a thinner screw with a finer thread than the #6-32 UNC. This makes it more suitable for fastening into smaller parts and thinner materials requiring good strength in a limited space. Its size and fine thread make it appropriate for applications where a #6-32 UNC would be excessively bulky without providing any other benefits versus the smaller M3."

Computer case screws - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[eidairaman1]

Yet I have 2 AM4 backplates with different threads, go figure

as a just out of interest item -
"
The #6-32 UNC is a thicker screw with a more coarse thread. This makes it more suitable for fastening larger parts and thicker materials requiring increased holding strength. Its larger size and coarse thread make it easier to work with during assembly, with less risk of cross threading. The integrated flange provides greater holding strength with less risk of pull through. The hex head makes it easier to work with during assembly with powered torque screwdrivers.

The M3 is a thinner screw with a finer thread than the #6-32 UNC. This makes it more suitable for fastening into smaller parts and thinner materials requiring good strength in a limited space. Its size and fine thread make it appropriate for applications where a #6-32 UNC would be excessively bulky without providing any other benefits versus the smaller M3."

Computer case screws - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Speed/price even

 

[lorry]

Likely all those reasons and more, but Must be a real PITA if your cooling solution and your MB don't match up. Easy enough if it's say the 6/32 that you need, but if like here in the UK M3.5 isn't easy to source, could be a right PITA.

 

[sneekypeet]

I find it odd that there are different screw types for various models. All aftermarket coolers use the same screws offered for AMD mounting AM2 through AM4. Not like you get two sets of screws to go with whatever board you have. AMD does not offer multiple box cooler types to appeal to board makers having that call.

 

[lorry]

AMD doesn't make any use of aftermarket screws though, their coolers use the clamping option