CPU cooler touches graphics card backplate, is it ok?

[emothxughts]

I am cooling my Ryzen 5 3600 with the Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 V2. I am also using a Sapphire Pulse RX 580 card. As you can see in the pic below, the cooler is almost touching the backplate of the graphics card, separated only by a piece of paper I inserted between them. My question is, will anything happen if the cooler actually touches the backplate? For example, shorting?

 

[95Viper]

Anything is possible; however, it should not short out anything.
If you are familiar with the use of a multimeter (and have one) you could test across the two surfaces.

Just to add... you might want to place a fan on the inside back of the case, behind that cooler, to exhaust hot air out.

 

[LabRat 891]

Perfectly fine AFAIK as long as it is not:

A. allowing contact between exposed SMDs/solderjoints and the aluminum of the heatsink
B. Actively 'weighing down' and 'sagging' the GPU

If there is a chance for shorts, I highly recommend some "Kapton" tape. It will not shrink/degrade over thermal cycles like a shipping tape 'insulator' would (eventually).

If it's weighing down on the card, I'd try to re mount the CPU cooler 'eating up' the usually-available tolerances vertically. In other words, try to 'bias' the cooler 'up and away' from the GPU, while attempting to evenly 'clamp' it there w/ mounting pressure.

edit:
worst-case scenario, use some cardboard as and insulator and ziptie the HSF against gravity and get the GPU some support too somehow. That way, the cardboard insulator and GPU won't get QUITE so compressed/deformed, but will still stay put. (I'd only be okay w/ this in some kinda weird semi-SFF setup tho, lol.)

 

[ir_cow]

You have a backplate. No issues.

 

[claes]

You have a backplate. No issues.

At first I agreed with this but I checked it out and it turns out sapphire doesn’t use thermal pads but an aluminum heatsink instead. I doubt it’d really be an issue, as the heatsink should provide spacing between the backplate and the board, but maybe could become one over time if the CPU cooler begins to sag?

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[AsRock]

If the back plate has holes just make sure the fins of the cooler don't go though one of those holes.

 

[Space Lynx]

if the case has exhaust out the top, I would rotate the cooler if possible, that would fix the touching problem and also improve airflow... if not, then you need to add a back case fan to exhaust out the back

 

[Ruru]

The backplate isn't conductive, just let it be.

 

[emothxughts]

Thanks for the replies. To clarify a bit, the actual heatsink barely misses the backplate, it's the fan clips at the bottom that slightly touches the backplate, so no weighing down. Still no shorts, right?

I've been running it like this for more than a week now, ever since I got the card back from the repair shop. Nothing unusual happened with this paper between CPU cooler and backplate config, no artifacts or sudden shutdowns so far.

 

[BlaezaLite]

My Deepcool AK620 is borderline giving my 6900XT a cuddle. If there was no backplate, then you'd have a reason to worry but you do, so you don't have to, so all is good in the hood.

 

[claes]

if the case has exhaust out the top, I would rotate the cooler if possible, that would fix the touching problem and also improve airflow... if not, then you need to add a back case fan to exhaust out the back

Why would rotating the heatsink improve airflow? What about CPU temps?

The backplate isn't conductive, just let it be.

The backplate is aluminum

 

[Space Lynx]

Why would rotating the heatsink improve airflow? What about CPU temps?

The backplate is aluminum

cause they currently have no rear case fan, so I was thinking if they have a fan blowing out the top, might be best to rotate or move that fan over to rear exhaust. also, that tiny heatsink probably shouldn't be soaking up any gpu heat... it can prob barely handle the CPU on its own

edit: i take that back, that might actually help the gpu stay colder, cause its only a 3600... so easy to cool. hmm interesting. maybe i should put some copper down on backplate of my 6800 xt to touch my FC140 heatsink... let it handle some of the gpu load since it handles the CPU load so easily... @freeagent @tabascosauz have I lost my mind or good idea?

 

[emothxughts]

I see some comments about my lack of a rear exhaust fan. Not pictured in my original post: 3 front case fans, blowing air from outside into the interior.

As for temps, CPU doesn't crack above 76C in Cinebench R23 (I don't feel comfortable putting the stock cooler on the R5 3600), and GPU maxes out at 70C in modded Skyrim, for example. That said, I do live in a tropical country...

 

[Space Lynx]

I see some comments about my lack of a rear exhaust fan. Not pictured in my original post: 3 front case fans, blowing air from outside into the interior.

As for temps, CPU doesn't crack above 76C in Cinebench R23 (I don't feel comfortable putting the stock cooler on the R5 3600), and GPU maxes out at 70C in modded Skyrim, for example. That said, I do live in a tropical country...

you should still have at least one exhaust fan somewhere. if you have 3 intake, then do 1 rear exhaust, it should lower your temps even more. other than that I'd say don't worry about it. i do think a rear exhaust fan would be worth it in your case though, as you say you do live in a tropical area.

 

[Ruru]

The backplate is aluminum

Yeah but if the CPU cooler touches it, it doesn't kill your hardware.

 

[claes]

cause they currently have no rear case fan, so I was thinking if they have a fan blowing out the top, might be best to rotate

Assuming that fan exists, aren’t you just sucking GPU heat into the CPU in this case?

or move that fan over to rear exhaust.

That’s more like it. Front to back = less resistance than front to back to top.

Honestly cases with a ton of rear ventilation and good intakes don’t even benefit much from an exhaust. I’m not sure what case the OP is using though, but it does look like it’d help based on the lack of ventilation by the PCI slots.

edit: i take that back, that might actually help the gpu stay colder, cause its only a 3600... so easy to cool. hmm interesting. maybe i should put some copper down on backplate of my 6800 xt to touch my FC140 heatsink... let it handle some of the gpu load since it handles the CPU load so easily... @freeagent @tabascosauz have I lost my mind or good idea?

Backplates barely conduct any heat and are only cooling the backside of the memory with your card. While that can reduce core temps a little bit, it’s unlikely to benefit much. The backplate isn’t comparable to the heatsink on the front.

More, if it’s the gaming x I’d worry about melting the backplate with CPU heat. The z would be fine since it’s aluminum and uses thermal pads, but gains would still be negligible. You’d at least want to add some pads or paste into the equation.

Yeah but if the CPU cooler touches it, it doesn't kill your hardware.

In this case, sure, since there’s an aluminum heatsink preventing the backplate from making contact with the PCB. But if there were enough pressure from the CPU heatsink it could bend the aluminum backplate and short the PCB.

 

[Mussels]

They're heatsinks and have no electrical charge -perfectly safe other than the risk of the weight of the cooler bending the card down in the future.

Rear exhaust fans will still help due to air following path of least resistance - you're pushing air in, but without something to guide it to the exhaust you want it'll tend to go up and out, without passing over those rear components

Is it a big change? no - but it's not zero either (especially for motherboard VRM's in that area, that may be getting nothing right now)

 

[freeagent]

have I lost my mind or good idea?

Maybe a little

 

[P4-630]

It shouldn't touch it, if you have installed the cooler correctly there should always be at least a little gap..

 

[GerKNG]

that's pretty normal for mATX/ITX Boards since the GPU Slot is one slot higher on them. (coolers like the NH D15 are going beyond the first slot and they are 100% incompatible with anything but ATX boards (except a few ATX boards from ASRock which have a mATX layout but a ATX PCB)
don't worry. that's not a problem.

 

[P4-630]

that's pretty normal for mATX/ITX Boards since the GPU Slot is one slot higher on them.

Is it?

 

[freeagent]

Zero offset coolers are no fun

 

[P4-630]

You'd expect CPU cooler makers design their coolers so it will fit with at least a little gap in between the CPU cooler and GPU...

Otherwise the GPU or the CPU cooler have been designed out of tolerance in dimensions imo...

 

[micropage7]

for safety reason, just cut thick paper or several layer of paper, place it between the cooler and the backplate then done
better safe than sorry

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I'd likely just trim a little off an old mouse pad and slip it between the contact spots.
Think the fan clip were also pretty close but not touching back of card with D15 and 980ti only reason is the clips aren't really compatible with ML120mm fans damn noctua lol