Installation

As is the norm for installing a cooler on Socket AM4, you will need to remove the plastic retention brackets. To do this, unscrew the two screws securing each one in place. Next, keep the AMD backplate on the board and then position the plastic spacers over the mounting holes. Once done, place the screw through the mounting arm, slide it through the plastic spacer, and secure it to the backplate. Honestly, a screw pillar setup would be easier and require less effort, but it seems I am talking to a wall in that regard. Still, once the mounting hardware is fully secured, you can apply the thermal paste.


For the next step, you will need to remove the fans from the cooler to access the retention screws. Once ready, line the cooler up with the mounting brackets before securing it by alternating between the two screws. With the cooler firmly seated, it's time to reinstall the fans and connect the wiring.

As noted above, on AM4, the installation process could be improved. Depending on your situation, holding the AMD motherboard backplate in place while also holding together the mounting brackets with screws and spacers is not ideal. The use of friction-fit spacers on the screws would make the process a great deal easier without too much trouble and is a solution for some companies. Another option would be threaded standoffs. Meanwhile, on Intel, the process is exceptionally easy. The backplate is ready to go; slide it onto the board, position the spacers on it, attach the mounting arms, and secure them in place. The process after that remains the same.

That said, when it comes to the installation instructions, ID-Cooling's videos are spot on, but the included manual referenced brackets that didn't exist for AM4, and honestly, whoever gave the green light to that manual likely needs to pay far more attention. Normally, manuals are pretty simple and serve their purpose, and therefore, I don't touch on them all that much, but the errors here are egregious.