z370 Taichi - Noctua NH-D15 Doesn't fit - BUMMER

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   I am building today and have hit a snag. Noctua posts motherboard compatibility lists and points to a "fit" between the Taichi and their NH-D15 two-fin-one-fan model. A search here finds no messages pointing out a problem for z370 Taichi owners who bought this Noctua model. 

There are support "feet" on spreader bars used above the surface of the motherboard. These feet are designed to reach down to the mobo surface to help support the cooler above, I assume. At first try both possible orientations of the cooling unit require the feet to fit in between a cluster of round electronic components sitting up high in an array near the socket. 
I could imaging someone thinking that the function of the electronics would not be hurt by a slight spreading of their housings but I don't like that idea because I don't know how much risk of failure such a step puts on my shoulders.

My z370 is sitting outside the case in the stage as I try to get it to post (subject of another message, perhaps.) 

I have written Noctua in Austria but will have missed their business 
hours today, Monday November 27th.  Not helpful: the build area is in an area used by family. 
Never a good kind of delay.

Anyone here using this cooler? Again, no search result that points to any Noctua malalignment...

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jonathan7007 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 28 Nov 2017 Status: Offline Points: 58	Post Options Post Reply Quote jonathan7007 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: z370 Taichi - Noctua NH-D15 Doesn't fit - BUMMER Posted: 28 Nov 2017 at 5:11am
	I am building today and have hit a snag. Noctua posts motherboard compatibility lists and points to a "fit" between the Taichi and their NH-D15 two-fin-one-fan model. A search here finds no messages pointing out a problem for z370 Taichi owners who bought this Noctua model. There are support "feet" on spreader bars used above the surface of the motherboard. These feet are designed to reach down to the mobo surface to help support the cooler above, I assume. At first try both possible orientations of the cooling unit require the feet to fit in between a cluster of round electronic components sitting up high in an array near the socket. I could imaging someone thinking that the function of the electronics would not be hurt by a slight spreading of their housings but I don't like that idea because I don't know how much risk of failure such a step puts on my shoulders. My z370 is sitting outside the case in the stage as I try to get it to post (subject of another message, perhaps.) I have written Noctua in Austria but will have missed their business hours today, Monday November 27th. Not helpful: the build area is in an area used by family. Never a good kind of delay. Anyone here using this cooler? Again, no search result that points to any Noctua malalignment...
	Taichi z370, i7-8700K, Samsung Pro960 512GB, Asus GTX1060 3GB GPU, EVGA 850 PSU, Win10

jonathan7007 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 28 Nov 2017 Status: Offline Points: 58	Post Options Post Reply Quote jonathan7007 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 Nov 2017 at 6:48am
	Adding more info to my own original post. "Feet" isn't the right term. These stubby elements don't reach to the motherboard. They are threaded. Nothing in this kit uses these threaded downward-pointing little studs. The two flat bars in a gently-curved shape span the upper and then lower pair of back-plate posts which emerge from the back of the mobo. The "upper" plate's stud just rests against the little round components and there is a tiny push needed to bring the flat spreader into place, indicating that the movement so forced is very small. To repeat: these little studs don't reach to the surface of the mobo. If I had a strong bolt-cutter or a back-up part I'd cut the dang thing off the upper spreader. There's no indication they are needed in any way and they aren't contributing to strength. Given Noctua's web-site's blessing and the lack of any other shout-outs here I am going to go with the Noctua as the chosen cooler to set up a test of POST this afternoon. If all goes OK I'll put the whole thing into the case, which had better be high enough! (I think I'm OK; this is a CoolerMaster Master Case 5 and it's 9.5-inches across (yes, I know, bad not to be sure, but only 1/2-inch lost to the wire space behind the mobo deck.)
	Taichi z370, i7-8700K, Samsung Pro960 512GB, Asus GTX1060 3GB GPU, EVGA 850 PSU, Win10

jonathan7007 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 28 Nov 2017 Status: Offline Points: 58	Post Options Post Reply Quote jonathan7007 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 Nov 2017 at 6:54am
	Yikes! Bad eyesight combined with poor illustration choice in the instruction sheet: those little studs should face UP!! It's these little attachments that hold the whole heavy fin-farm. Yeesh. The page designer choose to highlight that pair of parts in a dark red ink... OK, but you hid the detail about orientation. And partly my fault. OK, never mind, everyone.
	Taichi z370, i7-8700K, Samsung Pro960 512GB, Asus GTX1060 3GB GPU, EVGA 850 PSU, Win10

amd7674 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 23 Nov 2017 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 11	Post Options Post Reply Quote amd7674 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 Nov 2017 at 8:32am
	So Jonathan I presume is all good? I have the same combo and I will use your findings when putting my system together :-)

jonathan7007 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 28 Nov 2017 Status: Offline Points: 58	Post Options Post Reply Quote jonathan7007 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 Nov 2017 at 9:07am
	Yes, thank you, all is good. Once the spreaders were flipped over, the studs pointed up, engaged the two spring-loaded bushings, and were slowly tightened to spread the paste. The cooler snugged in with no hassle; I chose my fan placements and swapped wire clips to suit, everything. The nature of the stampings also made me think they faced the other way... my bad. We'll see about height clearance later this evening when I can get back to assembly. And I have an even better tip to pass on! During this stage I tried power-up to prove ability to POST before placing everything inside the case. I borrowed a monitor from my work area that might have weird interface characteristics... or the HDMI drivers aren't native, but there were never ANY glimmers of successful POST during these attempts. I always ended with "A2" displayed on the LED code display. This has a message provided in the mobo manual requiring that the user remove all SATA or IDE (!) devices. Nothing like that was connected at this stage. The only other piece attached was my new Samsung 960 Nmve 512 M@ "drive". I called ASRock headquarters and asked if I could speak to someone for a tech question, and a helpful gentleman told me that "A2" was a "good" code. I should check the HDMI cable or the monitor. He told me that this code would be displayed while the screen was asking me to hit F1 or F2 for the dive into the BIOS! He was right. Another monitor brought in and this one a Display Port unit. Fire up the board one more time... There was the BIOS, big as Manhattan. Beautiful. (This monitor a bit old and has DVI - so the cable has a DP-to-DVI adapter on it and that was OK for this situation, thankfully.) So the printed manual was misleading about the meaning of "A2". At the very least it leaves out important possibilities in the code's meaning. Good luck with your upcoming assembly.
	Taichi z370, i7-8700K, Samsung Pro960 512GB, Asus GTX1060 3GB GPU, EVGA 850 PSU, Win10