CPU cooler that won't block RAM slots on X99 Ex4?
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Category: Technical Support
Forum Name: Intel Motherboards
Forum Description: Question about ASRock Intel Motherboards
URL: https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3406
Printed Date: 20 Jul 2025 at 3:15pm
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Topic: CPU cooler that won't block RAM slots on X99 Ex4?
Posted By: Offense
Subject: CPU cooler that won't block RAM slots on X99 Ex4?
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2016 at 8:22am
| I'd prefer air over liquid since it needs less maintenance, but it seems like a lot of the big air coolers might make some of my RAM slots unusable. Are there any that would at least let me put low profile RAM in all 8 slots (I'm not filling all 8 yet, but I'd like to eventually), or do I have to choose between a smaller cooler or going liquid instead? |
Replies:
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2016 at 10:07am
I know you are speaking in general terms, which "low profile RAM" is. Of course, how low, low profile is can be is relative. Regardless, I have an ASRock X99 Extreme6+ board, which in comparison to the X99 Extreme4, appears identical in its memory slot spacing relative to the CPU socket. So IMO they are equivalent in this aspect. I use a Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 CPU cooler, and Crucial Ballistics Elite DDR4 memory. That memory is 40.75mm in height. So call it 41mm. There is easily 1/2" or 13mm of clearance between the top of the memory and the bottom of the CPU cooler's bottom fins. On one side of this CPU cooler, is a 120mm fan. Its location can be adjusted up and down without the fan position being odd or nonfunctional. The clearance with the fan about centered on the cooling fins is about 10mm, or about 3/8" between the fan bottom and memory. It makes no difference if some or all of the memory slots are used. So I would call it at or just under 50mm of clearance, which is almost two inches. I would still go with lower profile memory, say no more than 45mm in height. My memory is between 30C and 34C, which is not hot at all, and has no added memory cooling. None is needed. While the NH-D14 SE2011 is now discontinued, other Noctua CPU coolers like the NH-D15, and NH-D15S, provide even greater clearance for memory. The former, up to 64mm in single fan mode, 32mm in dual fan mode. The latter, up to 65mm, but is a single fan model. Adding a 120mm fan to this cooler won't be any worse than my NH-D14. You could always get a single "tower" CPU cooler, if you don't plan on over clocking, and have good PC case ventilation. Other models of Crucial memory are even lower in height than the Elite model, which in DDR4 memory, seems to be their tallest product. Large heat sinks on memory, which is what causes clearance issues, is not needed for most users, and particularly not needed for DDR4 memory. The top of the heat sink on the Crucial Elite memory can be removed if necessary. Other memory manufactures offer the same feature on some models. For other CPU coolers you will need to check the specs, if possible. Cryorig is very complete on their clearance specs. There is no need to go liquid cooling, which ranges from CLC AIO products for +/- $100, to full custom water cooling for $200+. Keep in mind that filling all the slots "later", meaning buying more memory later can be troublesome. Most memory manufactures do not make their own memory chips, and one model of memory can have different types of memory chips over the product lifetime. That means buying one set now, and another later will usually result in an unmatched set of memory, that won't work together. G.SKILL, Corsair, and HyperX are all examples of this type of manufacture. Crucial makes their own memory chips, and don't run out of stock, so are not forced to use different memory chips. They don't even match their serial numbers in a set of memory. I've mixed kits of Crucial memory and it just works fine. The longer between purchasing memory kits, the more likely they will not be matched. http://noctua.at/en/products/discontinued-products/nh-d14-se2011" rel="nofollow - ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow"> 
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Offense wrote: