Cooler clearance question

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If my case is stated as having a cpu cooler clearance height of 175mm, does that mean any cooler up to 175mm should fit? Does the measurement include the socket/cpu or do you need allow an extra Xmm for fitting?
 
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I believe that means any cooler up to 175mm "should" fit, within margin of error and changes implemented on case design and manufacturing changes. And includes the bracket/mounting gear as well.

I made this point in another thread, but my Corsair 300r has a listed max CPU height of 170mm and I obtained a basic Arctic Freezer 34 which is supposed to be 157mm. And guess what? The top of the heatpipes basically touch the case side panel, despite in theory a minimum of 10mm spacing between them.

So what information is provided, I think is meant as a guideline, and all manufacturers (CPU cooler and case makers) reserve the right to have their stuff not meet the numbers listed. So, work within the margins and if its wrong, as least its a good reason to get it returned and swapped for a different one.
 
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I'd have no problem if the cooler touched the side window, problem is I can't get the side window back on as it sticks out of the case that much and I'd like to return it but I don't think it should be at my own expense...
 
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Let them (ocuk?) know that there's an issue with the cooler, and that you checked all relevant numbers, and it's not your fault when the numbers provided don't work together. We don't take crap shoots every time we buy something, we do some due dilligent checks and if they fail, it can't be aimed at us for costs involved. That's how I'd lay it out anyway.
 
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I am guessing here there is a problem with Corsair wording. The cooler is 157 tall, but that doesn't include the height of the cpu from the motherboard and indeed the height of the motherboard. Together they will add up to a few cm. Corsair I think is specifying the height from the bottom plate that the motherboard is mounted on, which is rubbish! Also I notice that they didn't change the dimensions of the internal space when they added a thicker acrylic panel. So my guess this is really Corsairs fault for being vague as to what they mean by CPU cooler height. You can confirm this by pulling the mains cord on your PC then measuring the distance between the motherboard and the case side - I bet you it is less than 170cm and that's before you even take account of the fact that the CPU is even higher than that, and the side panel is now thicker.
 
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If my case is stated as having a cpu cooler clearance height of 175mm, does that mean any cooler up to 175mm should fit? Does the measurement include the socket/cpu or do you need allow an extra Xmm for fitting?
175mm CPU clearance is from CPU IHS surface to case.

Do keep in mind that top of CPU is about 8mm above surface of motherboard, and RAM sockets raise RAM 2-3mm above surface of motherboard, so a case with 175mm of CPU clearance has 180mm of room for RAM height + fan size to fit. This means a cooler with 140mm front fan will fit over 40mm tall RAM.
CPU Clearance = 175mm
CPU - motherboard +8mm
Motherboard RAM . - 3mm
RAM & fan . . . . . . 180mm
40mm + 140mm = 180mm​
 
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@pp111

That's pretty much it really. And highlights how easy it is for the situation that @Dreadi finds themselves in. Hope they get it sorted to everyones liking.


They argued black and blue that it's my problem and I have to pay for the return....then I found that they had the cpu clearance size of my case wrong (which I bought the other week) so the cooler was never in a million years going to fit and now they are paying for the return and I am never using them to buy stuff again!
 
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