Help! NH-U12S LGA2011 Install Problem

Lyuokdea

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Mar 3, 2009
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Hi All,

I have a dual-LGA 2011 system I'm building (Motherboard Asus Z9PE-D9WS with the new Xeon V2 chips). And I am trying to install the NH-U12S heat sinks with the 2011 install. The front brackets have been installed, and look correct compared to the diagram.

I am trying to install the heatsink - which seems to have female screws that you have to get to fall onto the male screws which are built into the bracket - and this is taking far more force than I think is reasonable (for any other heatsink I've ever installed).

The screw on top just touches the base, but turning it with normal force will not get it to catch.... and i have to put a ton of force on the first side to get it to start to screw in - at that point the other side gets raised up and is basically impossible to push back down.... we're talking < mm away from making the correct contact - but no amount of force (that won't break the motherboard in half) - seems to bring these things together...

Any ideas?
 

Lyuokdea

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Mar 3, 2009
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Any ideas? Is this part somehow not compatible? I've watched like 10 videos now on how to do this...and I'm doing EXACTLY what every video shows -- except that the screws don't attach... I can attach one side, but the other is impossible.... I've installed a dozen heat sinks before, and never had a problem like this.
 

Lyuokdea

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Mar 3, 2009
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Sorry to bump one last time - but if anybody has an idea I would really appreciate it (e-mailed Noctua as well, to see if they have ideas. Here is what I'm doing:

Processor: Xeon E5-2670v2
Mobo: Asus Z9 PE-D8 WS
Heatsink: Noctua NH-U12S

The processor seems to be installed correctly - plastic cap removed, processor layed in fitting triangle to triangle. I've taken off the processor and checked that all the pins align. The processor lays down easily and the motherboard locks it back in with moderate (but normal) force on the locking mechanism.

I install the LGA 2011 adapters to the motherboard, doesn't seem to be a problem. The double screws go into the four outer screw holes on the motherboard, with the longer, thinner screws pointing up. The brackets go on top of those (I've tried both vertical and horizontal orientations) the thumb screws screw in the bracket. Everything looks like the diagram.

BUT, then I can't get the heat-sink to screw into the center screws on the bracket - they seem to float about a 10th of a mm above the screws that they are supposed to link into. By tilting the heatsink slightly I can get one screw in, but then getting the other screw in is completely impossible (even with much more muscle than I'd like to put into a $2k motherboard/CPU combo.) I've tried to reset everything with no real luck. Any ideas? Am I doing something dumb - are these parts not compatible for some reason? Are Xeon v2's thicker than old chips?

Ahhh!
 

UrSiLeNcEd

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Oct 31, 2013
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Hi Lyuokdea. I am also having the same issue with my Noctua NH-U12s. One side screws in, but the other side is impossible.

Did Noctua email you back?

If Noctua told you how to fix this problem I would appreciate it if you told me to. It's so frustrating.

-Thank you