Thermalright Silver Arrow and mainboard size

xsistor · 16 Dec 2011 at 23:01

Any TR Silver ARrow owners here? It's a rather hefty cooler. Looking to get one and want to make sure it won't be too large. Does it fit okay the MSI Z68A G45 Gen3 with room to spare for the RAM and graphics cards? It's all going into a HAF 912+ case.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-192-MS&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=1990

Cheers

Confused Stu · 16 Dec 2011 at 23:12

I'm running a Silver Arrow on an Asus P8P78 Pro, which looks to have similar enough arrangements to be comparable. The Silver Arrow doesn't interfere with the graphics card at all, but one of the fans does overhang the first couple of RAM slots. This seems be a common situation for most motherboards - GPUs are fine, RAM is affected.

If you are running RAM without heatsinks, or with low profile heatsinks (XMS3 for example), you will be fine. I am running RipjawsX which have quite high profile heatsinks, so I had to raise one fan to clear them - which then meant I couldn't fit the side of my case on.

Rather than change RAM, I simply switched the fans from in front of the heat sinks, to behind them - in effect changing from a push-push config to a pull-pull. Some people say the difference can be a degree or two, but as my cores all stay 50-60 under Prime95, I don't think the effect is too great. Again, this is a very common approach taken with this cooler and high profile RAM.

I would say check the cooler will fit in your case (it only just clears my side, and I don't know the clearance difference between our cases) and, assuming it'll fit, get it - it's awesomely cool-running and ridiculously quiet too.

xsistor · 17 Dec 2011 at 02:19

That's the kind of detail I've been looking for! Thanks man! I was also thinjking of going pull-pull with it.
But with the fan overhanging the RAM do you think this will fit?
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-300-CS&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=1517

These seem to have a lower profile, so I may go for these instead if you think the ones above might be pushing it:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-094-KS&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=1517

As for case, I saw a forum post of a guy who built a rig with the HAF 912+ and the TR SA so i think i should be okay on that front.

Louis_Y · 17 Dec 2011 at 04:19

The standard vengeance heatsinks are a little high for the front fan to go on comfortably. I use the low profile vengeance and haven't had any issues (rig in sig) with push-push, so any standard ram (i.e. with no raised heatsinks) shouldn't cause you many problems.

SeraphX · 17 Dec 2011 at 10:03

Got the SA here on an Asus M5A99Evo board, it conflicts with nothing, the fans are arranged Pull/pull ( so one in the middle and the other near the back of the case)

joem1983 · 17 Dec 2011 at 12:47

Does anyone know the actual height of the SA?

SeraphX · 17 Dec 2011 at 12:52

Yes, it's 160mm tall
more details here > http://www.thermalright.com/new_a_page/product_page/cpu/silver_arrow/product_cpu_silver_arrow.html

xsistor · 17 Dec 2011 at 12:56

Thanks. Going for the Kingston RAM as they seem to have a lower profile

Surveyor · 17 Dec 2011 at 13:19

Seraph said:
Yes, it's 160mm tall
more details here > http://www.thermalright.com/new_a_page/product_page/cpu/silver_arrow/product_cpu_silver_arrow.html

That's what they say but there can be quite a bit of variation.

I bought 2 recently from OcUK and one is 166mm and the other is 167mm.

joem1983 · 17 Dec 2011 at 13:38

Cheers. Not looking good for it fitting then. Apparently a 160mm just fits.

Helios1234 · 17 Dec 2011 at 13:52

Decent cases should have enough space for it. My 4 year old case fits it just find and it's a mid tower. I can't believe case manufacturers overlook this these days.

Reaper 392 · 17 Dec 2011 at 13:56

the silver arrow definitly fits in the HAF912+. a friend of mine recently bought this combo and hasnt had any problems.

*edit*
doh, didnt realise it was someone else saying about the 160mm. what case you got joem?

xsistor · 17 Dec 2011 at 14:03

All the same, thanks for the hard confirmation on the HAF 912+ reaper

Helios1234 · 17 Dec 2011 at 15:58

joem1983 · 17 Dec 2011 at 23:50

I have a fractal design core 3000. They say max is 160mm. Vortez seemed to think the Noctua ND12 just about fit at 158mm high.

Karateyid · 18 Dec 2011 at 09:02

Bet piece of advice I've heard on here is cut out a piece of car to the measurements and stick that into your case to see if it fits before you order.