Is it me? or is the LGA775 HSF design the dumbest ever?

I have had quite a few different LGA 775 HSF's in the past. Currently i am using a Scythe Ninja. The thing is a complete MONSTER in size. But those stupid plastic little push pins that go through the mobo make me feel like it can fall off at any given time and take out just about everything with it (vid card, mobo, cpu, etc). Why couldn't they design it like the old 939/478 style? That was so simple to deal with.


And why should I have to take my entire motherboard out in order to take off my HSF? Or even get to my 4pin power plug from my PSU?

Sorry for this rant, but the main purpose of this thread was to get some ideas of a good HSF that does NOT use that stupid 4 push pin design to mount it on the motherboard?

I like the bolt through mounts, there very strong. I've seen a few AMD brackets fail and do not like the design, the intel p4 design was also junk! The little brackets would fail if you unmounted the heatsink more than one!


The expanding pin design for 775 seems to be very reliable, ive not had issues!

Not many top notch CPU coolers use the pins. They suck.

And wait, there is more! With the better screw in mounts, you DO have to remove the mobo. You could buy a top end case with a removable back panel and an exposed backplate hole. Working on a PC is a joy to me, it's fun to work the issues, no matter how hard.

Scyth Ninja 2 or the older one?

I had absolutely horrible issues issues with mine. Lock one side in, the other side pops out. Repeat ad nauseum. It required a delicate balancing act that got worse and worse as time wore on until it got to the point where my computer would shut itself down if I sat down at my desk too aggressively. I fought with it off and on (literally) for about a year until I broke down and bought a $30 Hyper 212 plus.

Nothing but hate for the pins. Having a spring-loaded 1/4" steel screw on each corner is where it's at.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus

Conumdrum said:

Not many top notch CPU coolers use the pins. They suck.

And wait, there is more! With the better screw in mounts, you DO have to remove the mobo. You could buy a top end case with a removable back panel and an exposed backplate hole. Working on a PC is a joy to me, it's fun to work the issues, no matter how hard.

Scyth Ninja 2 or the older one?

Click to expand...

I am using the original Ninja. At least the ones with the screws you just need to remove the mobo once, and that is it... but with this Ninja anytime I need to get to the cpu or the 4pin atx plug I have to remove the entire mobo because the HSF is too large it covers the push pins so you can not get to them with the mobo still inside the case lol.

The CU ninja has a bolt through/ clamp?? type mount for LGA775, they sold it separately as well. Link

Maybe you can still find it, if not you could PM me I will check if I can find mine I could send it I don't need it.

With the Megahalems, TRUE Rev C and Venomous X, you only have to remove the mobo once, for the original installation of the mounting bracket. After that, all you have to do is unscrew the 2 tensioning screws on the crossbar that goes across the heatsink baseplate and pull the heatsink out.

Never had a problem with my 775 HS/Fan. On and off multiple times.

muddocktor said:

With the Megahalems, TRUE Rev C and Venomous X, you only have to remove the mobo once, for the original installation of the mounting bracket.

Click to expand...

That's true for the revised scythe bracket as well although works differently than the TR or Prolimatech one. Ironically it can't be said about their 1366 mount for the Mugen (infinity) 2 they really dropped the ball last 2 years.

Well I ended up getting a converter from Scythe that converts my HSF from the 4 pin design to what look like 4 big case screws. This should make taking it on and off much easier. Only cost like $15 at Microcenter, so wasn't a huge investment.

Got a week till my new Motherboard comes in, so I am deciding if I want to stay with the air cooling, or go H20 instead

Indevolatile said:

I had absolutely horrible issues issues with mine. Lock one side in, the other side pops out. Repeat ad nauseum. It required a delicate balancing act that got worse and worse as time wore on until it got to the point where my computer would shut itself down if I sat down at my desk too aggressively. I fought with it off and on (literally) for about a year until I broke down and bought a $30 Hyper 212 plus.

Nothing but hate for the pins. Having a spring-loaded 1/4" steel screw on each corner is where it's at.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus

Click to expand...

Great heatsink/fan combo...that Hyper212+...especially in "tractor" configuration. I mounted 2x 120mm Antec tricool bb fans on mine. I then modded my Antec300 to allow 13.5" videocards and at the same time, I cut the area behind the CPU to allow removal of backplate sinks...without removing the motherboard. It's easy and you don't need any special tooling. I like the 300 because it allows for two foward mounted 120mm fans, which keep ram, CPU and IOH cooler. My 920, very slightly O/C to 3.2GHz idles at 22*C, IOH is 48*C and system is 29*C.

Headstand said:

Never had a problem with my 775 HS/Fan. On and off multiple times.

Click to expand...

The only time I ever had an issue with those "push-pin" style mounts was back when I was a noob and couldnt figure out which way the knobs should be pointing to lock on the mobo. This noobishness was quickly solved after half an hour and I have never had problems with those mounts since