The Mounting System

Revision 2

EK’s old mounting system is primitive, cheap, and just not easy to use.  It’s fundamentally the same installation for all sockets, with the only a change in spacers/insulator between the backplate and the back of the board.  Here’s a walkthrough installation on LGA1366.

All the parts needed; LGA1366 requires four of the red washers, four black spacers, and no rubber insulator.  First four steps are to place the long screws (which effectively become threaded posts and may be referred to as such later) into the backplate.

Steps five through eight are to place the black spacers on the long screws opposite from the screwhead.  Step nine is to slide the backplate and post assembly through the motherboard’s socket mounting holes.

Steps ten through thirteen are to place the red washers on the threaded posts.  Steps fourteen through seventeen are to place the metal washers on the threaded posts.

Steps eighteen through twenty-one are to thread the small nuts down to the base of the threaded posts.  Step 22 is to flip the board over.  Step 23 through 26 is to finish tightening the threaded post and nut assemblies.  The threaded posts should not wiggle or move under light to moderate pressure.  Do not use pliers to hold the nuts on the front of the board…a little slippage and you can easily knock an SMD component off the motherboard.

Step 27 is to flip the board back over.  Step 28 is to place the block onto the threaded posts.

Steps 29 through 32 are to place the springs on the threaded posts.  Steps 33 through 36 are to tighten the thumbnuts until your fingers start slipping when using moderate grip (at least that’s how much mounting pressure I use).  There are no included (or optional) washers to prevent wear to the mounting plate from the springs.

Overall, I think this mounting system is awful.   Just to get the backplate/threaded post assembly loosely attached takes longer than the entire Koolance mounting process and significantly longer than the Swiftech mounting process.  In fact, it’s easier and faster to use the Swiftech mounting system than it is to thread and tighten just one of the nuts on the threaded post.

Attempting this with a board that isn’t completely removed from the case (even connected to the PSU or to the HDDs) just makes it even more difficult.  I can’t imagine doing it on anything but a flat surface either–the threaded posts don’t stick straight out (toward the board’s mounting holes) without pressure to all four of the screw heads at once.

Aside from the annoyingly long assembly process, trying to even out the mounting pressure from the four corners is really tough without a caliper–the threaded posts are way too long to feel slight differences in position.  To make things even worse, the thumbnuts are neither finger-friendly nor tool-friendly and here’s no way to prevent you from over-tightening (to the point of board damage).

It seems like EK went to a Home Depot or Lowes (or the Slovenian equivalent, I suppose) and found the cheapest set of parts that would work.  I’m glad it’s been replaced and I hope I never have to use this mounting system again–it’s just bad compared to the competition.