If you have a cooler that has push pins and you want to turn it into a bolt-through cooler, you will need to remove the push pins.
Rotate the black plastic part clockwise with respect to the white plastic part before separating them. This will let you remove them with no damage to the push pins. You will be able to mount the push pins back, if some day you desire, just the way they were.
If you rotate counter clockwise, it will require to lift only one tab instead of two. However, the tiny alignment peg on the white part will not disengage from the black part. You will have to force it, which could cause damage.
Of course, you can also use pliers to just break off the push pins. Even though this may help release stress, it will be destructive to the pins.
Examples of coolers that use push pins
Original Intel stock cooler
Cooler Master Hyper TX 2
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
Thermaltake Silent 775D
Thermaltake TMG i1
Nexus LXM-8200
Thermalright bolt-through kit
Some distributors of the kit
jab-tech
Sidewinder
NCIX US
NCIX Canada
Some backplates come with an insulating strip of plastic. Some don't. Either way, the metallic part should not make contact with any conductor on your motherboard. Inspect before installing though.
The backplate has a peel-off cover. DO NOT peel it off. If you do, you can stick the backplate to the motherboard, which lets you re-seat the cooler without having to remove the motherboard. However, if you ever decide to remove the backplate, it will not come off peacefully!
Use this technique instead.
It is disappointing that for a decent cooler, one has to remove the motherboard every time to re-seat or replace the sink. Or, cut an opening in the motherboard tray (case).
Sticking the backplate to the motherboard using the supplied adhesive is a bad idea as later you will find out that it will not come off without causing damage!
This mod is for a Thermalright Ultra-120 extreme or a Thermalright LGA 775 Bolt-Thru-Kit, which can be used for push-pin type coolers (Instructions for removing the push pins). The mod may work for other cooler types too. But, I have not tried.
Take a cardboard box made of cardboard about 2mm thick or 3/32".
Cut a square piece that would fit behind the backplate. The piece should be a little bit smaller than the square section in the center of the backplate.
Then, use Scotch tape to secure it to the back of the backplate. The Scotch tape goes between the metal and the plastic insulator. One strip of Scotch tape is used to secure each corner.
Some backplates do not have a plastic insulator, as has been pointed out later in the thread. It is a good idea to place the backplate on the motherboard and inspect it carefully to make sure that it will not make contact with any conductors on the back of the motherboard. This is a good idea even if it has the plastic insulator.
Then, cut a larger piece of cardboard and tape it to the motherboard tray where the backplate will be located after the motherboard is installed. The cardboard should be large enough to ensure that it would extend beyond the backplate after the motherboard is installed.
The idea is that after you install the motherboard, the cardboards hold the backplate snugly in place so that the backplate is not loose behind the motherboard.
Then, place the backplate on the motherboard and place two screws in to hold it in place (do not tighten).
Place the motherboard in the case on the standoffs. Make sure that the cardboards are not too thick to keep the motherboard up.
You want to just have to put a little bit of pressure on the motherboard while tightening the screws. If it is too hard, remove and squeeze the cardboards to make them thinner. Otherwise, the motherboard will be warped. That is not good for the motherboard.
If the cardboard is too thin, after you are done, when you install the first screw on the cooler, the backplate may tilt (not enough pressure behind it) and installing the second screw on the cooler may become really difficult.
So, pay attention to the thickness of the pieces of cardboard. Tighten the screws to mount the motherboard on the standoffs.
You can now install the cooler, or remove it, without having to remove the motherboard. The backplate stays in place.
You cannot mount a push-pin type cooler with this backplate in place.
To undo the mod, all you need to do is to remove the motherboard and remove the Scotch tapes and cardboards.
Navid deleted this tutorial. We have reposted it for the benefit of the community.
Moderator allisolm
Locked to prevent further alterations
Anandtech Moderator
Gillbot
Merging Two posts into 1 So clean up clutter on sticked threads
Case and Cooling Moderator Aigomorla
Rotate the black plastic part clockwise with respect to the white plastic part before separating them. This will let you remove them with no damage to the push pins. You will be able to mount the push pins back, if some day you desire, just the way they were.
If you rotate counter clockwise, it will require to lift only one tab instead of two. However, the tiny alignment peg on the white part will not disengage from the black part. You will have to force it, which could cause damage.
Of course, you can also use pliers to just break off the push pins. Even though this may help release stress, it will be destructive to the pins.
Examples of coolers that use push pins
Original Intel stock cooler
Cooler Master Hyper TX 2
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
Thermaltake Silent 775D
Thermaltake TMG i1
Nexus LXM-8200
Thermalright bolt-through kit
Some distributors of the kit
jab-tech
Sidewinder
NCIX US
NCIX Canada
Some backplates come with an insulating strip of plastic. Some don't. Either way, the metallic part should not make contact with any conductor on your motherboard. Inspect before installing though.
The backplate has a peel-off cover. DO NOT peel it off. If you do, you can stick the backplate to the motherboard, which lets you re-seat the cooler without having to remove the motherboard. However, if you ever decide to remove the backplate, it will not come off peacefully!
Use this technique instead.
It is disappointing that for a decent cooler, one has to remove the motherboard every time to re-seat or replace the sink. Or, cut an opening in the motherboard tray (case).
Sticking the backplate to the motherboard using the supplied adhesive is a bad idea as later you will find out that it will not come off without causing damage!
This mod is for a Thermalright Ultra-120 extreme or a Thermalright LGA 775 Bolt-Thru-Kit, which can be used for push-pin type coolers (Instructions for removing the push pins). The mod may work for other cooler types too. But, I have not tried.
Take a cardboard box made of cardboard about 2mm thick or 3/32".
Cut a square piece that would fit behind the backplate. The piece should be a little bit smaller than the square section in the center of the backplate.
Then, use Scotch tape to secure it to the back of the backplate. The Scotch tape goes between the metal and the plastic insulator. One strip of Scotch tape is used to secure each corner.
Some backplates do not have a plastic insulator, as has been pointed out later in the thread. It is a good idea to place the backplate on the motherboard and inspect it carefully to make sure that it will not make contact with any conductors on the back of the motherboard. This is a good idea even if it has the plastic insulator.
Then, cut a larger piece of cardboard and tape it to the motherboard tray where the backplate will be located after the motherboard is installed. The cardboard should be large enough to ensure that it would extend beyond the backplate after the motherboard is installed.
The idea is that after you install the motherboard, the cardboards hold the backplate snugly in place so that the backplate is not loose behind the motherboard.
Then, place the backplate on the motherboard and place two screws in to hold it in place (do not tighten).
Place the motherboard in the case on the standoffs. Make sure that the cardboards are not too thick to keep the motherboard up.
You want to just have to put a little bit of pressure on the motherboard while tightening the screws. If it is too hard, remove and squeeze the cardboards to make them thinner. Otherwise, the motherboard will be warped. That is not good for the motherboard.
If the cardboard is too thin, after you are done, when you install the first screw on the cooler, the backplate may tilt (not enough pressure behind it) and installing the second screw on the cooler may become really difficult.
So, pay attention to the thickness of the pieces of cardboard. Tighten the screws to mount the motherboard on the standoffs.
You can now install the cooler, or remove it, without having to remove the motherboard. The backplate stays in place.
You cannot mount a push-pin type cooler with this backplate in place.
To undo the mod, all you need to do is to remove the motherboard and remove the Scotch tapes and cardboards.
Navid deleted this tutorial. We have reposted it for the benefit of the community.
Moderator allisolm
Locked to prevent further alterations
Anandtech Moderator
Gillbot
Merging Two posts into 1 So clean up clutter on sticked threads
Case and Cooling Moderator Aigomorla