Motherboard Hole Spacing for Air Coolers and Water Blocks

ℹ️ When selecting an air cooler or water block for your CPU, it's crucial to ensure the mounting hole spacing is compatible with your processor's socket. Different sockets from Intel and AMD have specific mounting hole patterns, which dictate how coolers or water blocks are attached to the motherboard. Proper alignment ensures optimal contact with the CPU for efficient heat dissipation. This guide covers the mounting hole dimensions for popular Intel and AMD sockets, helping you choose the right cooling solution for your build.

Intel Socket Mounting Hole Spacing

LGA 115x (LGA 1150, LGA 1151, LGA 1155, LGA 1156)
- Hole Spacing: 75mm x 75mm
- This series of sockets has the same hole spacing, making coolers compatible across all LGA 115x sockets.
  LGA 1200
- Hole Spacing: 75mm x 75mm
- The LGA 1200 socket maintains the same cooler mounting hole spacing as the LGA 115x sockets, meaning most LGA 115x coolers are compatible with LGA 1200.
  LGA 1700
- Hole Spacing: 78mm x 78mm
- This newer socket for Intel’s 12th and 13th-gen processors requires updated coolers or mounting brackets due to its slightly larger hole spacing compared to LGA 115x and LGA 1200.
  LGA 2011-3 / LGA 2066
- Hole Spacing: 80mm x 80mm
- These sockets are part of Intel’s HEDT (High-End Desktop) platform, and both share the same cooler mounting dimensions.
  LGA 3647
- Hole Spacing: 90mm x 120mm (rectangular)
- This socket, used for Intel Xeon processors, has a much larger mounting hole pattern due to the large size of the socket and processors it supports. Coolers for LGA 3647 are typically server-grade.
  LGA 4189
- Hole Spacing: 105mm x 105mm (square) or 110mm x 110mm (depending on version)
- This is another server-grade socket for Intel's Xeon processors and requires large, specialized coolers to accommodate the socket size and power requirements.

AMD Socket Mounting Hole Spacing

TR4 / TR5 / TRX40 / sWRX8 / SP3
- Hole Spacing: 90mm x 90mm
- These sockets, all part of AMD’s Threadripper and EPYC (server) platforms, use the same mounting hole spacing. Most coolers for TR4 will also fit TRX40, sWRX8, and SP3 sockets. They support large processors, so the coolers are also typically larger than those for mainstream desktop processors.
  AM4
- Hole Spacing: 54mm x 90mm (rectangular) for AM4 brackets, but stock AMD coolers mount with the retention bracket.
- AM4 sockets use either standard brackets or custom backplates depending on the cooler. Most coolers designed for AM4 attach to the motherboard’s existing retention brackets, but others require custom mounting.
  AM5
- Hole Spacing: 54mm x 90mm (same as AM4)
- AMD retained the same mounting hole spacing for AM5 as with AM4, ensuring compatibility with most existing AM4 coolers. However, some AM5 processors have higher thermal requirements, so checking cooler performance is still important.

When selecting a cooler for your processor, it's important to match the cooler's mounting hardware to the socket's hole spacing. Many coolers come with mounting brackets that support multiple sockets, but it's always crucial to verify the cooler is compatible with the socket's specific dimensions. In summary:

Intel LGA 115x and 1200 have the same spacing (75mm x 75mm).
Intel LGA 1700 requires a slightly larger 78mm x 78mm mounting.
Intel HEDT sockets LGA 2011-3 and 2066 share 80mm x 80mm.
Intel LGA 3647 and 4189 are server-grade and much larger.
AMD TR4/5, TRX40, and SP3 have 90mm x 90mm spacing for high-end desktop and server processors.
AMD AM4 and AM5 share a 54mm x 90mm layout, ensuring compatibility across these mainstream sockets.