Installation (continued):
The image below shows the cooler mounted to the board in my preferred orientation, prior to installing the fan. You need to install the cooler before the fan, which is also an issue since it requires a bit of force and wrangling to get it locked in place. These fan clips are similar to what Thermalright has used for years, and although they hold very well, I didn't like the effort required. Taking a look at the below right image shows the next issue with installation. All of the capacitors next to the CPU socket are being 'crushed' by the cooler. I have installed a half dozen or more coolers on this system, some really big ones, and this is the first time I have had this problem.
The below left image shows the fan installed in the orientation shown above, and even though the capacitors were being interfered with, the system could operate in this arrangement. Luckily the Infinity can be mounted in a variety of positions, so it was time to try another one. The below right image shows the heatsink and fan rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise, so that the fan is drawing air from the video card area. The fan could be placed on the other side, but in a typical system (inside a case), it would then interfere with the power supply, as it would overhang the motherboard by an inch or so.
The below left image shows an issue with the installation in this position. Although the capacitors are now cleared, the fan is hitting the chipset cooler and had to be shifted up a half inch or so. The below right image shows the other side, and that the capacitors are indeed in the clear.
With two strikes against it for interference, the Infinity was configured in one more arrangement. This time the cooler was left as shown above, and the fan was rotated 90 degrees clockwise so that it was back in its original position. Everything fit in this arrangement, but as you can see the efficiency of this arrangement isn't that great. The fan is wider than the cooler now, and one set of heatpipes is well removed from the fan.
If you visit the Infinity page at Scythe's website (
link), you will see a motherboard compatibility chart. Sadly it only lists one brand of board, ABIT, and it does not provide any information about individual models. Given the shear size and issues I encountered on a board that previously had none, I would like them to provide more data!
