Mugen 2 RevB backplate on Gigabyte mobo

[Shornaal]

Hi guys, i got a question for you. This is the first time i mount a big heatsink that needs a backplate... i checked here http://www.scythe-eu.com/forum/mainboar ... -list.html and found that my Gigabyte GA-P55-USB3 is compatible with the Scythe Mugen 2 Rev.B.

The fact is, many of those little dots that are on the back side of the botherboard touch the backplate (i don't know how they're called, they seem to me some sort of solder, some have almost no height but some are like 2mm tall). Is it ok? I mean... safe? The backplate has a soft side with similar height so they might fit, but i fear they'd penetrate the soft side and touch the metal backplate, and that doesn't sound good to me.

Hope you can help me, i'm quite confused. I might "saw away" the parts of the backplate that create problems, but it would take ages, i'm not that good at it.

[quest_for_silence]

Is it ok? I mean... safe?

Definitely yes (of course "shit really happens", but otherwise it will just go fine).

[Shornaal]

Definitely yes (of course "shit really happens", but otherwise it will just go fine).

Don't scare me please...

[quest_for_silence]

Don't scare me please

That backplate *is* safe: however if you are scary, you may just place a further plastic sheet between the backplate and the mobo.

[wouterr5]

Those electronic parts on the backside of the motherboard - do they look like those things in this image?

If so, they're capacitors, and if they short-circuit or get crushed, you might very well have a problem, as they're used to smooth out the voltage coming from the voltage regulators.

[Shornaal]

The backplate covers a few of those silvery dots, from what i can see there are 2 of them for every small cylinder on the upper side of the motherboard (i guess those are capacitors, my knowledge on these things is rather small). On that pic if you check near the lower-right screw you'll see a couple of those dots, one is almost fully covered (you can see a tiny part of its base) while the other one is on the border. My situation is similar, some couples are covered.

Another thing, a friend told me that the backplate is made of something that doesn't conduct current, so if it touches something it shouldn't short-circuit anything. That makes sense, if i had to make a backplate i'd do it in that way to be sure. That plus the foam should be enough. Relata refero.

Anyway, i'm a bit more relaxed now about them

[Shornaal]

Another thing, a friend told me that the backplate is made of something that doesn't conduct current, so if it touches something it shouldn't short-circuit anything. That makes sense, if i had to make a backplate i'd do it in that way to be sure. That plus the foam should be enough. Relata refero.

Small update just to confirm this, i've put a battery on the metal part and checked with a tester, it doesn't conduct current. So even if those dots will get through the foam it shouldn't cause a shortcircuit.

[Shornaal]

It works, it's been a pain to mount everything as the hole in the case was not exactly over the backplate, so i had to mount it first and then put the motherboard into the case.

Overall my new system seems quiet, definitely my quietest build so far (not a hard task being my first try at reducing noise ^^). Audible, but i'm like at 50cm from it so i'm happy about it. It seems really cool too (cpu cores idle between 20° and 28°), it's been turned on for the last 4 hours installing programs and the air exhausted from behind is definitely still fresh.

[Metaluna]

Sounds like you have everything working, so this post is just in case you're curious about what the dots are.

The dots you are describing could be one of two things: either "through-holes" or "vias". A through-hole is a hole drilled through the board and plated with metal so that it connects to signal traces or planes on the board. The larger capacitors around the CPU have wires coming out of them that are inserted into the through-holes and soldered, thus making an electrical connection between the capacitor and the motherboard. Then the excess wire is cut off so there is usually just a small raised bump or cone of solder on the backside (sometimes called the solder side or secondary side) of the board. A via is similar to a through hole, but is used to allow a signal to jump from one layer of the board to another. Usually vias, if they are through-vias and not buried in the inner layers, are covered by the solder mask (i.e. the layer of film covering both sides of the board that gives it its blue, green, brown, etc. color) so are less vulnerable to shorts, but in either case shorting them is usually a very bad thing. Usually those back plates have some kind of insulating sheet or sticky tape on them to prevent problems.

[Shornaal]

The dots you are describing could be one of two things: either "through-holes" or "vias". A through-hole is a hole drilled through the board and plated with metal so that it connects to signal traces or planes on the board. The larger capacitors around the CPU have wires coming out of them that are inserted into the through-holes and soldered, thus making an electrical connection between the capacitor and the motherboard. Then the excess wire is cut off so there is usually just a small raised bump or cone of solder on the backside (sometimes called the solder side or secondary side) of the board.

Thanks, i'm pretty sure i have some of those "through-holes" under my backplate.

Usually those back plates have some kind of insulating sheet or sticky tape on them to prevent problems.

There's surely a thick layer of foam, and the metal part itself has something because i tested it and it definitely does not conduct current.