Intel Core i7 / LGA1366 CPU Cooler Roundup

Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme Installation

When it comes to installing the 120 Extreme, the first thing you have to do is set up the backplate and screws. This is a very simply procedure as you simply thread the screws in through the bottom and then spin the angle shaped nuts tight onto the top of the back plate. Make sure to keep the tapered end up as they go through the holes in your motherboard. You should now have four long screws sticking up through the mounting holes looking like branchless steel trees sprouting up from around the CPU.


At this point you need to prep the CPU and apply the TIM as you are now ready to install the cooler itself. Unfortunately, this is where the good times come to a halt since you will now need a pair of needle nosed pliers and a load of patience; heck you may want to lay some protective padding around the CPU area so you don’t slam into anything.

What causes all the pain and suffering, and easily doubles the install time is getting those mounting nuts installed onto the screws. The problem is all four are located under the Tower 120 Extreme and while Tuniq helpfully includes a flat headed screw driver indent in the top, it is next to impossible to get a screwdriver under the fin array. As you can imagine, we were ready to throw this cooler out the window by the time all four corners were complete.


The one saving grace of this heatsink is the fact that the fin array’s height means that you shouldn’t have to worry about it being compatible with your motherboard.


On the AMD side of things the first thing you will have to do is add on the two AMD adapters. After this you basically go through the same issues as the Intel installation. However, all of you AMD fans also shouldn’t have any compatibility problems with your motherboard’s heatsinks.

So, what started as a perfectly good backplate installation turned out to be the hassle of a lifetime due to poor placement of the mounting screws in relation to the fins. What a shame.