Hole Spacing for CPU Coolers and Water Blocks
Getting the right cooler or water block for your CPU starts with one thing: the mounting holes on your motherboard. Every CPU socket has a specific hole pattern drilled into the PCB, and if your cooler’s bracket does not match, it is simply not going to fit. It sounds obvious, but it trips people up more often than you would think, especially when upgrading from an older platform or switching between Intel and AMD.
This guide covers every current and recent desktop and HEDT socket, plus the workstation and server sockets we get asked about, with measurements taken from the manufacturers’ own mechanical drawings, interactive diagrams, and the compatibility traps worth knowing about. Whether you are choosing between an air cooler and a custom loop block, or trying to work out if your existing cooler will fit a new motherboard, this is the reference to keep handy.
Not sure which socket you have? Search your CPU model on the Intel or AMD spec pages and the socket is listed. Your motherboard’s spec page says the same, and it is usually printed next to the socket on the board itself. On Intel server boards you also need to know which retention frame (ILM) is fitted, which we cover further down.
Quick Reference for all sockets
The table below lists every socket at a glance. If you just need the numbers, this is what you are after. Where a socket has two retention frame types, both are listed, and where the manufacturer does not publish a figure we say so rather than guess.
| Socket | Hole Spacing | Pattern | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| LGA 115x | 75 x 75 mm | Square | Same mount: 1150/1151/1155/1156 |
| LGA 1200 | 75 x 75 mm | Square | Same mount as LGA 115x |
| LGA 1700 | 78 x 78 mm | Square | New bracket needed vs 115x |
| LGA 1851 | 78 x 78 mm | Square | Same mount as LGA 1700 |
| LGA 2011 / 2011-3 / 2066 (square ILM) | 80 x 80 mm | Square | HEDT – dedicated brackets |
| LGA 2011 / 2011-3 (narrow ILM) | 56 x 94 mm | Rectangular | Server boards – check ILM type |
| LGA 3647 (square ILM) | approx. 79 x 76 mm | Near square | Server – cooler must match ILM |
| LGA 3647 (narrow ILM) | approx. 95 x 68 mm | Rectangular | Server – cooler must match ILM |
| LGA 4189 | Socket specific | Bolster plate studs | Server – Xeon only |
| LGA 4677 / 4710 | Socket specific | Bolster plate studs | Workstation and server – 4677 kits fit 4710 |
| LGA 7529 | Socket specific | Bolster plate studs | Server only – Xeon 6 |
| AM4 | 54 x 90 mm | Rectangular | Mainstream AMD (Ryzen 1000 to 5000) |
| AM5 | 54 x 90 mm | Rectangular | Same mount as AM4 |
| TR4 / sTRX4 / sWRX8 / SP3 | 105 x 65.2 / 46 mm | Asymmetric four nut | Threadripper and EPYC – large coolers |
| sTR5 / SP6 | Same as TR4 family | Asymmetric four nut | TR4 coolers fit – TR5 kit recommended |
| SP5 | Socket specific | Six screw socket frame | EPYC 9004 / 9005 only |
INTEL Socket Mounting Holes
The interactive diagram below shows the Intel desktop and HEDT mounting hole patterns. Hover or tap any pattern, or its legend entry, to highlight it and see the socket details. The gaps between the three patterns are exaggerated so you can pick each one out. In reality they are only 2 to 3 mm apart (75, 78 and 80 mm), which is exactly why they look interchangeable and are not.
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INTEL Consumer Sockets
Here is the full breakdown for each Intel socket family. If your current or planned build uses an Intel platform, check the hole spacing against your motherboard before ordering a cooler or block.
| Socket | Hole Spacing | Processors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LGA 115x | 75 x 75 mm | LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156 – 1st to 9th Gen Core | All four share the same spacing, so any cooler for one fits the others. |
| LGA 1200 | 75 x 75 mm | 10th and 11th Gen Core (Comet Lake, Rocket Lake) | Same 75 mm spacing as LGA 115x, so most LGA 115x coolers fit. |
| LGA 1700 | 78 x 78 mm | 12th, 13th and 14th Gen Core (Alder Lake, Raptor Lake) | 3 mm wider than LGA 115x/1200, so an updated bracket is needed. Most brands offer LGA 1700 kits. |
| LGA 1851 | 78 x 78 mm | Core Ultra 200S (Arrow Lake) | Same 78 mm mounting as LGA 1700. Any LGA 1700 cooler or block fits. |
INTEL HEDT & Server Sockets
Intel’s big sockets work differently. From LGA 2011 onwards the cooler bolts to studs on a metal frame fixed around the socket (the bolster plate or ILM) rather than to holes in the motherboard, so the figures below are stud spacings, and on some sockets they depend on which frame type the board has.
| Socket | Hole Spacing | Processors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LGA 2011 / 2011-3 / 2066 (square ILM) | 80 x 80 mm | Core i7 Extreme, Core X-Series, Xeon E5 v1 to v4 | Intel’s HEDT platform. All three share the 80 mm square pattern, and so does LGA 1366. |
| LGA 2011 / 2011-3 (narrow ILM) | 56 x 94 mm | Xeon E5 on dual socket server boards | Same socket, different retention frame. A square ILM cooler will not fit. |
| LGA 3647 | Square ILM approx. 79 x 76 mm Narrow ILM approx. 95 x 68 mm | Xeon Scalable 1st and 2nd Gen (Skylake-SP, Cascade Lake, Cooper Lake) | The two ILM types use different stud patterns, so the cooler must state which it supports. Figures from Intel’s reference heatsink drawings. |
| LGA 4189 | Socket specific | Xeon Scalable 3rd Gen (Ice Lake-SP) | Own stud pattern, not shared with LGA 3647. Intel does not publish the dimensions. |
| LGA 4677 / 4710 | Socket specific | Xeon W-2400 and W-3400, 4th and 5th Gen Xeon Scalable, Xeon 6 6700 series (LGA 4710) | Intel’s current workstation platform. Coolers sold for LGA 4677 also cover LGA 4710. |
| LGA 7529 | Socket specific | Xeon 6 6900 series | Server only. Larger package with its own retention hardware. |
Square ILM vs narrow ILM
The ILM (Independent Loading Mechanism) is the frame that holds the CPU down, and LGA 2011, 2011-3 and 3647 boards ship with one of two versions. Square ILM is the usual choice on workstation and HEDT boards. Narrow ILM is a rectangular frame used on dual socket server boards where the sockets sit tight against the memory slots. The stud pattern is different for each, so a cooler built for the wrong one will not bolt on, and the socket name alone does not tell you which you have. Check the motherboard spec page or the shape of the frame around the CPU. From LGA 4677 onwards there is only one frame type.
The diagram below shows the server side patterns, with the spacing between them opened up slightly so each one is easy to pick out. Hover or tap to highlight.
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AMD Socket Mounting Holes
AMD has fewer socket types, and the good news runs right through the range. AM4 and AM5 share identical mounting holes, something AMD did deliberately to protect existing cooler investments, and the Threadripper family has kept the same cooler mount from the original TR4 through to today’s sTR5. The one genuine break is EPYC’s SP5, which has its own six screw frame.
One correction to advice you may have read elsewhere, including an earlier version of this guide: sTR5 does not use a different hole pattern from TR4. The nut positions on the socket frame are the same, which is why TR4 and sTRX4 coolers and blocks are listed for sTR5 and SP6 by Noctua, EK and SilverStone. The newer socket does need higher clamping pressure, so most brands sell an updated TR5 kit for their existing coolers.
The Threadripper pattern in the diagram is not a mistake. The four nuts sit on the socket frame, and the pair on the lever side is closer together (46 mm) than the pair on the far side (65.2 mm), which is why Threadripper coolers only fit one way round.
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AMD Consumer Sockets
Here is the full breakdown for each AMD socket family. The AM4/AM5 cross compatibility is a genuine advantage if you are building on the AMD platform.
| Socket | Hole Spacing | Processors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AM4 | 54 x 90 mm | Ryzen 1000 to 5000 series, Athlon 3000 | Rectangular pattern unique to AMD. No Intel cooler fits without an adapter. |
| AM5 | 54 x 90 mm | Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 series | Same 54 x 90 mm mounting as AM4, so most AM4 coolers and water blocks fit AM5 out of the box. |
AMD HEDT & Server Sockets
Threadripper and EPYC coolers screw straight onto threaded nuts built into the socket frame rather than into holes in the motherboard, so the figures below are nut positions.
| Socket | Hole Spacing | Processors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TR4 / sTRX4 / sWRX8 / SP3 | 105 mm across 65.2 / 46 mm pairs | Threadripper 1000 to 3000, Threadripper PRO 3000WX / 5000WX, EPYC 7001 to 7003 | Four nuts on the socket frame, closer together on the lever side, so coolers fit one way round. Most TR4 coolers fit sTRX4 and sWRX8. |
| sTR5 / SP6 | Same as TR4 family | Threadripper 7000 and 9000, Threadripper PRO 7000WX / 9000WX, EPYC 8004 | Same nut pattern as TR4, so TR4 and sTRX4 coolers fit. Needs higher clamping pressure, so most brands offer an updated TR5 kit. |
| SP5 | Socket specific | EPYC 9004 and 9005 | Six screw frame with its own pattern. Nothing from the TR4 or sTR5 family fits, and AMD does not publish the spacing. |
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Key Compatibility Notes
A few things worth highlighting, because these are where I see the most confusion:
- LGA 115x / 1200 coolers do not fit LGA 1700 or 1851: the 3 mm difference (75 mm vs 78 mm) means the screws will not line up. Most manufacturers provide a free LGA 1700 bracket kit, so check before buying a whole new cooler.
- LGA 1700 and LGA 1851 are fully cross compatible: Arrow Lake uses the same mounting as Alder and Raptor Lake. Any 1700 compatible cooler or block works on 1851 without changes.
- AM4 and AM5 are fully cross compatible: AMD kept the same 54 x 90 mm hole spacing, so existing coolers and water blocks work on the new platform out of the box. AM5 CPUs do tend to run hotter, so make sure your cooling solution has adequate radiator capacity.
- sTR5 keeps the TR4 mounting: TR4 and sTRX4 coolers physically fit Threadripper 7000 and 9000. The new socket needs higher clamping pressure, so look for the manufacturer’s TR5 kit.
- Intel server sockets come in square and narrow ILM: on LGA 2011, 2011-3 and 3647 the cooler must match the retention frame fitted to the board, not just the socket name.
- Multi socket coolers are common: many water blocks and AIO watercoolers ship with mounting hardware for multiple sockets. Always check the compatibility list before buying.
- Server sockets (LGA 3647, 4189, 4677, 4710, 7529 and SP5): these use entirely different, much larger retention systems. Consumer coolers will not fit under any circumstances. The right parts live in our server CPU cooling range.
Your fittings, tubing, and coolant are universal across all sockets, so the mounting hole pattern is really the only socket specific part of a custom loop. Once you have confirmed the fit, apply thermal compound, seat the block, and secure with the correct mounting hardware. If you are new to custom loops, a watercooling kit includes the right brackets for your socket out of the box.
