Hole Size 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 socket with exact measurements, interactive to-scale 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.
Quick Reference for all sockets
The table below lists every current and recent socket at a glance. If you just need the numbers, this is what you are after.
| 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 2011-3 / 2066 | 80 x 80 mm | Square | HEDT — dedicated brackets |
| LGA 3647 | 90 x 120 mm | Rectangular | Server — Xeon only |
| LGA 4189 | 105 x 105 mm | Square | Server — Xeon only |
| AM4 | 54 x 90 mm | Rectangular | Mainstream AMD (Ryzen 1000–5000) |
| AM5 | 54 x 90 mm | Rectangular | Same mount as AM4 |
| TR4 / TRX40 / sWRX8 | 90 x 90 mm | Square | Threadripper — large coolers |
| TR5 (sTR5 / SP6) | 68 x 75 mm | Rectangular | Not compatible with TR4 |
INTEL Socket Mounting Holes
The interactive diagram below shows all Intel mounting hole patterns drawn to the same scale. Hover or tap any pattern, or its legend entry, to highlight it and see the socket details. The three consumer patterns (75, 78, 80 mm) are particularly close in size. They look almost identical, but they are not interchangeable, and this is where most compatibility mistakes happen.
- SKU: WACP-580
- MPN: BPM-CPUESI
- EAN: 4712914791979
- SKU: WAEK-2803
- MPN: 3831109881118
- EAN: 3831109881118
- Available for Collection
- SKU: 1024572
- MPN: 13851
- EAN: 4250197138512
- Available for Collection
- SKU: XS-CPU-015
- MPN: 5060596650879
- EAN: 5060596650879
- Available for Collection
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 10th Gen Core | All four sockets share the same mounting hole spacing. Any cooler compatible with one will fit the others. |
| LGA 1200 | 75 x 75 mm | 10th & 11th Gen Core (Comet Lake, Rocket Lake) | Same 75 mm spacing as LGA 115x. Most LGA 115x coolers fit without any bracket changes. |
| LGA 1700 | 78 x 78 mm | 12th, 13th & 14th Gen Core (Alder Lake, Raptor Lake) | 3 mm wider than LGA 115x/1200. Requires an updated mounting bracket — most cooler manufacturers offer free LGA 1700 kits. |
| LGA 1851 | 78 x 78 mm | Core Ultra 200S (Arrow Lake) | Same 78 mm mounting as LGA 1700. All LGA 1700-compatible coolers and water blocks work with LGA 1851. |
INTEL HEDT & Server Sockets
| Socket | Hole Spacing | Processors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LGA 2011-3 / 2066 | 80 x 80 mm | Core X-Series, older Xeon E5 (Haswell-E through Skylake-X) | Intel’s HEDT platform. Both sockets share 80 mm hole spacing. LGA 1366 (1st Gen Core i7 Extreme) also uses 80 x 80 mm. |
| LGA 3647 | 90 x 120 mm | Xeon Scalable (Skylake-SP, Cascade Lake, Cooper Lake) | Rectangular server pattern. Requires server-grade coolers — not compatible with any consumer mounting hardware. |
| LGA 4189 | 105 x 105 mm | Xeon Scalable 3rd Gen (Ice Lake-SP) | Large square server pattern. Requires specialised server coolers to handle the socket size and power draw. |
AMD Socket Mounting Holes
AMD has fewer socket types, but the differences between them are more dramatic. The particularly good news for upgraders is that AM4 and AM5 share identical mounting holes, something AMD did deliberately to protect existing cooler investments. Threadripper TR5, on the other hand, breaks compatibility with the older TR4 platform entirely.
- SKU: WATX-021
- MPN: L-P0CL-DS0M-G0W
- EAN: 6977029650452
- SKU: WACP-578
- MPN: BPM-CPUXCA
- EAN: 4712914791993
- SKU: WAEK-2482
- MPN: 3831109857700
- EAN: 3831109857700
- SKU: BAR-CP42
- MPN: LTPCA-04N-W
- EAN: 6937826617997
- Available for Collection
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 1000–5000 series, Athlon 3000 | Rectangular pattern. Most coolers use either the stock AMD retention brackets or a custom backplate. The rectangular shape (54 mm wide, 90 mm tall) is unique to AMD — no Intel cooler fits without an adapter. |
| AM5 | 54 x 90 mm | Ryzen 7000, 8000 & 9000 series | AMD kept the same 54 x 90 mm mounting as AM4, so most AM4-compatible coolers and water blocks work on AM5 out of the box. AM5 CPUs often run hotter, so make sure your cooler has adequate thermal performance. |
AMD HEDT & Server Sockets
| Socket | Hole Spacing | Processors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TR4 / TRX40 / sWRX8 / SP3 | 90 x 90 mm | Threadripper 1000–3000, Threadripper Pro, EPYC 7001–7003 | Large square pattern shared across Threadripper and EPYC platforms. These CPUs are physically much larger, so coolers are typically oversized to cover the entire IHS. Most TR4 coolers fit TRX40 and sWRX8. |
| TR5 (sTR5 / SP6) | 68 x 75 mm | Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series | New mounting layout — does NOT share hole spacing with TR4/TRX40/SP3. Coolers must explicitly support TR5 or SP6. Check with your cooler manufacturer before purchasing. |
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 1700/1851: the 3 mm difference (75 mm vs 78 mm) means the screws will not line up. Most manufacturers provide a free LGA 1700 bracket upgrade 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.
- TR5 breaks from TR4 mounting: if you are upgrading from an older Threadripper to the 7000 series, you will need new mounting hardware. This catches people off guard fairly often.
- 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): these use entirely different, much larger mounting systems. Consumer coolers will not fit under any circumstances.
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.
