Are there many tight parts here? This might be risky and could lead to a short circuit.
Are there many tight parts here? This might be risky and could lead to a short circuit.
I wasn't certain which sub-forum would work best for this topic because it involves several parts. My setup is quite tight—I have an air cooler, a NVMe drive, a sound card, and a GPU all packed together in the same space, barely giving room to breathe. I’m checking if everything can safely coexist. For the NVMe, it’s a 4.0 model connected to the only 4.0 port on the motherboard. That port lacks a heatsink, so I added one. The concern is that the sound card will sit directly on top of it. Initially, I was concerned because it looked like the card might rest right against the heatsink, making safety uncertain. After installing it, it lifted slightly and cleared the heatsink a bit—seems okay? (I prefer heatsinks with clips or silicone, but options are limited). But now I have another issue: the sound card is squeezed between the CPU cooler and GPU in just one slot. Once I secured it, it shifted slightly and touched the fan on the CPU cooler. It contacts a rubber component, but I’m not sure if this is safe or looks normal. Regarding the tape, the back of the sound card appears smooth with a small backplate-like finish. The pins on the back seem to be soldered. Can I apply electrical tape here? Would it stay in place without risking damage or falling off?
The sound card only makes contact with the fan, which is fine. The fan cover isn’t a good conductor, so no shorts will form. The graphics card beneath it also stays clear because the PCI slots are spaced correctly and won’t clash.
I noticed it's tricky to spot the GPU slot in the third image. It's actually near the sound card, which is visible in the first and second pictures.
PCI slot distances follow a consistent standard. The sound card is a single slot unit, so it fits neatly beneath it without any problems. I’d raise the sound card as high as needed, provided it doesn’t contact the heatsink fan—this creates extra space between the GPU and the sound card. A bit of loosening on the screw helps too, allowing the card to sit higher for more room underneath. Keep in mind the spacing is uniform; everything should fit properly.