Noctua finds more than half of tested PC cases misstate CPU cooler clearances — hands-on checks reveal errors ranging from -3.5mm to +10mm, internal compatibility team conducted measurements of more than a hundred cases

['Jowi Morales', 'Contributing Writer', 'Rand Max', 'Mr Giggles', 'Layer Van-Ds .Vds-Author Font-Size Var --Text-Base', 'Font-Size Var --Vds-Author-Font-Size', 'Var --Text-Base', 'Line-Height Var --Text-Base--Line-Height', 'Line-Height Var --Vds-Author-Line-Height', 'Var --Text-Base--Line-Height'] Latest from Tom's Hardware 2026-08-09 15:35:00

However, it appears that there were a few questions regarding its PC case compatibility database, which some PC DIYers say don’t match the data from the manufacturer’s website. The first one is when the case is larger than what is actually written, which would allow PC builders to attach a larger cooler. That’s because you could’ve bought a larger cooler that delivered more performance in the same case. The safest solution to this is for you to buy the PC case before you shop for the remaining parts of your build. Alternatively, you can check out Noctua’s compatibility search page, with the clearances of the cases in its database verified by its team.