Looking for Opinions on Phantom Spirit 120 Installation (+ Rant)
EDIT: See my comment for more context.
I've been using the Thermalright PS120 on a 5800X3D for a year or so, and in terms of performance it's all I really need. But I went through a debacle with failing RAM last year, eventually discovering it was caused by a constricted CPU (which eventually died and was RMA'd) under the too-tight cooler. My cooler, since replaced, had the scars to show for it.
What's bothered me ever since is that I don't know how I overtightened it, because everywhere I look I see people recommending to tighten the PS120's screws until they no longer move without force ("snug"), or to tighten them until the springs are fully compressed because "they won't let you overtighten them". I was right in that ballpark. But I actually had RAM die again with the new CPU with the replacement PS120 because, despite reseating it and making sure the screws were only snug, it was STILL too tight. And it had some faint scratches once again. Thankfully that CPU survived, but I had to reseat the cooler once again and try to tighten it down just enough, counting exactly 3 full rotations on each screw. Which was not what I'd call snug, but was enough to keep the cooler sturdy.
It's been 7 months and I've had no further problems, but I want to upgrade some other parts and it's going to require removing that cooler. So, before I do that, I need to hear from other owners about how you tightened your unit; how it's holding up; whether heat sink orientation matters here; and any tips, suggestions, or obvious things I'm missing. I like the performance and want to keep using the PS120, but I need to know for certain what I did wrong the last time(s). Nearly every other part was replaced prior to the cooler to narrow down the initial issue, so I'm confident it's not a different piece of hardware that was causing the issue.