Hand-tightening works for test-fitting. Brass standoffs have shallow knurling for finger grip.
One pro tip: Thread a spare screw into the standoff before installing it into the case. This gives you leverage and prevents over-tightening. A NAS runs 24/7. Vibration from hard drives can loosen cheap standoffs over months. Loose standoffs = floating motherboard = random crashes or USB dropouts. nas standoffs
Removing standoffs stuck to a motherboard screw. Use a proper standoff driver or risk spinning the entire post. Hand-tightening works for test-fitting
| Thread Type | Common Use | NAS Example | |-------------|------------|--------------| | #6-32 UNC | Standard PC cases | Old Cooler Master NAS chassis | | M3 | Mini-ITX, some backplanes | Fractal Design Node 304 | | M4 | Rack rails, HDD cages | Supermicro chassis, SilverStone | This gives you leverage and prevents over-tightening