Methods and apparatus for supporting heatsinks used to cool components of a board are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a carrier plate assembly that is arranged to be secured over a structure which has a first structure hole and a first component includes a carrier plate and a first heatsink. The carrier plate has a first plate mounting hole and a first opening defined therein. The first plate mounting hole is arranged to be aligned with the first structure hole such that a first axis is defined through the first plate mounting hole and the first structure hole. The first opening is arranged to be positioned over the first component. The first heatsink is positioned such that a first portion of the first heatsink protrudes through the opening and a second portion of the first heatsink is supported on the carrier plate.