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AMD: To shim or not to shim?

B

bigempty

Member
It's not something I have seen alot of people do, but I have read some reviews where the people wouldn't install a heatsink without one...

What are the benefits/reasons to use one?

This is the first AMD system I am building and the shim is the only part I haven't ordered.
 
The benefit of using a shim, is when you're installing or removing the heatsink, it reduces the chance that you will crack the core of your CPU.
Frozencpu.com has a guide regarding shims. It says what the shim does and doesn't do.
 
My coolerguys shim is fine and it protects my cpu, although it is actually quite hard to crack a core if you know what you're doing.
 
Don`t need a shim,I never used one with my XP 1700+,all I did was take my time in fitting it & made sure on install that the main pressure was on the clips & not on the heatsink itself. I used a screwdriver as well since my Taisol clips were tough little buggers .
 
The Athlon XPs use an organic packaging, which IMHO is much more resistant to cracking and chipping than the Thunderbird's ceramic packaging was. For a new Athlon I wouldn't even consider a shim unless you are using an extremely heavy heatsink and want think the pads may not be enough to support the weight of the heatsink. If you choose to do this, make sure you do NOT get a conductive shim, as there is a remote possibility of shorting stuff out.
 
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