Building a new PC

[FighterPlankton]

Hi

I'm about build a new PC and it has been a while since I last build my one, therefore I need some advice.

I decided to go for a high-end Athlon XP chip on a EPoX EP-8KHA+ motherboard and a ATI Radeon 8500 videocard. A rather stupid acquaintance of mine installed a defective cooler on his Athlon chip and thereby killed both the chip and motherboard in minutes. A few days later he repeated his stunt and is now hanging around in a Internet café instead.

The lesson learned was: Buy a quality CPU-cooler. But how about the temp. in the case? I thought about investing in a Kryo-tech or Asetek casing, but does either of the cool the case as well and can I buy one without an pre-installed motherboard? If go for a ordinary case, what kind of cooling do I need in the case (is heat a problem with the ATI Radeon 8500?) and will it be silent?

 

[SpecialEd]

Geez... fried the CPU and mobo?! Even if you use only a half a$$ cpu cooler, as long as its AMD approved, it shouldn't have fried it. It sounds like your friend didn't properly mount the heatsink. Even the best heatsinks are no good if there is not proper contact between it and the die on the processor.

In order to keep a system cool, i'd suggest buying a quality heatsink along with some Arctic Silver II. Be sure to read the directions CAREFULLY!!! to make sure proper heat transfer is made. Also, air flow through a case is very important. Invest in some extra case fans for your computer and setup a good system for good air flow. Usually people intake air from the front of the case and exhaust it in the back. Follow these rules and you'll be runnin cool as an ice cube!

 

[PUNKtotalled]

You must ensure that there is a good contact between the core and the heatsink.

 

[Mitzi]

The golden rules when putting a PC together are take your time, double check everything and don't assume anything - if you are not sure ask!

 

[FlippyBoy]

well, your proposed system sounds very good. i wouldn't change a thing. as far as the cooling goes, get an alpha pal8045. those are a little bit more difficult to mount, but the mounting mechanism also makes it much more difficult to crack a core, or to mount it improperly. just as everyone before me said, simply take your time, read ALL the instructions carefully, and if you have ANY questions (even ones that might seem stupid to you), ask . that's what these forums are for. good luck!

 

[techweenie]

You should be fine if you get a good HS. Like FlippyBoy said, the Alpha pal8045 is awesome. So is the SK-6 from ThermalRight. Just make sure to use either the grease, or pad, and mount the HS properly. You may even consider using Arctic Silver, instead of the grease or the pad that comes with the unit. It's your choice. Good luck with it.

 

[FlippyBoy]

just to add one little thing to what techweenie said: if you do get the alpha, then you'll have to get arctic silver (or some other compund), because it doesnt come with any.