First time CPU installation help, pressure?

[hangyourcross]

This is my first time installing a processor and I'm having a bit of trouble. I'm trying to install a core 2 duo into a new MSI P6NGM board, but upon setting the processor into the slot, it seems like far too much force is going to be needed to secure the metal bracket/arm in place.

I've read a few places that some pressure is needed, but I'm not sure if this amount seems normal or not. To best describe it, it seems I'll need to start applying pressure when the arm reaches a 110/115 degree angle... Is this normal? I don't really feel like ruining my processor/board on my first attempt at installing a cpu, so any feedback (possibly from someone who has used MSI board's before), would be much appreciated.

Oh and I wasn't sure if this question should have gone on the CPU or Motherboard message board, so sorry if this isn't he right place.

 

[datwater]

Gotta ask the stupid stuff ... don't take it as an insult...

you removed all the plastic inserts and throw away disposable guards before putting the CPU in the socket?

the notches in the processor line up with the ridges in the socket?

should be almost effortless until you are ready to hook the lever up under it's latch, and even then, very little force is required.

 

[hangyourcross]

Yeah all of protective coverings are removed etc... and the processor appears to be aligned properly unless I'm confused as to how it should be sitting in the motherboard. Seems impossible to screw up the way the processor sits due to the alignment notches, which seem aligned properly... Yet it still seems force is needed on the metal arm when it's slightly past a 120 degree angle...

 

[hangyourcross]

Uploaded some pictures as an example...

http://i18.tinypic.com/6jyu5wl.jpg <---- Processor sitting in board.

http://i12.tinypic.com/6kab0jo.jpg <----- Point where resistance starts on the metal arm.

 

[datwater]

Post pic of board (socket) without processor? Something isn't right if you're encountering significant resistance at that point...

 

[hangyourcross]

http://i1.tinypic.com/6lt62he.jpg
http://i14.tinypic.com/80l1tub.jpg

Slightly blurry but should work.

 

[datwater]

I dunno man ... everything looks normal. As long as the hooked ridge in the lever lines up with the latch on the processor lid, I'd give it the pressure to latch. Probably just needs pressure to get past 1 resistance point then will be fluid motion after that "bump."

 

[hangyourcross]

Alright. I'll give that a try, don't really have any other choice it seems, and other sources seem to say that some force is needed. I'm still waiting on another part to arrive for this board which should come tomorrow, so I'll wait until then and see if anyone else has any similar in the mean time. Thanks for the help.

 

[datwater]

Cool - let us know how your build works out for you

Happy holidays.

 

[valo123]

I had the same worries last night while putting together my first rig. I had to apply ALOT of pressure to the arm and was worried all night that i just smooshed all the pins or something terrible like that...(i couldn't test it because my girlfriend was forcing me out the door while i was installing the cpu). last night when i returned home i was pleased to find that after installing the rest of the hardware and drivers my computer worked like a tank.

The force you're applying is normal don't worry

 

[datwater]

good to hear. I've only done a couple C2D rigs. Guess I'm used to AM2/939/754 which is still really ZIF.

 

[hangyourcross]

All went well. So nice using a dual-core after being stuck with an old AMD Duron for 6-7 years... heh.

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.

 

[exar333]

I feel a little more safe applying pressure to the CPU with the heat spreaders on today's CPUs. I know a few people on here who cracked their die's on the old Athlon XP's due to unbalanced force from the heatsink install...

 

[tenax]

2 boards ago, i mounted my first core 2 duo processor..and was alarmed how much pressure it took with the arm as well..alarmed even more at how much pressure it took to get the stock heatsink properly mounted. part of the reason i went to an aftermarket cooler. i'm comfortable with the pressure level to to swing the arm into place..but still hate the heatsink mounting system. i think i'm actually more concerned about cracking the board than anything else

 

[Ballatician]

YES, I installed my c2d last night and it did take some pressure to put the lever down again but it wasnt too bad.

As for the HSF, it took me several tries to mount it correctly because of the stupid push pin design, one pin ended up getting split so it is too wide now and now when I finally have it sitting evenly on there I'm really worried I that I moved it around too much and should clean off and replace the stock thermal grease. The grease is still on there but it is perilously close to the edge of the processor and I don't know if it is as effective anymore since I moved it so much. I really wish I had just taken the board out before installing the HSF because it took A LOT of force and I felt like I was damaging or going to crack the board.

Should I,

1. Buy some arctic silver or other thermal compound, clean with a soft cloth and redo everything?
OR
2. Just roll with it, the thermal grease on there is good enough
OR
3. something else

I was so scared I was gonna crack the mobo, it turns out as long as the the fan is even then it should require little force to push the pins down. I recommend doing it outside of the case but I really don't like this design.

 

[tenax]

i've done it outside the case, with and without success..last time , i just couldn 't get it to cooperate and split a bunch of pins..i was planning to go with an aftermarket solution with screws through bottom of board so i just accelerated my process by a month or so

in terms of the grease and stock hs solution. both are very adequate for stock to mild overclocking situations.

 

[Ballatician]

yea but by moving it around so much, do you think I might not have enough contact between cpu and hsf? I pretty much had it on there, it was angled, had to redo it and then repeated that about 10x.

 

[tenax]

if you can, use a credit card edge to push the grease back towards center..use the same edge to to then paint (even spread) the grease covering at least half the processor. or you can use the finger in plastic to smear it around. as long as you can't see through the coverage, it should be fine. the only purpose to grease is to fill the micro-grooves between the processor top and hs bottom which are not machined perfectly. if they both were machined perfectly, the metal to metal contact would be best for heat transfer.

 

[Ballatician]

thanks, im gonna try that. I know on the cpu heat spreader you can see right through the coverage but the heatsink still has some. If I can't seem to do it correctly then Fry's here i come.

 

[tenax]

yep, easy to get most of it with the c card edge..i'd put it all onto the cpu heatsink and deal with it there. you'll be fine

 

[Ballatician]

thanks so much!

 

[Ballatician]

so i tried it and the grease feels more like really soft clay, i cant seem to spread it out at all, maybe its dried?

 

[nishiyama]

Originally posted by: Ballatician
so i tried it and the grease feels more like really soft clay, i cant seem to spread it out at all, maybe its dried?

I highly recommend getting some Arctic Silver 5 and using that.

Since I have just recently tried 2 different After Market fan/hs's on my c2d, I have had to clean and re-apply the thermal paste multiple times and this is what works best for me.

First I would clean off the old thermal paste on your CPU and heat sink completely.

I found its best to use some high grade alcohol ( i use 91% that you can get from the local drug store ) with coffee filters as my wipe cloth. Coffee filters are very inexpensive and surprisingly leave little to no fibers.

After that is done you can place some arctic silver 5 about the size of an uncooked grain of wild rice right in the center of the cpu. Then carefully place your heat sink on top of top of the cpu to be attached to your mb. As you place it on give it a little pressure and twist it very slightly to spread the paste out. While keeping the pressure consistent and NOT LIFTING THE HEAT SINK AT ALL, attach the locking pins to the MB.

Again I have done this recently several times and it has worked perfectly for me. Also upon startup you may want to run CoreTemp and then Prime95 to test your temps.

Here are some more detailed instructions on applying Arctic Silver 5.

Here are some instructions on torture testing your dual core cpu for max temps. If you are over clocked to 3.2G with stock fan/heat sink on an e6750, you should be at max temp of around 60° to 63°.

Good luck!

 

[tenax]

yeah, it doesn't have the liquidity of artic silver or arctic cooling mx paste..the stock tends to be more like you say, like a clay consistency..some say it's kind of like gum without hte stickiness..doesn't mean it's bad. hey, if you have a fry's close by and for the price, go for some arctic silver or such..it's cheap enough

 

[Ballatician]

thanks nishiyama, great tips

I just got back from fry's which was surprisingly crowded and got some antec silver 5, don't know if thats the same as arctic silver but they didn't have any called that. it has a high silver content so now i begin the process