Incompetence consumes me...please help w/CPU Fan...

[MattStone]

Okay, I'm a moron, yes...and I've never installed a socket heatsink/fan before...and I'm having troubles. I finally got my GHZ T-Bird and MSI K7T Pro delivered, along w/one of the coolermaster heatsink/fans. Anyway, I'm having a bitch of a time getting it on. I know that I have to latch one side of the heatsink to one lug, and then push down the other latch so it clamps on to the other lug, but I can't get the s.o.b. on. I haven't uncovered the thermal tape yet, so I've just been doing dry runs, but when I push down the clamp (w/a screwdriver like it shows on coolermaster's website), I need to pull out at the same time to get it over the lug, and I can't get my fingers wedged between my the big-ass capacitors on the mobo. Long story short, I can't do it, and I'm afraid if I use too much pressure, I will either rip off a capacitor, or jam the screwdriver through the board. Does anyone have any advice? Help a moron learn by doing it himself...

 

[Fingers]

it will be easier when you take the tape off. But if it is as hard as you are saying it is then maybe you should try and bend the clip so it won't put so much pressure down. plus lots of people are having trouble with t-birds because they sit higher than pIII's and are actually breaking the chips into. But basically use common sense. Don't push down too hard!

 

[grillmasterP]

Remove the tape and just go for it, nice and easy until it clips .
I did a dry run too b/c I didn't want to damage the cpu. But then I thought too myself- too many dry runs could do more damage.
I wouldn't practice that much b/c you could have it clamp down and have more to risk trying to remove the HSF.

 

[MattStone]

Okay...I took the advice, and bent it a little...worked like a charm, took off the tape cover...and bam el clippo. Thanks for the advice...I'll install the mobo w/the new chip tomorrow...! Woohoo, Gigahertz world here I come!