Installing AMD64 Retail - need assistance

[sihuda]

Im in the process of installing a AMD64 Athlon 3000 (754 socket) onto my mobo. Since it is RETAIL, it came with a heatsink and fan. On the amd website they showed processors with rubber pads that the heatsink rests on, and they showed some heatsinks that have a different clip that latches to the mobo.

The instructions that came with the chip and heatsink seem fairly simple. Do I need to apply any compounds or anything? Am I thinking into this too much? Please advise with some steps/advice...

 

[ayman]

Did the retail box come with any thermal pads or thermal compound?

 

[Grey]

It depends if your heatsink has a heatspreader or not. If you have a HS, then no you don't need pads. Just remove the film over the thermal compound that is on the heatsink and attach. If you can see the chip Die, you should have the pads, otherwise you might crack the die.

 

[sihuda]

No pads or compounds were provided... I thought retail provides all that is needed for the installation.

 

[Amaroque]

The retail HSF should come with a thermal pad affixed. If there is a gray square on the bottom of the HSF, then you don't need to put anything else between the HSF and CPU.

 

[Sparky19692]

I have the Retail 939 I'm would think that they are the same on the back of the HSF there is already paste it looks like rubber in nice little squares. If memory is correct it states to press HSF on to cpu and rotate. that is all that I did. The stock paste is great I'm running at 31c-38c

 

[sihuda]

yeah... there is a gray square. I guess this should work.

 

[Sparky19692]

Originally posted by: sihuda
No pads or compounds were provided... I thought retail provides all that is needed for the installation.

There is nothing on the bottom of the HSF?

 

[Sparky19692]

Yep that is it.

 

[sihuda]

Originally posted by: Sparky19692

Originally posted by: sihuda
No pads or compounds were provided... I thought retail provides all that is needed for the installation.

There is nothing on the bottom of the HSF?

After looking at the bottom of the heatsink, there appears to be a grayish square, which I believe should be the compound.

 

[Amaroque]

Just make sure to remove any plastic covering the square first!

 

[sihuda]

Originally posted by: Amaroque
Just make sure to remove any plastic covering the square first!

Good idea!

 

[ViRGE]

Getting back to the original post, my guess is that you've seen pictures of an AthlonXP, not an Athlon64. The XP was just a bare core, so the rubber pads were needed to stabilize the HSF, while the A64 is capped, so the heatsink can sit directly on it. Since it's a retail unit, it should have come with a nice folding guide that explains the installation process pretty well.

PS AMD's thermal paste is tight, literally. It keeps temps down low, but it attaches so well that you'll need to be careful should you ever want to remove the HSF, since it will try to pull the CPU up too.:Q

 

[Monkey muppet]

A64 3000+ 939 retail = 26c stock cooling

 

[Amaroque]

AS5 does that too, it's annoying actually.

If you remove the HSF from the CPU (after running it), it is recommended that you do it while the HSF is still somewhat warm.