Installing slk900a

[UmneyDurak]

Hi.
Tomorrow I'll be installing slk900a and VGA Silencer.
Is there anything special precausions I need to take when I insall slk900A?
Thx.

 

[hjo3]

A quick Google search turned up this SLK-900A Installation Guide PDF:

http://www.thermalright.com/a_images/pdf/front900A.pdf

Yay, Google.

 

[Sonic587]

Look for 4 little sticky dots that might come with the heatsink. They did with my ALX-800...they were kind of hidden, though. I hear you should put those on to reduce stress on the core. Not sure if that's true.

Also, don't force the heatsink. Be gentle and remove your PSU or anything else blocking your way if need be.

 

[UmneyDurak]

Actually I was looking for someone with personal experience in installing that HS, but thanks anyway.

 

[Sonic587]

Uhh, they are almost the exact same design. Those dots I hear come with all Thermalrights as well. Only difference is you should be more careful since they copper versions weigh a decent amount more.

ALX-800 -Revision A has done away with the gap at the top part. This is an older model pic.

SLK-900A

 

[Brule]

Originally posted by: Sonic587
Uhh, they are almost the exact same design. Those dots I hear come with all Thermalrights as well. Only difference is you should be more careful since they copper versions weigh a decent amount more.

ALX-800 -Revision A has done away with the gap at the top part. This is an older model pic.

SLK-900A

I own both, they install about the same. Both were pretty easy. It's quite the hunk of metal, just be careful with where/how you apply pressure. If you've dealt with an retail HSF before the slk-900(A) shouldn't be a problem. (find the right size screwdriver, makes it so much easier)

 

[UmneyDurak]

Yeah, it's a pretty heavy HS. Ofcourse it's pretty big chunk of copper, so there is no suprise there.
Thanks for th sudgestions.

 

[UmneyDurak]

Been running Prime95 for a few hours. CPU 55C, MB 33 C, which is an improvement over previous temp. I think when I was playing a game it got as bad as 63/36. But it's still too hot.
Don't know what I did wrong. Cleaned CPU core with 70% rubbing alcohol, cleaned the bottom of the HS with it. When I removed the damn tape they put on the bottom of the HS, it left a freaken resedue.
Put a small amount of Arctic Silver 5, on the center of the core.
Put those white tabs where they were suppose to go.
Heh, will try again when I get back from hiking trip to Ysomite on Wednesday.

 

[CraigRT]

maybe the mobo's reading is just whack.. i find my temps don't always seem to be right.
but i know how to install a HS properly, and if it's still high after i install a new HSF and the HS is cool to the touch.. rest assure the readout is wrong.

 

[UmneyDurak]

Wait if the temp are high and HS is kool, can't that just mean that it doesn't make proper contact with CPU? So the heat isn't tranferring to HS.
Does it make a whole lot of difference putting small amount of AS5 on CPU verses trying to spread it evenly across CPU core?

 

[Davegod]

I'd spread it thinly & evenly, but unless you're wanting to lower your temps in order to bring them back up with overclocking, I doubt it's going to be worth the effort since 55C under a prime95 load is better than perfectly fine for the cpu.

20C above system temp suggests its not the case airflow thats the problem, though since system temps are more than a little variable on different boards that's far from being a certain conclusion. What fan do you have on the cpu and what case airflow? come to think of it, what cpu?

 

[Cheetah8799]

Originally posted by: UmneyDurak
Been running Prime95 for a few hours. CPU 55C, MB 33 C, which is an improvement over previous temp. I

I have a SLK900A. Your temps are high.

I have a Mobile 2500+ that I OC to 2.5ghz in the winter. In the summer I cut it back to 2.4ghz.

Anyway, my summertime temps right now are pretty good. The outdoors temps here in MN have dropped back to the 70s F. So my office temp is about that, since I keep the windows open. Computer ambient temp reports at about 32C. CPU temp at idle is about 33C. Pretty much the same as ambient. I cut a lot of blowholes in my rig though, so it circulates air really quick. At load while gaming and such my rig hits about 44C or so right now.

Anyway. You'll want to look at what fan you have on the heatsink. I use an ADDA 92mm fan. It's pretty decent, but the Panaflo fans are better. ALso look at airflow in your case. The heatsink won't do much if you case ambient temp is way high as well. If you have the tools, mod another intake fan into it. Or maybe cut out the crappy pre-cut case grills that might be blocking intake/exhaust airflow from your existing fans.

If you want more details about my rig, PM me. I'd be happy to help.

 

[UmneyDurak]

I have 92mm Zalman fan on it.
As for case air flow, I have one intake fan. One exhaust fan in a case, plus exhaust fan in the CPU, and will be installing VGA silencer which blows out hot air that Graphic Card generates.
Will try to reseat HS, and spread a thin layer of AS5. Will get back in couple hours with temp.

 

[UmneyDurak]

Well running Prime95, torture test max heat and power. The temperatures hit 53/33. Computer room usually gets hotter, so the temp probably will go up later in the day.
I don't know what I did wrong, I spread the AS5 evenly on to CPU core. Cleaned everything with aceton, before applying new AS5. Maybe I put it on too thick, will try again later today.
Oh yeah, I have XP 2400 266 FSB, and ASUS A7M266 MB flashed with 1008.02b bios.

 

[Brule]

I'm sitting at 33 C idle, doesn't go much above 40 C under load. Heatsink is a slk-800(a) which has very similar results. Everything running stock, 80mm panaflo fan. Sys temp is 31 C, case is 27 C with 3 intake fans and a 120mm fan in the back and 80mm fan blowhole. (room temp around 74 F)

Better case cooling would help but that doesn't explain the 20 degree difference between sys and cpu temp. Unless you have the fan backwards or dumped a ton of AS grease on it, it sounds like the mobo may be reading temps high. What software are you using, MBM, Asus thing, or just the bios temps? I've heard of major differences between the Asus software temps and bios/MBM.

I didn't find the need to use the 4 extra HSF pads, may they're keeping the HS from mounting tight? (just brainstorming....)

 

[UmneyDurak]

I'm using Asus Probe. Bios reprots same temp. Fan is blowing air in to HS. Will try again this time spreading as thinly as possible.

 

[GrumpyMan]

I have a P4 3.06 which runs hot, it runs under a SLK900A. I use a Panaflo 90mm fan on mine since it fits perfectly fine with the 80mm brackets. Anyway I have 32 idle/52 load temps in a nice Lian Li so I don't think your temps are that bad.

 

[UmneyDurak]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't slk900A for socket A only? SLK900U is for pentium.
Anyway I'm startting to think that MB is reportting temps wrong. I redid it 3 times and the temp didn't really change. First time Ijust put a small amount on the center of the die, second I spread it over the die , third I tried to spread it as thinly as possible. I left the white pads on the HS, because it looked like it was making a contact with the die.
I also looked around another forum, and it looks like in later bios for this MB the temp is reported 10C higher. Not sure if it was overadjusted from previous bios. I'm using ASUS a7m266 MB with 1008.02b bios, and XP 2400 FSB 266 Thoroughbred core.

Is there any programs that read temp. directly from the diode?
I tried MDM5, and it reports same temps as PC Probe.
P.S. running torture test on Prime 95, so far it's on test 2. Temps are 55/35.
Thx.