sigh, installing heatsink .. updated please respond

[m3jsh]

ok, i already broke my first cpu trying to do this, and i just bought a new one and i don't want the same thing ot happen here :-/ i mean, i've installed a heatsink before and it wasn't hard at all, but i just found this very difficult, which is the ideal way to install a heatsink , with the mobo out of the case? because this time i did it in the case, and i guess it was considerabley harder this way, the heatsink should clip on without too much muscle correct? i've seen a video from amd and read the instructions, but they aren't too clear.

 

[StageLeft]

Yeah it shouldn't be too hard. Make sure that the CPU is seated perfectly before you do it. I always have to wrestle with mine a bit first, but it shouldn't be TOO hard. I'd do it outside of the mobo if you're worried. Don't force things though it shouldn't be too hard!

 

[m3jsh]

thanks, i thought so.. i hope i didn't damage my mobo by pushing so hard, i really got pissed at it :-/

 

[Jeff7181]

NEVER install a heatsink with a clip with the motherboard in the case. The board will flex WAY too much up on the standoffs you should be using. What I do is use a foam sheet that comes with new motherboards... put that under the motherboard, then put the motherboard on a hard flat surface and install the heatsink and RAM, then put the board in the case.

 

[m3jsh]

let's hope i didn't flex it too much. my mom will kill me haha (yeah the system is for my mom.)

 

[StageLeft]

You're probably fine. Unless you heard a lot of snappy/flexy sounds, the mobo is probably ok

 

[dnuggett]

I always set it up w/ the mobo in the box. The brass spacers are set close enough that flexing was never an issue.

 

[mechBgon]

I made a guide that could be helpful, see what you think: guide with photos and stuff

 

[RadBrad]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I made a guide that could be helpful, see what you think: guide with photos and stuff

You are the info god, You got anything on the volt mod?? I searched 8 hours

before I came begging!

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: RadBrad

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I made a guide that could be helpful, see what you think: guide with photos and stuff

You are the info god, You got anything on the volt mod?? I searched 8 hours

before I came begging!

Oooo, volt mod, no I don't, but I think Shimmishim could steer you straight That's a level beyond where I dare to go.

 

[beatle]

I've installed heatsinks onto boards mounted in cases countless times (except for the Alpha 8045 ) Don't worry about it.

 

[m3jsh]

AGH the system STILLL wont post!!! what's going on, i'm so aggravated by this system... it's not the cpu, it's not the ram, it's not the vid card, is it the mobo? HOW can i tell? power goes through it and to the fans, what else is there to do? man this sucks.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: m3jsh
AGH the system STILLL wont post!!! what's going on, i'm so aggravated by this system... it's not the cpu, it's not the ram, it's not the vid card, is it the mobo? HOW can i tell? power goes through it and to the fans, what else is there to do? man this sucks.

Time to cough up all the details Can you please list out the brand & models of the parts, including the power supply and memory modules.

 

[m3jsh]

ok

abit nforce2 NF7 mobo
Crucial 512mb pc2100 DDR
Sapphire ATI Radeon 9600
Antec 350W power supply
Maxtor 40GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model 6E040L0

 

[mechBgon]

Nice parts kit so far, what CPU you got in it?

 

[m3jsh]

i knew i was forgetting something hahahha, it's a AMD Athlon XP 2400+

 

[mechBgon]

Ok, good deal

~ Pat, I'll take "Motherboards" for $200.

• Confirm that your heatsink is oriented this way and not this way, it needs that stepped end to be at the top side of the socket on your model of motherboard. And of course that's the end that's hard to reach with a screwdriver (go figure )
• Confirm that you've got the ATX12V secondary power plug connected to the motherboard, that's the square 2x2 connector above the big ATX power connector

 

[m3jsh]

this heatsink is unstepped, and yeah it's correct because the side with the screwdriver slit is on the side where the stepped side of a heatsink would go, so it is correct.

Yes the ATX12V secondary power plug is connected.

what else you got? hehe.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: m3jsh
this heatsink is unstepped, and yeah it's correct because the side with the screwdriver slit is on the side where the stepped side of a heatsink would go, so it is correct.

Yes the ATX12V secondary power plug is connected.

what else you got? hehe.

The heatsink is unstepped? What brand/model is it? The step is there on SocketA-compatible heatsinks because the CPU core's surface is lower than that solid end of the socket. If your heatsink has no step, it is probably landing on the solid part of the socket like in that second photo. That would cause the heatsink to land on the far edge of the CPU, resulting in overheating, burnout and possibly... a broken CPU core. Makes ya go hmmm.

 

[m3jsh]

it's the heatsink that comes with the CPU, it's not stepped but it's kind of got a little platform on it, i guess it has the same effect of it being stepped

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: m3jsh
it's the heatsink that comes with the CPU, it's not stepped but it's kind of got a little platform on it, i guess it has the same effect of it being stepped

Oh, gotcha. No problem there, then.

This are long shots, but check the rear jacks to make sure that those springy metal contact fingers didn't get into the USB ports or something, and make sure the "Clear CMOS" jumper by the battery has the cap on pins 1 & 2, not 2 & 3.

Also, double-check that the AGP card is fully bottomed-out... I had a mobo fake me out because it was new and the contacts in the AGP slot were so strong that I only got the card halfway in (there are two rows of contacts in there). It might not hurt to try removing and reinstalling the memory, except I bet you already checked that.

The final resort for me is to take the mobo out of the case, lay it on cardboard, and give it just the bare essentials (video, one memory module, keyboard, CPU/heatsink) and see if I can get it to run without any drives or case. Boards do die sometimes and then it's RMA time... that green EPoX 8RDA+ in my photo guide simply up and died one day, not overclocked or maltreated whatsoever. Boy, was I frustrated :| grrrrr!

 

[m3jsh]

tell me about it. my mom spent over 1000$ for this system, and i feel really guilty that it isn't working. :-/

ok i'm going to see if the first two things you said may be the case.

 

[m3jsh]

thank you for your help. i have to go at the moment, thanks, one question, how tedious would newegg be on inspecting my mobo if i sent it back for RMA? what cna i get away with, and what can i not. Thanks.

 

[mechBgon]

I've never had to RMA a mobo to Newegg, but I would assume they'll be reasonable. A smudge of thermal grease on the mobo, probably no problem. If it had a screwdriver gash... well, that ain't ABit's fault, so they would probably say "sorry bro, no dice" in that situation.

If you wanted a really trouble-free mobo, older but very reliable and affordable, the Asus A7N266-VM/AA is one of my bigtime favorites. We have 36 of them at my workplace now and they're just as troublefree as pie, which is great because I'm the guy who would hear about it if they weren't. I just built 4 of our 6 newest ones over the last couple days, all with 2400+'s using the Thornton core.

The A7N266-VM/AA does need to be updated to the 1007 BIOS to recognize the Thornton-core 2400+ as such, but in the meantime it calls them a "1933MHz AthlonXP" and runs them like that. These boards are just $58 shipped last I checked, and have the full Soundstorm audio in the southbridge too.

Now, it's possible that the CPU was a casualty in all of this, so you could hedge your bets with a 1.6GHz Duron or something if you had reason to think the CPU was toastified (burn marks, chips, whatever). Not trying to be pessimistic, but it's a possibility.

edit: Let me also put in a plug for the Shuttle AN35N Ultra too, it seems to be getting good remarks by the owners and mine hasn't given me any problems either. Good overclocker, unlike the A7N266-VM/AA.

 

[m3jsh]

My friend Abit NF7 often doesn't work for most people? is this true?

i'm now even having trouble with my other computer, because i was trying to test the ram, and now when i put my original ram back in, my system doesn't post. I did this before, and it wasn't posting and then after a while it started working, i took out the battery and all, and then it worked, but now it doesn't, what's the correct procedure here, take out the battery and unplug the system or what?

these are two separate systems and two separate problems.

:-/