Step 4:
Installing the heat sink and cooling fan (socket 478)
Cute little guy, ain't it? German Engineering, so I'm told... Make sure the 2
levers on the top of the heat sink are in their default unlocked position. Since
Intel processors come with a heatsink, installation is pretty straight forward.
Even things like thermal interface materials (pastes, pads, or goo's) are
already pre-applied for you.
Lower the heat sink gently into the plastic frame around the processor so that
the heatsink metal sits evenly on all sides. Push down on the plastic top of the
heatsink until the hooks on each side lock into the heatsink retention mechanism
frame on the motherboard. This will require some force. Holding one side of the
heat sink securely, pull the lever on the other side over until it locks. Again,
this will require some force.
Repeat the procedure for the other lever. Consult your motherboard manual for
the locations of the three-pin fan headers. There should be one close to the CPU
socket. Plug the fan power cord into that header.
Don't choose a fan header at random, make sure the heatsinks' fan is being
powered by the correct header for this purpose. If you get the wrong one, the is
a chance the fan may shut off when the computer is in suspended mode - meaning
the processor will overheat.
There are many different types of after-market heatsinks for both the Intel
Pentium 4 and AMD Athlon processors. We're only covering the installation of the
stock Intel heatsink, but the basic principle for installing after-market
coolers is the same. Some heatsinks may come with a small package of white
silicon-based thermal compound which needs to be applied before the heatsink is
installed. If this is the case, only use a very small amount, and spread it over
the processor's core only. The thermal compound is only used as an interface
between the bottom of the heatsink, and the portion of the processor which it
comes in contact with.
Some thermal compounds are made with conductive metals to achieve better thermal
conductivity between the heatsink and processor. If you decide to try these
types of Thermal Interface Materials (TIM) out, be sure you clean the surface of
the processor and base of the heatsink with a soft cloth and Methyl alcohol
gently before applying a small amount of the material. Silver-based TIMs are
conductive, so do not get them on any electrical components!
