Bought a new CPU Heatsink...

[haGGard]

Howdy!

I Just bought a new Heatsink. The website said it will fit any AMD64 socket 754.

Now this meets my requirements....However, i have a S**T mobo (Its made by 'Acer' LOL Anyway, im a bit concerned it wont fit. My RAM is postitioned ABOVE my cpu heatsink and is quite close...

My main question is..... Can i remove the heatsink and check to see if the new one will fit. If it doesnt fit, do i just plonk the old one back on again without reapplying thermal compund?

Thanks




Ps, me thinks i need a new mobo

 

[Elbatrop1]

You'll need to reapply the thermal compound. I'm sure someone will reply sayin, "I put my HS back on without reapplying the thermal paste."

To be on the safe side, I would reapply it.

 

[haGGard]

Should i scrape off the old stuff first? Ive never done this before!!

 

[m3trj]

Yeah scrape off whatever was there with something like a credit card, and then you should clean the rest off with something like 99% Isopropyl Alcohol. Then re-apply the new stuff.

 

[Elbatrop1]

Yes, you have to remove the old stuff.

Remove the old stuff by applying some kind of solvent, ie:Isopropyl Alcohol.

When you add new thermal paste, you dont need very much. Just a finely spread layer that is about as big as a dime. Spread it out with a credit card, etc.

 

[Elbatrop1]

Yeah scrape off whatever was there with something like a credit card, and then you should clean the rest off with something like 99% Isopropyl Alcohol. Then re-apply the new stuff.

Good point, m3trj, the Alcohol needs to be quite pure.

 

[haGGard]

Is the alcohol nessasary as i have none?

Also, how big is a dime?

I heard someone say before i need a blob the size of a grain of rice and spread that evenly over the whole cpu with a credit card...

 

[Elbatrop1]

If you can get the old paste completely off without scraping it off, then, no the 99% isnt necessary.

I dime is about 1.5cm wide (sorry I didnt notice you were in the UK).

A blob of rice will probably turn into a dime-sized smear.

 

[haGGard]

Why only the size of a dime? wouldn't covering the whole cpu in a thin layer be better for heat transfer?

 

[Elbatrop1]

Perhaps, but, It will become exceedingly difficult to remove the heatsink in the future.