Team Building Experience

[Nikomus]

As I mentioned in this thread http://forums.hexus.net/hexus-hardwa...-together.html I'd like a bit of community knowledge with my first complete rebuild. Mostly just to ask if things will explode and for peace of mind. All of the hardware has arrived, and I'm about to take the motherboard out and put the processor in. First two questions:

1)Really how much of a problem is static electricity? I've never bought a strap thing, just touched some taps or other metal object...

2)With thermal grease, is getting as thin a layer as possible to cover the CPU surface the name of the game?

Thanks for any input,
Niko =]

[aidanjt]

1) Nope, I never use them, just touch an exposed (unpainted obviously) screw on a radiator before you begin to earth yourself, and every so often when you've been shuffling around a fair bit.
2) Thin is good, too thin or thick is bad. Try to get a happy medium.

[nibbler]

I think that RAM is most sensitive to static and a hard drive for instance pretty much invincible.

[Nikomus]

Thought I'd put up a few pictures, just so you can all see what's going on..

[nibbler]

Nice, happy building.
I can see hexus running on the net-top D:

[aidanjt]

Nice bit of kit. I was fancying that motherboard a little while back.

[nibbler]

I've got a similar box for a GD-65 next to my machine at the moment just need GPU and CPU (fairly important ) Christmas cash needs to pull it's weight xD

[Nikomus]

So thermal grease is no fun at all it turns out... I'm sure I saw a review of my heatsink where it came with some Arctic Silver stuff, but all I've got now is a tube of "Cooler Master". Best tactic so far is to have a blob of it on the end of the tube and dab it on. I'll stick a picture up when I'm finished.

Re the static issue, does the object you touch have to actually be earthed, or just a large enough piece of metal for any charge to equalise over its surface? My big old PC case is right next to me...

Can't thank you enough for your responses, Hexus is an invaluable resource for the interested-but-inexperienced such as myself!

[kalniel]

Earthed is obviously best, but unless you habitually walk around a nylon floor in your woolen socks then a PC chassis is good enough.

[aidanjt]

I'm not sure what tube the coolermaster jazz comes in, but a 'blob' might not be sufficient. You want to make sure the integrated heat-sink on your Phenom II is completely covered.

[aidanjt]

...then a PC chassis is good enough.

With the PSU already mounted inside it and plugged into the wall.

[kalniel]

With the PSU already mounted inside it and plugged into the wall.

If his old PC case was in fact not just a PC case, but more of a system, then sure

[Nikomus]

Yeah, the case is the remnants of the old system, and I've left it plugged in for earthing. Trying my best not to shuffle around!

Here's a picture from the net of some paste on a chip.. Is this what I'm looking for? Doesn't look too smooth to me..

[aidanjt]

yeah, you don't really want to see through the paste, that's kinda a bad sign. If you're using that creditcard like thing coolermaster usually distributes for spreading, don't. Just use the nozzel of the syringe to move it about. I only use that card thing for scraping off the TIM.

[Nikomus]

Well, that nearly took forever, and I don't even know if I'm doing it right! Still, this is the bit I'm most worried about messing up. Here's a few pictures..







Sorry if they're a bit big.. Everything looks a bit big on a netbook!

[aidanjt]

That looks perfect.