Installing a Core2Duo CPU

[acro666]

Hello everyone

I am about to install a Core2Duo CPU. I notice that the provided fan already has some thermal compound on it, so please, will it be necessary to add any more?

The compound on the heat-sink is nicely spaced but does not totally cover the whole surface?

regards

acro666

[k0nigen]

it's fine the way it is
you could remove that stuff and apply your own though

[Blitzen]

it's fine the way it is
you could remove that stuff and apply your own though

I would if i were you. Especially if you are plnning to overclock.

The stock Intel fan is actually not a bad performer though and certainly better than previous efforts.

[acro666]

Thank you k0nigen and Blitzen. Grief! I hate saying this, but this is my wife's machine, so there will be no over-clocking, no movie or music downloads. In fact nothing exciting whatsoever, therefore I will use, as is.

Thank you again

regards

acro666

[2Cold Scorpio]

Yeah, it should be fine for running at stock speeds. My Arctic Cooler Pro had pre-applied paste as well...good paste too! Just as good as Arctic Silver.

[GSte]

That paste will be fine mate, no need at all to replace it.

[chadders]

Worry more about actually getting the damned tricky push-pin fixings into place!

hint: lay the motherboard on some cardboard.

[kmac]

I thought it was me initally bu I'm glad other have had issues with those darn push pins. Should have made things easier but have gone the other way.

I tried to insert one after mounting the motherboard in the case...almost broke the mobo with the pressure had to use to get them in.

[EtheAv8r]

As long as you ensure the push pin(s) are lined up with the hole(s) and you press down on both pins on opposite corners at the same time - you shouuld have no problems. Don't do them one at a time - do them in opposite pairs..

[looney]

get an aftermarket cooler like an akasa ak965

[Jay]

The push pins on S775 coolers is a real nightmare, you never know how hard to press!

I have had the exact same problem.

[looney]

are they really that hard to install?

the other method is the nuts and screws, that pretty complex too, the push pins seem simple on paper

[Pob255]

Sort of, remember everyone is familuar with the workings of a screw and nut's aren't that complex.

The Push pin system is quite nice but unfimular, I've found it gets eaiser after you've used it a few times.

Also depends on the age of the stock cooler, I know of about 6 differnt stock coolers now for the socket775
Good example here is to compair my stock pentium D 830 and core2duo e6600:
-The fan was differnt, slightly wider longer blades on the e6600 stock fan.
-The base on the e6600 stock is noticeably smoother with fainter machineing marks.
-The thermal paste was differnt, on the pentium D it had a solid layer covering most of the base of the cooler and about 1mm deep, on the e6600 it has 3 thin stripes of paste.

When I first fitted the Pentium D cooler it was a real strugle, I'd of loved to of done opersit corners at the same time, but it required too much force to do, I needed one hand under the motherboard to support it.
The final resault was a rather bent motherboard, that cooler had far too much paste on it and the gunk was pritty hard at room temps, a couple of weeks later I replaced the cooler with MX-1 far eaiser getting it on with a thin layer of paste.
replaceing the stock cooler with a freezer7pro was even eaiser.

Must admit I cannot compair to fitting the e6600 stock cooler as I never fitted it, I got a thermalright 90Ultima to go with my e6600 when I upgraded.
Yes you have to take the motherboard out to fit the back plate, but I've always found it's eaiser to fit coolers out side the case than inside them.
Main problem I had with fitting the ultima was that I had to shave the end of the retention bar off as it's a little too long and the motherboard heatsink is in the way.
Once I'd done that it was eaiser to screw it down than use push pins.

[looney]

Sort of, remember everyone is familuar with the workings of a screw and nut's aren't that complex.

The Push pin system is quite nice but unfimular, I've found it gets eaiser after you've used it a few times.

Also depends on the age of the stock cooler, I know of about 6 differnt stock coolers now for the socket775
Good example here is to compair my stock pentium D 830 and core2duo e6600:
-The fan was differnt, slightly wider longer blades on the e6600 stock fan.
-The base on the e6600 stock is noticeably smoother with fainter machineing marks.
-The thermal paste was differnt, on the pentium D it had a solid layer covering most of the base of the cooler and about 1mm deep, on the e6600 it has 3 thin stripes of paste.

When I first fitted the Pentium D cooler it was a real strugle, I'd of loved to of done opersit corners at the same time, but it required too much force to do, I needed one hand under the motherboard to support it.
The final resault was a rather bent motherboard, that cooler had far too much paste on it and the gunk was pritty hard at room temps, a couple of weeks later I replaced the cooler with MX-1 far eaiser getting it on with a thin layer of paste.
replaceing the stock cooler with a freezer7pro was even eaiser.

Must admit I cannot compair to fitting the e6600 stock cooler as I never fitted it, I got a thermalright 90Ultima to go with my e6600 when I upgraded.
Yes you have to take the motherboard out to fit the back plate, but I've always found it's eaiser to fit coolers out side the case than inside them.
Main problem I had with fitting the ultima was that I had to shave the end of the retention bar off as it's a little too long and the motherboard heatsink is in the way.
Once I'd done that it was eaiser to screw it down than use push pins.

thanks for the detailed post, so would the AC7 or an akasa ak965 be difficult to install? or are they ones that are slightly more easier to install?

[Pob255]

Just as easy/hard as the stock cooler, they use the same push pins.
I'd say they are slightly eaiser than something like the Scythe Ninja simpley because they are smaller and eaiser to handel.
The push pins are not that bad once you get used to them.

While I never installed my e6600 stock cooler I guess it would be slightly eaiser than the pentium D one simpley because of the thickness + hardness and amount of paste on that pentium D cooler.

I'd also say that the length of the retention bar is a major down side to the thermalright ultima90, it's a great cooler just be perpaired that you might have to file down the bar before it'll fit

Comapired to the old Pentium 4 socket 478 it's much eaiser to remove, compaired to the Solt A athlon XP is eaiser to remove and fit without the chance of shearing off the catch.
I'd say the push pins are the nicest stock attachment system I've used yet (although I cannot compair to the AM2 as I've not tried to fit/remove one)
Although a close 2nd would be the old slot 1 (pentium 2&3) where you'd connect the cooler to the seperate card that held the cpu then just stuck that in like you would any pci card.

[Hicks12]

the ac7 is much easier in my opinion, i had the stock fan for my e8400 and it was a nightmare, the manual said the total opposite of what the pins are ment to be but with the ac7 the manual was correct and so it was easy , think my motherboard is a bit bent/warped but oh well. The ac7 is worth the money but it can be loud at full and so if you can spend the extra £15 then its worth it, low end overclocking this cooler wins. Just keep it on a low rpm and you cant hear it, anything under 1800rpm i think.