If I might add a comment to Joe's comprehensive instructions - I've found
that some processor\motherboard combinations just DO NOT like the pad of
thermal paste that comes pre-applied to some heat sinks.

In fact I now routinely remove the original pad and substitute a smear of
Arctic Silver paste, tho I have used other brands without problems.

It seems that some of the pre-applied pads, act as more of an insulator than
a conductor, at least initially, til they've heated up and thinned out, and
if the motherboard has a thermal cutout in the BIOS, the processor can heat
up so fast that the PC won't start properly, but reboot continuously.

Ian Porter
Computer Guys Inc.
Arrowtown
New Zealand
[log in to unmask]


From: "Joe Lore"
> Hi,
>
> An old saying that I have learned to live by.  " If it ain't broke don't
> fix it. "
>
> That said, AMD processors are very fragile compared to INTEL.  1) they
> can be easily damaged when the CPU Fan is placed on it.  If you can
> check the glass silicon area in the center, you want to make sure all
> edges are not chipped or cracked in any way.  The slightest chip means
> the processor is NG.   2) they do burn out very quickly if the fan is
> not installed or is installed in correctly.  They do not have thermal
> limiting as the Intel chips do.  What is quickly?  How about 1 second.
>
> As far as thermal paste goes.  You usually only use the paste if the new
> fan you are putting on does not have an "adhevesive" pad on it already.
> Usually you remove a film and there is a pad that is exposed.  Thermal
> compound would not usualy be used for that type fan, initally.
>
> If the fan is removed and to be reused, then the thermal compound would
> be used because the original pad has been heated and when removed from
> the cpu there are going to be gaps, as if the pad is tearing.
> Remounting it without the compound will leave air gaps and poor contact


>
> Thanks for the reply, I was pretty sure about the thermal paste issue.
> The shame about this is, he says he replaced the motherboard and
> processor recently.

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