Putting together my new box... (Help!)

[Jigoku San]

has gone from "this is gonna be easy" to "Ahhh scary stuff"

In the next few days (perfect timing for BCM) I get my new box:

t-bird 1 ghz

VisionTek Geforce 2 gts

40GB Deckstar HDD

256Mb DDR Ram

+ the other requiered but not as flash stuff

But my friend tells me that athlons are fragle as hell and I should be damn carefull when putting on the cpu fan.

I could take it and the rest of the parts to my local PC store and wait a week wile they leave it on a shelf them put it together, or i can do it my self?

So my question is anyone have any experience or tips on putting a cpu fan on a athlon proc safely?

[Akira]

You can do it yourself. However, you should look into getting a cpu shim from plycon.com That will help you avoid the cracked core.

Also, be sure you're using a good thermal grease like Arctic Silver or their new stuff. Never use the pad.

Even with the shim, you should be extremely careful. There are plenty of sites with how-to's on attaching the Heat Sink Fan (HSF) to the Athlon CPU. Read up before you get the parts.

Also, if you can, toss the GF2 and get yourself a GF3ti200... only 160 and hella better than the Gf2. If you can't, then no worries

Good luck.

[GREG MILLER]

Those Heatsinks are a mother to get on. A flat head screw driver comes in handy, just be careful with it.

[ 11-17-2001: Message edited by: GREG MILLER ]

[Akira]

Hehe, he's talking about using a small sized head flat-head screwdriver to help with the retaining clip... don't use it for anything else, please

[Jigoku San]

LOL..

I guess I gotta put the hammer away too?

I would get that GF3 but i don't got the extra 95 bucks... I'm on a budget.

[ 11-17-2001: Message edited by: Jigoku San ]

[Akira]

WOW you found a gf2 gts for $50.00??? where

[Soback]

That's starnge. I had no problems puting together my P4 1.6 Just slap that fan on and click in on the sides and it's done. How's it different for athlon?

[Guest]

Athalons are a bit more fragile then the Intel, if the fan is put on wrong, you take the chance of cracking the IC and then you're done, The CPU will be toast!!

That is the ONLY problem with the Athalon!! Otherwise it kicks the heck out of the P-3 and the P-4!!

[Epsilon 5]

Mounting an athlon is very easy... I didn't mounted mine, but my friend did, and from what I could see and watch it was VERY easy to clip the fan on the 950 tbird cpu... the hard part was to put the cpu in on the board... slighly bent "pins"... never put the cpu on the hard-drive in the back pack while riding a bike

[Soback]

What do you mean mount the fan wrong? Is it square? My fan is rectangular so you can only mount it 1 way, well yes, you can flip it but it doesn't matter. I am just interested because I put my system together myself and woried.

[Jigoku San]

Hehe, I got my gf2 gts from newegg.com and it was 65.

edit: damnit, try to say one thing and say party of another.

[ 11-18-2001: Message edited by: Jigoku San ]

[Soback]

How hot should the processor run? Mine runs on average from 100 to 115. Is that normal or hot?

[Epsilon 5]

ooh that's great! a processor shouldn't go at more than 140f (60c), 170f (~80c) being the critical level.

Mine goes between 100f and 120f

[Advil]

That's how the AMDs get destroyed every day...

Listen up, most AMD heatsinks are rectangular or square, and most are larger than the socket. If you look at the bottom of the heat sink and it has a little indent along one side, use your head and think about which way it goes. If you put the heatsink on 180 degreen backwards, it may end up resting with one side up on the plastic of the socket. Which means it's leaning against one edge of the CPU core, and has probably already cracked it. You only get 1 screw up with these things, so double check. I run a computer store, and believe me it breaks my heart every time someone comes in with a damaged CPU. No one can or will take them back, because AMD doesn't warranty any physical damage.

Just double check and be careful.

[Kenada]

I used to work in a computer store... And I must say, i have seen some pretty messed up crap.. I have poeple bring computers with floppy power connectors plug in directly to the Mobo, i have agp vids come in a box when its in a pci slot... The stories and tales just get must worse.

[GREG MILLER]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kenada:

I used to work in a computer store... And I must say, i have seen some pretty messed up crap.. I have poeple bring computers with floppy power connectors plug in directly to the Mobo, i have agp vids come in a box when its in a pci slot... The stories and tales just get must worse.

---

After reading that, I can't believe some people are that careless. Don't people read the installation manual anymore???

[Soback]

Naaaah, who needs those manuals. If it fits it fits, if it doesn't then they make it fit.

[Epsilon 5]

Some stupid stuff I already did :

- Pull the cd-rom out of the computer, but without unplugging the audio cord (ALMOST broke it)

- Install a 5 1/4 drive UPSIDE-DOWN

- Pull the HD cable to remove it from the hd itself, not the plug.

- Try to plug a extended isa vidcard in a non-extended isa slot (older computer) (err...)

- Put the computer on the edge on the kitchen table

- Tried to remove memory without releasing the "locks". Same for mb power input.

- Forgot my CMOS computer booting pwd (when I was using one) (found it later)

- Put the speaker-out of my sound-system in the line-in of my sound card (at high volume) (toasted the sound card)

[Soback]

The way I put my system together is relax first. Get all the tools together, pretty much all you need is 2 or 3 different scredrivers. Then open up the motherboard manual to page 1 and start putting it all together from page to page, and make sure you think how you will do it in your mind first then do it and after double check if it's right, then move on to the next page. Works like a charm, and if something still goes wrong then I yell out a couple of obsenities at myself and in general and correct the error. That way I release some stress, build my computer AND have fun all at the same time.

[Kenada]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Epsilon 5:

Some stupid stuff I already did :

- Pull the cd-rom out of the computer, but without unplugging the audio cord (ALMOST broke it)

- Install a 5 1/4 drive UPSIDE-DOWN

- Pull the HD cable to remove it from the hd itself, not the plug.

- Try to plug a extended isa vidcard in a non-extended isa slot (older computer) (err...)

- Put the computer on the edge on the kitchen table

- Tried to remove memory without releasing the "locks". Same for mb power input.

- Forgot my CMOS computer booting pwd (when I was using one) (found it later)

- Put the speaker-out of my sound-system in the line-in of my sound card (at high volume) (toasted the sound card)

---

I was a computer tech for two years... I HAVE SEEN MUCH WORSE! Lets see.... Floppy power connecters connected to Mobos (ODD), umm... AGP Vid Cards in PCI Slots, CPU Fan Ground wires jamed under DIMM Modules, much worse.... many horrific sites...

[Akira]

hehe, have you ever seen 72pin simms jammed into all 4 pci slots... hehe, no wonder the computer wouldn't reboot.

It made me wonder if the person first tried to fit the ISA video card into the ram slots. Oh man. I just knew that he would be using the cd tray as a cup holder

[GREG MILLER]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Akira:

hehe, have you ever seen 72pin simms jammed into all 4 pci slots... hehe, no wonder the computer wouldn't reboot.

It made me wonder if the person first tried to fit the ISA video card into the ram slots. Oh man. I just knew that he would be using the cd tray as a cup holder

---

ROTFLMAO!!!

Akira, that one just made my day!!!