thaFunkster

Hello,

I posted a while ago on this site about overclocking my E8400, and basically given the advice I received I decided to upgrade my rig a bit before starting.

So the for the rig in my signature, I have now purchased the following:

ASUS P5KPL/1600 Motherboard (Crossfire Capable)
Corsair HX620 (Big step up from my other PSU)
AC Freezer 7 pro and thermal paste
Grounding wriststrp

Unrelated:

Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
Edifier S5300 speakers
Saitek X52

Ok. So obviously I am keeping my case, RAM, HDD and DVD Drive.

The thing is, I have never installed a motherboard, much less a cpu or cooler before. I am confident I can find plenty of guides about how to install the cpu into the motherboard, but what I am concerned about is how do I remove the cpu and take care of it? What should it touch? Do I need tweezers?

Thanks.
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When all is up and runnning I will be back for help with the actual OC. :)

Phædrus2401

The motherboard isn't too bad, except that you basically have to disassemble the computer to change it. Remove the PSU, CPU+HSF, and RAM (and you may have to remove other components depending on space and case layout). Then simply unscrew the 9 screws, one at each corner, one in the middle of each side, and one a bit off-center. Remove the motherboard and carefully place on a hard, flat surface. Make sure that you didn't accidentally remove any standoffs, there should be 9 standoffs, one for each screw hole in an ATX motherboard. If your old motherboard was microATX there will only be six standoffs+screws, your motherboard may or may not come with extras, if not you'll have to stop by a local computer store and pick some up. My local one has a big jar full of assorted screws that they'll let your scrounge through, yours may have a setup like that or they may make you buy them. Make sure the screws and standoffs all match!

Then simply lower the new motherboard into place, lining up the screw holes with the standoffs, then screw it into place. I usually go by opposite corners, then opposite sides, then the center, just to make sure nothing gets misaligned.

The CPU isn't too hard to work with. Once you've removed the stock heatsink and undone the locking lever, gently remove the CPU by the corners, using your fingers. I usually only touch the edges of the board--it's the only place to get a grip that isn't very sensitive. Don't touch the bottom of the CPU because that has all the contacts, and if any grease from your fingers gets on them it can act as a resistor and the contact won't work, and the CPU won't start, or will function poorly. Especially don't touch the tiny electrical components in the center. The top is ok to touch up until the point where you remove the old paste, in which case your finger's grease can stop the thermal paste from making good contact. If you have to set the CPU down, set top (flat side) down on a flat, dry surface.

To clean the old thermal paste off the CPU you'll need 90% or greater Isopropyl Alcohol and a lint-free rag, I've found that conical paper coffee filters work well. DO NOT USE WATER OR PETROLEUM BASED CLEANERS, OR ALKY LESS THAN ~90%. Damp a filter with alcohol and gently wipe/scrub the old paste off until that part of the filter is completely dirty, then move to another part, then another filter, etc. I find it usually takes 2-3 filters with two uses each to get the CPU perfectly clean. To get the gunk off your fingers use the same method you used on the CPU, then follow up with soap and water.

Install the CPU in the exact reverse of how you removed it, make sure that it's oriented correctly (check the mobo manual for instructions). Once it's in and the cap and lever are locked, apply thermal paste. I usually make a line the thickness of a grain of rice about 1/2" long perpendicular to the cap, as per the instructions for AS5. The other way to do it is to put dot a bit smaller than a dime in the center of the CPU, then smear it until you can practically see through it using a credit card or similar object. DO NOT use a metal object to spread the paste, as it can scratch the surface of the CPU.

Then attach the heatsink, following its directions. Make sure all four locking screws/snaps/levers are securely fastened.


And that should be it.

thaFunkster

Ok thanks for help.

Phaedrus, I was actually looking back through my old thread and found that you had explained all this to me before in excellent detail, so i was just in the process of writing it all down.

Ah, this should be fun.

My only downfall with these things is I can lack patience, installing PSU, Mobo and cooler, I might get impatient about reading manualk or something and just go "ah F8ck it, that plug looks like it meant to go there, see how that works". Fortunatly, in the past this method has usually been correct .

greenbrucelee

Take your time when doing this as things can go terribly wrong if you don't.

When applying thermal paste I always use Artic silver 5 and do it according to their instructions.

Some people will say you put a small pea size amount of paste in the center of the cpu and then spread it out with a business card covering the whole cpu. Some people will say a small pea size amount in the center and let the heatsinks spreader do the rest when you fit the heat sink.

But with Artic silver their instructions say (for your e8400, i have the same cpu) that you put a thin line down the center of the cpu which will cover the two cores (which is the important part) then when you put the heat sink on it will spread it properly.

I have always found that the Artic silver method gives better temperatures which is what you are most concerned with when overclocking. You will have to let the cpu work at stock speed for around 200 hours before starting to overclock as the thermal paste can take that long before it burns in correctly.

thaFunkster

Thank you for the clarification about adding the thermal paste.

I actually just spend all day installing my compenents, and now the computer wont work.

I could not determine where the two cores were by looking at it, so as instructed I added a rice grain width strip, 1/2 inch long, however, not sure if I did it in the right direction.

I can always go back, clean it, and reapply if need be.

Here is my post I have copied from another forum I posted in (have not included images): Need help:

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Hi,

I have just upgraded my pc in Sig with the following:

Corsair HX 620W
ASUS P5KPL/1600 Mobo (Crossfire capable)
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS (second hand)
AC Freezer 7 pro

(Additionally but unrelated, I have also purchased a BenQ22 inch, and Saitek X52 HOTAS + Edifier s520 speakers).

Ok, so most of the above arrived today. I dont have a lot of experience with this sort of thing, so I did a bit of reading before hand and felt that I should be pretty well prepared.

So I took out everything, and installed the PSU, that was pretty easy.

Then put in the Mobo, which took Alot of fiddling.

Then I took out the cpu, and intel cooler, being careful not to touch the connectors. I cleaned the cpu with 100% propsyl alchohol or whatever its called (and coffee filters)

I then did the same for the new cooler (cleaned off thermal grease it came with), I then added some Artic Silver 5, as reccomended about a rice grain thinckness and half inch long.

Then installed the Cooler, and started to try and figure out how the hell to recconect all these cables.

After some fiddling, reading manuals of mobo and PSU, I think I have it all sorted.

Not I am using a backup 6600GT as my vid card is being repaired. This backup card has been working fine. However, now I turn the computer on, the blue power led comes on, the DVD drive reading light comes on, all seems ok, but my montor tells me "No signal".

I plugged in backup monitor using diffferent cord, same thing.

So my question is? What the hell could be going wrong? I have the card in the pcie slot #1. I suppose I could try it in number 2, but would that be likely to work anyway?

What can I do. Please help me, I have been building all day, and now I am so dissapointed.

I took a couple of images with my phone, they are terrible quality, but they may help. If not, I can try and find the digi camera, and see if I can get some sharper photoes...

Thanks guys.

greenbrucelee

did you put the standoffs in the case before fitting the mobo. Its better to build the system first before putting the mobo in the case and trying it out before fitting it.

Artic sliver 5 installation instructions http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appi..._dual_wcap.pdf

thaFunkster

The standoffs are the little things that the screws go into?

If so, yeah, I had to move a couple, and the other three were fine.

So only had five, meaning the four surrounding the cpu are not installed, but it feels fairly sturdy and not flimsy, so I thought it would be ok.

EDIT: Thanks for the link, that explains very well.

greenbrucelee

yep they are usually made of brass.

Aslong as the mobo is sturdy and isn't making contact with the case then it should be fine I actually only have 6 screws plugged into my mobo (since I lost 3 of them) but all 9 standoffs are in.

Have you check everything is plugges in correctly into the power supply.

Also check the dvi cable is properly screwed into the card and you are on the correct drivers for it aswell as the motherboard drivers and if you need extra PCIe cables to power the graphics card that they are in too.

greenbrucelee

I'll try and log on later to provide you with more assistance but I may not be able to log back on for 11 hours but I am sure someone else could help if I can't.

thaFunkster

Ok, thanks again.

Yeah the cable I have checked and re-checked. As for the drivers, well yeah I have the latest for the card. But as for the mobo, I thought I turn it on, then install the new drivers?

Now you are going to tell me that I need to install the new mobo drivers before I physically install the mobo? I hope not, then I would have to go back and do it all again....UNless I could just take out the HDD, and do it on another computer somehow....?

greenbrucelee

No you install the mobo drivers after the operating system

Have you connected the 4 pin cable from the psu into the mobo along with the atx connector?

thaFunkster

Yep I have done that. It looks as though its getting power, because fans and lights are on. Also, the mobo has an LED to show it is receiving power, and that is on.

Someone suggested I connect the internal speaker, so I did that and there is no sound. Also, the DVD drive blinks on and off about 4 or 5 times then stays off, I dont think it did that before, but I could be wrong.

Ive just recconected the plus to make sure - there is the four pin and the 24 pin, both plugged into the mobo. There are only 3 fixed cords on the PSU, being midular, and one of these, a 8pin I see no use for, so its not plugged in.

thaFunkster

Someone on another forum suggested checking ram, so i did that, and silly me, I had put them in B1 and B2.

THought that would solve, tried to boot again, only to be greeted by whisper quietness, the cpu fan wasnt going on.

So off, rechecked everything, tried again, and now it wont go on at all, no lights nothing. Dead.

Time for professional help I think. Ill get in contact with someone tomorrow...

EDIT: Ram clips are right next to cpu fan plug, so I could have disloged it while moving the RAM sticks.

But even if I did, it wouldnt have fried the cpu would it? Because it would no doubt passively cool at a pretty good rate, and the cpu wouldt have had time to reach any high temps...?

greenbrucelee

It could have damaged the ram, Have you tried one dimm at a time in slot 1? although you should still see a post screen even if the ram is knackered but it will just beep at you to tell you there's a problem.

thaFunkster

Thanks for help and suggestions everyone, but it think its got to the point of needing professional help. Im dropping it off to a repairer today, will post when I know what is wrong (hopefully then can get stuck into a bit of OC)

thaFunkster

Well, I got it back from the repair guy, nothing was wrong with it, except that the 24 pin power plug wasnt properly in. So now its all up and running.

Note: Does anyone else run an AC Freezer 7 Pro? This thing is pretty damn noisy, or is that the HX620? Whatever it is, sounds like I have a bloody air conditioner going in my room!

greenbrucelee

Fans can get noisy however I would rather have noise than a hot system but I don't find my fans loud anyway and I have 3 120mm fans sucking air in 2 120mm fans blowing air out and 1 200mm fan taking air out and extra optional 120mm fan inside the case and a tuniq tower which has 120mm fan in it and I have them all on full which ranges from 1700 - 2200 for their full settings and 0 - 1700 for low settings.

thaFunkster

Hmm, how do I adjust fan speed? It has to be done through the BIOS only I suppose, no way to kind of shift between low/med/high or anything?

It must be on 100% cause its pretty damn loud, it will keep me awake if I leave it on overnight to DL something.

Not sure if its the Freezer or the HX-620 though.

greenbrucelee

I doubt its the psu.

Some fans have controllers on them where you just flick a switch, some have proper controllers where you put them into an expansion slot at the back of the case.

And yes some can be controlled through the Bios (depending on the bios). If your bios does have this it will be either in the cpu configuration bit or the hardware section.

You HSF fan could be loud because its having to work over time to cool the cpu. what temperatures arew you getting (download real temp and set the tj max for both cores to 95)

thaFunkster

Ok, temps have been bad, having all kinds of issues.

Before I post that, I was reading an article, and apparently you can set the voltage for this cooler fan to 5, 7 or 12v.

Until I sort out my temperature issues, its not really a concern. But later on, if I want to set the Voltage to 7V to be quieter, how do I do that?

(O, and I have worked out throught trial and error, that, yes, the noise is the Freezer 7. But its also that Zalman cooler on the HD4850, which is not very quiet.

Ok, so here is a copy of a post from another forum:

UPDATE:

Ok, there are definetely some serious issues here.

As per advice above, I tried reducing the amount of themal paste applied, so off with the cooler, clean, re-did it, adding about half the amount used last time. (O, and cooler was warm BTW).

Switched it back on, and as soon as I got into windows temps were 70c and climbing!

So double checked everything (I Know the cooler is installed the right way, the the fan facing the right direction.

Same thing.

Well, stuff this I thought, I will put the stock cooler back on and see how I go. So I di that this morning, cleaned it and re-applied thermal paste.

When putting it back on, it has become clear that there are serious issues with clipping coolers in on this mobo. I practiced and re-practiced it "clockwise, press down" , "anti-clockwise, pull up", but when I go to actually do that on the mobo, only two or so clips click into place, the other ones sort of go down, but dont make a click. I have tried over and over, so many times, I am worried about damaging the motherboard.

Eventually, I got three of them to click, and the other one felt sturdy, so I fired it up and went into BIOS. Temps: 36, 36.5, 37, 37.5 etc etc till it got to about 50. So fired up windows and here I am.

The temperatures climb in concert with how much load there is on each core, 20-30 load on a core, and the temps climb to 65c or so. I am talking instantly, the temps will start to climb within a second of the load starting to rise.

Eventually, now, they have settled back to the usual 39c, but clearly I am not going to be able to do much, gaming especially.

It seems that the coolers just havnt been totally in contact with the chip, me adding less thermal paste probably reduced the amount of heat transfer going on as they werent touching properly.

I dont know what to do, this is so bloody frustrating, trying to install this new gear and its just one hurdle after another.

Why cant they make better damn clips on coolers rather than this shoddy cheap plastic things?

Any advice much appreciated...