The Motherboard, Processor, and Memory - Installing a Pentium 4 and Athalon XP Cooler

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Here’s how you install a Pentium 4 cooler (shown in Figure 2-8).

Figure 2-8

A Pentium 4 cooler

1. Locate the black base bracket surrounding the CPU. Note the four tall pillars, one in each corner. The cooler’s bracket will align with the motherboard bracket and snap into notches on the base. The cooler has two levers that, when set, apply pressure to the heat sink to keep it in solid contact with the CPU (Figure 2-9).
   
2. If the processor came with thermal tape, remove the backing. If not, spread a thin layer of thermal compound across the metal top of the processor.
   
3. Plug the fan’s three-wire power lead into a nearby three-pin receptacle on the motherboard.
   
4. Place the heat sink over the processor into the motherboard bracket. Then, lower the fan bracket into place, snapping each corner down. Finally, set the two levers so that they lock into place with pressure on the CPU. It should look similar to Figure 2-10.

Figure 2-9

The mounting bracket for the Pentium 4 cooler

Installing an Athlon XP Cooler

Now let’s focus on the Athlon cooler.

Figure 2-10

A Pentium 4 cooler in place

1. Check out the processor socket. Two sides of the socket will have protruding nodes, to which the heat sink’s metal bracket will clip. Examine the bracket for the holes.

2. If the processor came with thermal tape, remove the backing. If not, drop a small amount of thermal paste onto the center of the processor.
   
3. Depending on the metal bracket, you may have to use your fingers (if it has a handle) or a screwdriver to fasten it down. See Figure 2-11.
   
4. Plug the fan’s three-wire power lead into a nearby three-pin receptacle on the motherboard.
   
5. Set the cooler into place with the bracket lined up with the corresponding hooks on the socket. Lower the bare side of the bracket over the first hook. Then, press down the other side of the bracket with either a screwdriver (if there’s a notch for it) or your fingers (if there’s a small handle). You’ll have to use firm, steady pressure. Carefully work the second bracket around the second hook on the socket. It should look like Figure 2-12.

Figure 2-11

Connecting the bracket of an Athlon cooler to the socket

Figure 2-12

An Athlon cooler mounted

This chapter is from Build Your Own High Performance Gamers' Mod PC, by Chen and Durham (McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2004, ISBN: 0072229012). Check it out at your favorite bookstore today. Buy this book now.

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