P4 ?

[Wombat]

I normally install AMD's in my and my clients systems, but I have been asked to install a P4..

It is a boxed 2.8, (quite large compared to the little AMD area)

Being as it is a boxed unit it came with a fan - this fan has a black square on the bottom. Does this square mean that I don't use thermal compound? I am used to using arctic silver on all of my CPU's. Is this as simple as placing the CPU in the ZIF socket and attaching the fan?


Paul

[John Prophet]

Is it a "thermal pad"?

You use AMD...if you use AMD retail cpu's they come with a thermal pad also..is it the same thing??

AMD has a page on their site explaining all about the thermal pad and also how to install it etc etc.....maybe intel does too.

JP

That small pad would be thermal interface material (TIM).

Thermal pads are quite pathetic IMHO, but they do work assuming the system will never be overclocked. No thermal paste is required. Just install the cooler with TIM aligned to the core, and you are good to good.

Now to my real suggestion. Swab the thermal pad with alcohol, let it set, scrape it off with a credit card, clean the surface with alcohol, apply thermal paste, and install the cooler.

However, removing the thermal interface pad can invalidate the processor's three year warranty depending upon the mood of the person parsing the RMA'd chip for Intel.

Robert Richmond

[Wombat]

Thanks for the quick responce.. I think I'll go with the stock idea - to save any future headaches.

Paul

P.S My AMD's are normally chip only.

[John Prophet]

Ya....i think it is interesting that AMD recommends the Thermal Pad and NOT thermal paste (arctic silver etc)

Its funny that the OC crowd recommends the opposite and has the temp benchmarks to prove it.

I guess AMD is worried about people frying stuff thru mistakes and wanting RMA's etc. (in other words the thermal pad is relatively foolproof..whereas if they gave a little packet of thermal paste their RMA probably goes up 10% right away!)

AMD likes the pad because it cushions the Athlon core from chipping during heatsink installation. If the Athlon had a heatspreader, AMD would recommend thermal paste.