Duron / GlobalWin FOP38 install query...

[Chuck]

Hi,

I've just bought a Duron 750 (guarenteed @ 1Ghz), a Abit KT7-RAID, and a GlobalWin FOP38 heatsink. I've downloaded the AMD guide to plonking the CPU on the motherboard, but i'm a bit worried about the attaching of the Fan to the CPU. As I understand it if it's not properly secured on I could fry the chip in seconds. But when I try to put the two components together they are nowhere near touching. The 4 black circular pad things on the Duron prevent the heatsink from touching the blue thing in the middle (there is a good 2-3mm gap).

Do I just need to use a hell of a lot of thermal compound? Or is there something I am missing?

Thanks.

BTW is there any other info do you think i'll need when doing the upgrade? Do you think i'll need to reinstall windows, or could I get away with it (I'm going to buy a new HD in the coming weeks, so I don't want to have to do it 2 times almost in a row). Thanks.

 

[DaddyG]

The FOP38 should have a Phase Change Thermal Compound pre-applied, thats all you need. The pads will be squeezed doen when you fasten the clips. It takes quite a bit of pressure to fasten the clips. Just make sure that you keep constant pressure on the hsf to keep it flat against the chip as you fasten the clips. JonnyGURU has some good info on his site The-GURU

 

[blammo22]

I tried out the FOP38. It works fine, but just make sure that the thermal pad is contacting the _entire_ CPU die surface (the blue thing in the middle). The best, though, is to take the pad off carefully (with a razor and some alcohol or nail-polish remover), and then sand the surface down with some very fine sandpaper (>400 Grit, I think) - the FOP38 has a pretty rough surface as shipped. Then use some thermal grease and you should probably get better performance.

In my case, I tried it with the pad, but the temps were higher than my old setup. The fan on the FOP38 is also freakin' L O U D! Maybe sanding the surface down might give me better results, but I decied to just stick with my Alpha PAL6035 - much quieter. ;-)

 

[DaddyG]

Blammo22,

Have to say that most thermal greases do not perform as well as PCTC. You MUST cook the PCTC to ensure that the Change completes. This involves disconnecting the fan to allow the heatsink to heat up. The 'change occurs at about 58c. When the change occurs the small imperfections in the heatsink are automatically filled, no sanding required. Many silicone based compounds simply dry out or get squeezed out due to the high temps and high clip pressure required for Durons and BIRDS. Arctic Silver is the only compound that I would consider instead of AMD approved PCTC. Also note that if AS is not applied correctly, the temps will be higher.