Purpose
-The installation of the included stock HSF for socket 775 is known to be tricky
-Therefore, this tip list is designed to help new pc builders with the installation
-Read the whole guide before you begin and go back and follow it step-by-step
Installation the first time
-First, install your CPU and close the load plate.
-When preparing to install the HSF, have the motherboard out of the case! Intel tells you to have the mobo in the case, but you need to support the bottom of the motherboard when installing. Trust me, its a lot easier to install this out of the case, and is just as effective.
-Get the stock heatsink fan out of the box. Notice the pre-applied thermal pad.
-Slowly, place the HSF on top of the CPU in any orientation allinging the four prongs with the holes in the mobo
-Once the HSF is correctly placed on the motherboard, make sure the prongs are alligned in the holes well
-Press down on any of the tabs.
-Remember to support the bottom of the mobo with your other hand. Also, dont rotate the tabs! The default position is the correct position for installation.
-You'll hear it click in. Make sure the tab is completely pressed in, and inspect the bottom of the mobo to make sure its in all of the way.
-Now, press down on the tab diagonal of the first tab. This might seem harder to do then the first tab.
-Again, remember to provide support on the bottom of the mobo with your other hand.
-Once the tab is completely pressed down, inspect the bottom of the motherboard to make sure it is completely in.
-Repeat the same thing with the next two tabs remembering to support the bottom of the motherboard as you fully press down on the tabs.
-Once all of the tabs are in completely, your done! Remember to plug in CPU fan cord to mobo.
Removal
-Rotate all four of the tabs using a flathead screwdriver.
-Then pull up on the tabs (you wont have to pull them up with much force, the pressure against the mobo was released when you rotated the tabs)
-Pull up on heatsink fan.
After-Removal Prep
-If you plan on re-using the HSF you just removed, rotate the tabs back to the factory position.
-The pre-applied thermal pad is now destroyed.
-Get some high-purity iso alcohol and a lint-free cloth (not anything fuzzy). Apply a little alcohol to a part of the cloth.
-Clean off the grease off bottom of the HSF with the cloth. Dont scratch it! The grease should just buff out with a circular motion.
-Now, you'll notice the CPU has grease on it too. Remove the CPU from the mobo. Place the plastic pin protector back on the CPU.
-Hold the CPU with two fingers. With the other hand, clean off the grease just as you did with the bottom of the HSF.
Installation the second time with thermal grease
-After you have cleaned everything (see 'After-Removal Prep'), buy some thermal grease. This comes in a small tube and shouldnt be more than $10. Good brand is
Artic Silver.
-You can also buy official thermal grease from intel
here.
-Install the cpu in the mobo.
-Put a little, uncooked grain-of-rice-sized amount of grease on the center of the CPU. It doesnt take much. If your using thermal grease from intel, dispense all of the contents!
-Dont use the spreader, this way I'm explaining works best for 775.
-Install the HSF like normal (see 'Installation the first time')
-Once the HSF is attached, rotate it slightly 1 or 2 degrees a few times. You'll bearly be able to do this. This will spread the compound to the whole surface.
-This way I just explained doesnt seem like it would work, but trust me, it does.
Final Notes
-Hope everything worked for you. The stock intel HSF can be very hard to install, just read customer reviews for any retail 775 cpu, especially if it's your first time.
-There's a video
here of someone installing the CPU. Its good, but I disagree with two things he did. First, its a lot easier to install the HSF with the mobo outside the case! Second, one must press the first tab, then the tab diagonal from it, not next to it.
-Here's
a tutorial with pictures of installing the HSF.