The Processor, CPU Cooler and Thermal Compound

The AMD Athlon XP 2600+ processor. Typical OEM packaging is like this. Bubble wrap surrounding the processor enclosed an antistatic bag. The processor is inserted into a small foam square to protect the prongs.

It's important that the CPU Cooler provide enough cooling capacity for the processor, but it's also a consideration as to how much noise it makes. The CPU Cooler is perhaps the primary noise factor component. The Thermaltake Volcano 9 CPU Cooler I chose is sufficient for up to Athlon XP 3400+, so I have room to grow. The, um, cool thing about this CPU cooler is that it can be installed in three different ways to give you the balance you desire over cooling effectiveness and noise level. The third picture below is a blow-up of the contents of the goodie bag shown circled in blue in the second picture.

The white blob in the clear package in the third picture above is the thermal compound that Thermaltake includes with the CPU cooler. That's very nice of Thermaltake to do that and I'm sure it does the job just fine, but I prefer to add a few bucks to my overall cost and get a thermal compound that's really first rate, namely Arctic Silver 3.

The other items in the goodie bag are: the black cable has the thermal sensor on the end of it, the small blue square is actually a jumper used to set the Volcano 9 to a particular configuration, and the white square is actually double-sided thermal sticky tape used to stick the thermal sensor to the bottom of the processor.

Next: Computer Assembly - RAM - System Memory

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How To Build A Computer. Step By Step Instructions To Assemble. Skip To Any Assembly Step.

	Parts List [go]
	Tools [go]
	Antistatic Wrist Strap [go]
	Computer Case and Power Supply [go]
	Motherboard [go]
	Processor, CPU Cooler and Thermal Compound [go]
	RAM - System Memory [go]
	Video Card [go]
	Monitor [go]
	Keyboard and Mouse [go]
	Floppy Drive [go]
	Hard Drive [go]
	CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD RW [go]
	Sound Card and Speakers [go]
	Modem [go]
	Install the Processor onto the Motherboard [go]
	Install the CPU Cooler [go]
	Install the RAM - System Memory [go]
	Install the Motherboard into the Computer Case [go]
	Install the Video Card [go]
	Connect the Power Supply to the Motherboard [20-pin Connector  or  24-pin Connector]
	Connect the PN1 and PN2 Indicators to the Motherboard [KS-282 to EPoX 8RDA+  or  Sonata to MSI K8N Neo Platinum]
	Ready the Monitor [go]
	Ready the Keyboard and Mouse [go]
	First Boot [go]
	First Boot Common Problems [go]
	Install the CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD RW Drives [go]
	Install the Hard Drive and Floppy Drive [PATA Hard Drive  or  SATA Hard Drive]
	Connect the Speakers (if using built-in sound) [go]
	Second Boot [PATA  or  SATA]
	Configure the BIOS Parameter Settings [EPoX 8RDA+  or  MSI K8N Neo Platinum]
	Test The Hard Drive [PATA  or  SATA]
	Install a Second SATA Hard Drive For RAID (optional) [go]
	Install the Operating System - Windows XP [on PATA hard drive  or  on SATA hard drive]
	Driver Installation [go]
	How To Copy Big Files From Another Computer Using Just a Floppy Drive [go]
	Install the Modem [go]
	Install the Motherboard Chipset Drivers [EPoX 8RDA+  or  MSI K8N Neo Platinum]
	Install the Monitor Driver [go]
	Install the Video Card Drivers [EPoX 8RDA+  or  MSI K8N Neo Platinum]
	Install the Sound Card and Speakers [go]
	Install System Information Utility - EVEREST [go]
	Diagnostic Test - DirectX [go]
	Speed Test - System Memory (RAM) Performance [go]
	Speed Test - Hard Drive Performance [PATA and SATA results]
	Speed Test - CD Performance [go]
	Speed Test - Total System Performance [go]
	Stress/Torture Tests [go]
	Connect Front Panel Ports For Audio, Firewire and USB 2.0 [go]
	Install Rear Panel Ports For Firewire And USB 2.0 [go]
	Install The Computer Case Fans [go]
	Post Assembly Needs [go]
	Graduation [go]
	Video Card Driver Settings [go]
	BIOS Flash Update [go]
	BIOS Settings [go]

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