Computer Assembly - How To Assemble A PC
The Processor, CPU Cooler and Thermal Compound
The AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ processor. I purchased the retail box version of the processor, as shown below, which includes a CPU cooler with fan. The processor itself is visible in the window. Alternatively, a processor can be purchased as an OEM product. Typical processor OEM packaging is bubble wrap surrounding the processor enclosed in an antistatic bag with the processor 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 Zalman CNPS 9500 AM2 CPU cooler I chose is sufficient for any speed of Athlon 64 X2 processor, so I have room to grow. And it is very quiet.
Thermal compound is a grease that is applied between the processor and CPU cooler so that heat is efficiently transferred from the processor to the heat sink of the CPU cooler, where it is dissipated with the aid of the fan on the CPU cooler. Often the CPU cooler retail package includes thermal compound that is sufficient - see the white tube in the lower right of the second picture, above - but I prefer to add a few bucks to my overall system cost and get a thermal compound that's really first rate, namely Arctic Silver 5.
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