Nearly Building, Questions questions!

[Rizzy2DarQ]

Hey guys.. I have some questions about my first time build.. (aiyor the newby is back!)

I have all of my components, all except the power supply unit (coming tomorrow I hope) along with my XP installation disk.

Having looked at some of the components I had a few questions:

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro - do I need to get some extra thermal compound to put on the cpu ?
I have looked underneath and it looks like there is some grey stuff which is already on the copper which is supposed to connect to the processor. I do not know if I just put it ontop of the processor or apply something before I do?

I also have a question about assembling.
Do I assemble everything on the motherboard first, then connect the motherboard with the case, or put the motherboard in the case then connect components?
I have a pretty large case so I was wandering what would be the "best" procedure on how to go about building.


I probably have more questions but I haven't realised it yet, but thanks for any support!

 

[Snipe343]

Umm i donno about the paste but put the cpu, ram and stuff in the mobo then mount it to the case first, on my computer i had to install the PSU and dvd drives before hand but thats due to the case being cheap and small

 

[ShadowFold]

When I built mine I put the mobo in first then put all the stuff on it. Also should have put AS on before you put the H/S fan on, I think you can get the crap from the fan off it with rubbing alchohol. After I got the mobo in and everything installed there I put the psu in last.

 

[JrRacinFan]

Even with a pushpin design I would still install cpu/ram/heatsink on the motherboard first before installing into the case. Then install the power supply, do your cable management then install the motherboard. After that connect all components,drives and add-on cards in that order. Just personal preference, it can potentially be much easier to get all components together.

 

[hat]

No shadowfold, the thermal paste Arctic Cooling uses is thier own MX-1 paste, which is better than thier Arctic Silver.

As for the building, I would:
1. get the case ready
2. install perhipials (hard drive, dvd burners, floppy drives, etc)
3. install RAM on the motherboard
4. install the motherboard (don't forget the spacers...) (and hook up the case buttons to the motherboard as well)
5. install the CPU and heatsink
6. install any plug-in cards
7. install PSU, connect power cables
8. check and make sure you have everything installed, plugged in, ready to go
9. cross your fingers, hope to hell nothing is DOA, and turn it on... hopefully.

and don't forget to put everything on a non-static surface like wood, plastic, cardboard boxes, etc... and ground yourself! Wear shoes, touch the case frequently, etc...

 

[Rizzy2DarQ]

Wow thanx for the fast replies, I'm going to start prepping my cases and periphrals now then..

So the thermal paste is okay to just leave it and pu it on the cpu? (I will use the retail stock cooler if I do not have the paste)

I have a question about the like case buttons and the wires that come with the case.. how do I connect it?
(I will/have already partly, read the manual, but "connect it" is quite vague for me.. is it really that easy to just correct the corresponding wires?

Thanx thanx again ^_^

 

[Snipe343]

hat said it all XD

 

[hat]

Rizzy, Your Freezer 7 Pro as MX-1 pre-applied to it. MX-1 is better than Arctic Silver. However keep the stock heatsink around for the highly unlikely event the freezer stops freezing (fan breaks)

I just got the AC Freezer 64 Pro, the version of the cooler for the AMD mounting system. It dropped my core temperature a good 10C under load, but idle drop was minimal (like 1c at best), but idle was 30c anyway. Old temps were 35 idle 55 load, but that was core temp, not cpu temp. When overclocking, just download coretemp and take 5c off of that to get your cpu temp. Although CPU temp is supposedly core temp -15, I only do -5 to be absolutely safe.

 

[Rizzy2DarQ]

Cheers, Answered everything I need to know so far already!

I'm happy I got a case where I don't have to mess around with tools too much!

 

[JrRacinFan]

Totally agree with you hat, MX-1 is just a small tad better than AS5. If you need to use your stock heatsink later make sure you do end up having some AS5 handy.

 

[hat]

Glad to be of some help for once. Usually things get too complicated or too Intel-y for me to understand. When I got my AMD system about 1/2 year ago, I stopped learning about Intel.

Jr, I kind of disagree with that.
As long as his freezer is still under warranty when (and if, again this is unlikely) it breaks, the AS5 really won't help him much, espically with the crappy cooler Intel provides with that monster of a chip. Besides, if it's a G0 he can probably make it to 3GHz on stock voltage, and with the Freezer he might get to 3.4 or so due to the voltage increaces... 400MHz aint a whole lot, yo.

The freezer is certianly NOT the best cooler ever made, that would go along the lines of the Thermalright IFX-somenumber, at least for air. It's way better than stock however, and quieter...

pretty much I'm not reccomending buying AS5 to put on any stock cooler. And you almost always get some kind of thermal material with your cooler, wether it's pre-applied or comes in a tube... and that's way better than what the cpu/video card manufacturers put on thier coolers to start with...

 

[Rizzy2DarQ]

I am planning to get a thermalright ultra120-extreme, a lot later though, once this build is done and I deem it a success ^^
(It's looks massive though )

The cooler is intended for a small safe overclock, safe being the main word.. I like low temps

 

[hat]

Not nescessary.
The thermalright may grand you 4GHz, but what the freezer can grant you (probably around 3.4-3.5), I can't say the minimal overall speed gain (sure its 500 or 600MHz, but you've already got 4 cores, and 3.4-3.5GHz goes a very long way anyway) isn't worth the money, nor the effort it takes to install the thermalright cooler...

 

[JrRacinFan]

Yes but hat, I was implying the reuse of a stock cooler as well. Your going to re-attach a used stock cooler without reapplying any TIM?

 

[hat]

The REUSE of the stock cooler? I figured he was waiting to build until all the parts got there (freezer included) so the stock cooler would have the pre-applied thermal paste...

indeed, installing any cooler to any component can go very tits-up without any thermal material.

 

[JrRacinFan]

I was assuming so. Is the above what I am thinking, Rizzy>?

 

[hat]

Well, judging by the fact he's asking for last-minute advice on building, I would say the stock cooler is NOT, and never was in use...

 

[JrRacinFan]

Yeah, true. Sorry was reading more into what he was asking and giving more information than what was needed. Oh well, I always have that problem with everything.

 

[ex_reven]

A tip: Dont touch the surfaces of the CPU or Heatsink prior to installation.

 

[Rizzy2DarQ]

Hehe, extra info is extra learning for me
Errrrm, stock cooler... I havent taken the q6600 out of the plastic packaging ( I took it out of the box in the plastic to have a look)
It's not attached to the stock cooler already is it? I dont have any cleaning alchohol at home

 

[ex_reven]

Hehe, extra info is extra learning for me
Errrrm, stock cooler... I havent taken the q6600 out of the plastic packaging ( I took it out of the box in the plastic to have a look)
It's not attached to the stock cooler already is it? I dont have any cleaning alchohol at home

The cooler cant be attached to the cpu. The only thing that can hold the cooler to the cpu is when the cooler is attached to the mobo. Otherwise if you nudged the cooler youd probably crack something in the cpu lol.

No cleaning alcohol?
What about methylated spirits or something like that?

 

[Rizzy2DarQ]

Ah I mean the heatsink thingy, well Im glad they are seperate (sorry havent had a looked yet.. was putting the hdd's in

Thanxz for the tip,

It reminded me of a mistake I made, I was just looking at the instructions for the arctic cooling freezer7 with all the plastic on, but the piece of plastic covering the copper bit with the thermal paste fell off, and I left a very slight fingerprint before noticing (to my horror!)

Will this seriously affecting cooling etc.? Because then I seriously will need to use the crappy stock



Edit: Um what's a methylated spirit? Sorry, I wish I knew the different types of alchohol that are out there.. all I knew was that it needed to be "pure" or something?

 

[hat]

The thermal paste on the stock cooler is fine. You will probably never use it anyway, and if you do, it will be fine for the temporary amount of time you do end up using it...

 

[pepsi71ocean]

with the Q6600 touch it by the sides, not the bottom or the top, The top being the silver color heatshield, or the bottom where the black plastic shield is. Under that shield is a nice gold color bunch of conductors, don't touch them either, and remember to match the yellow/gold triangle up with the one on the mobo,

 

[Rizzy2DarQ]

(I'll be using washing up gloves - as extra pre-caution)
Thanx for that tip