No Retention Bracket!!

[stayplation3]

my new am2 processor just came! i opened up my case took out my old heatsink to find that there was no retention bracket on my mb!!! the old cpu is an am2 athlon 64 x2, and so is the new one, but the new one i got requires you to clip the heatsink into a retention bracket, on my old heatsink the whole thing just screwed into the MB! here is a pic of my MB without the heatsink in..

here is a pic of my old heatsink..

here is a pic of my new heatsink..

as you can see the old heatsink screwed directly into the mb, and the new heatsink didnt come with a retention bracket... I need a retention bracket!!! will any am2 retention bracket work??? can some1 link me to some sites i can buy some off of?? my pc is a gateway gt5220 and my mb model is: C51PVGM-GB 4006136R

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

as you can see the old heatsink screwed directly into the mb, and the new heatsink didnt come with a retention bracket... I need a retention bracket!!! will any am2 retention bracket work??? can some1 link me to some sites i can buy some off of?? my pc is a gateway gt5220 and my mb model is: C51PVGM-GB 4006136R

Any AM2 Bracket should work. You MIGHT be able to send gateway an e-mail asking for one, for an upgrade, or find one second-hand.

The reason you don't have one is because it was a gateway board (And their custom heatsink). The retention bracket is part of the AM2 spec, and Gateway uses a custom solution (Which is why the AMD CPU came with a heatsink requiring the bracket).

 

[BrooksyX]

Why can't you just use the old heatsink? The included AMD heatsink won't perform much better.

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

Why can't you just use the old heatsink? The included AMD heatsink won't perform much better.

This would probably work fine also. Just re-apply thermal paste properly.

 

[stayplation3]

well im scared. wut if it doesnt and the cpu fries and i cant return it cuz i voided the warrenty cuz i used a heatsink that didnt come with the cpu.... and the original heatsink is like 4 years old.. and btw i do have arctic silver 5.... but im too scared to use the old heatsink... maybe if i got more opinions on it i would feel better doing it. and also can some1 help me find some am2 retention brackets?

 

[stayplation3]

COME ON PPL I WANT ANOTHER OPINION FROM SOME1 PLZ OMG IM FREAKIN OUT

 

[Nick89]

Facepalm/

Then dont use the new processor or make up your mind. Just because the old heat sink is 4 years old does not mean it will not work. USE the old heat sink.

There is NO reason the old heat sink would cause youre new processor to die....

 

[stayplation3]

if i get this retention bracket, http://www.cwc-group.com/am2retention.html, will i need this, http://www.xsfans.com/index.php?mai...id=535&zenid=0b3d9c3841673b3741f900c1e7783f3b ?

 

[pbmaster]

Yes you will. If you're going to all this trouble for a stupid bracket why not man up and get an aftermarket cooler as well?

 

[stayplation3]

i wasnt sure if i needed the backplate or not but why would i need it? couldnt i just screw the retention bracket into the 4 holes in the motherboard?

 

[pbmaster]

Yes, now that after looking more closely I think you could....and upon even further inspection the back plate might not even fit. Just hope the bracket lines up with the holes.

 

[stayplation3]

why wouldnt it line up with the holes? its an am2 motherboard and an am2 processor. is there some type of problem i might run into with the bracket not fitting on the motherboard?

 

[BrooksyX]

Just use the old heatsink! An amd retention bracket might not even fit your motherboard. It looks like the old heatsink doesn't have a fan though. Unscrew the fan from the amd heatsink and screw it into the old heatsink. The old heatsink will work just fine.

 

[denice25]

i like your new heatsink!!! very nice!!

 

[stayplation3]

ok brooksy but why would it might not fit???

 

[human_error]

Well since that mobo was never designed to have a retention bracket fitted you have 2 options - use the old heatsink and stick a fan onto it if you're really worried or get a new motherboard which will have a bracket on (any AM2 motherboard you'd be able to buy from an etailer will have a bracket).

TBH that old heatsink will do ok at stock speeds, it's made of metal so the age really doesn't matter. If your cpu did overheat it would slow itself down to reduce its heat output and you'd get a lot of warning beeps from your motherboard telling you there was a problem. If a cpu continues to get too hot it will eventually shut itself down as those mobos will probably have overheat protection which can't be disabled.

**edit**

A retention bracket won't fit that mobo because the capacitors have been placed so that they are where the retention bracket would need to be if you tried to fit one, so it cannot physically fit on that motherboard.

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

why wouldnt it line up with the holes? its an am2 motherboard and an am2 processor. is there some type of problem i might run into with the bracket not fitting on the motherboard?

The holes should be standard. The screws also should hold the bracket on to the motherboard just fine if you choose to go that route. However, the old cooler will most likely work fine. You could order the bracket and give the old heatsink a shot in the meantime if you want to use it in the end anyways. Using the old heatsink should in no way "fry" your CPU. Just watch your temperatures regardless. If the CPU gets too hot it should either reduce its clockspeed, or shut itself down. You should be able to run it without a heatsink, and it still survive (albeit not remain stable most likely), IDEALLY, if it was designed properly.

Just clean the bottom of the heatsink well, apply arctic silver properly, and you will most likely be fine.

Use a temperature monitor. If they are above 50-60C I would go with the bracket and new heatsink.

Also make sure there is good airflow around the heatsink from the case, regardless.

 

[stayplation3]

ok but human error has a good point. would the bracket fit since there are capacitors in the way? the old heatsink sat on top of the capacitors... so wouldnt the bracket just sit on top of them too?

 

[stayplation3]

also the bottom of the old heatsink is weird... the thing that sticks out on the bottom is placed on there diagonally. will that in any way reduce cooling?

 

[human_error]

On that image i've highlighted the problems with fitting a amd bracket to that mobo - most are just small resistors which may be ok if you are very careful and fix some sort of thin foam pad between them and the bracket (if you don't and the bracket has any kind of movement you could break free from its solder and break the mobo).

The large caps and mofoset on the bottom right area don't have enough space between them for the retention bracket to fit between - you'd have to try and cut the bracket to fit to the mobo, which may weaken it to a point where it could break easily OR you'd brak the mobo (neither are good options).

This is of course using the black plastic standard AMD retention bracket.

**edit**

The old cooler would fit because it does not need to be flush to the motherboard, which is why it has that diamond shaped area which is lower than the rest of the cooler so it can make contact to the cpu - the rest is raised away from the mobo so it doesn't tough the other parts.

The diamond shape contact to the cpu is fine - the metal cover on the cpu is larger than the core itself - the diamond would cover all the area which the core would be under on the cpu, which is fine as the coreners won't produce any heat as there is nothing under them.

 

[stayplation3]

ok dont forget to take a look at my post right above urs... we posted at the same time ;o

 

[stayplation3]

and all those things you got circled are almost TOTALLY flat. they are very small bumps on the mb even tho they look like they stick out a little.

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

and all those things you got circled are almost TOTALLY flat. they are very small bumps on the mb even tho they look like they stick out a little.

The resistors around the North, east, west sides of the picture should be fine, yes, but the only "problem" might be the caps on the south side.

If the mobo was designed within AM2 spec, there is no reason for the bracket to not fit.

Consider a new mobo, if you aren't comfortable with the old heatsink, and/or placing a bracket on that. A new one (www.newegg.com) will come with a bracket already installed, for sure, and will save you the $10-$30 of trying a replacement bracket beforehand.

 

[human_error]

and all those things you got circled are almost TOTALLY flat. they are very small bumps on the mb even tho they look like they stick out a little.

i have edited my previous post with more info - plus they are very flat yes, but the amd retention bracket lies completely flat against a motherboard - as i said you'd need a foam pad between the bracket and those resistors to prevent damage (i've seen a mobo where someone refitted a retention bracket after they bought a new cooler and didn't protect the resistors with anything - the bracket was slightly loose and managed to damage a couple of them, after that his mobo was useless.

That is all moot anyway as the space between the cap and mofoset i highlighted isn't be enough to the bracket to fit between, soyou can't physically fit a bracket there.

 

[stayplation3]

ok.. im about to try the old heatsink... you are totally sure the old one wont fry my processor or damage it in any way?
the old heatsink does have a fan but its on the side it isnt attached to it