PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - Another computer dummy question

Crazy_Nate · #4 02-18-2008, 11:43 PM

Hey frosty...

I've built my share of computers. That "grey goo" is a thermal compound. It's designed for one application only. You can get by with reusing it, but it's cheap, and it'll probably keep your temperatures down (the lower, the longer the component's will last). Just look for a small tube of Arctic Silver 5. I love that stuff. They have a "how-to" on their website. Follow it and you can't go wrong.

As to getting it on the underside of the CPU, try to get it all off. Most thermal compounds are conductive or slightly capacitive. That's probably the last place you want a short. I use rubbing alcohol and some type of low lint paper towel to clean off the old stuff.

Other than that, a computer is pretty easy to build. Just plug in the connectors (hard drives / dvd burner - SATA or PATA (IDE), sound connectors / buttons (there should be a pinout on the motherboard, or in the user manual), etc.), plug in the power (motherboard, hard drive, dvd, fans, etc) and go.

Oh, and to answer your original question, CPU's are pretty robust. There's an interface on the bottom (yours is probably flat, whereas my AMD has 939 pins sticking out). Then there's the silicon PCB which the processor resides on. What you actually see on the top is a heat spreader. It's usually copper / zinc. It protects everything, too. Just don't play with it too much, and it'll be great.

To make sure I have everything working properly, I use prime95 to check for computational errors. I run it for 8 hours+. If it makes it through that, it'll be fine. If not, you probably have to change some BIOS settings. There are other tests and tools that I can point you toward. PM me if you want more info.