How to Build A PC: Installing the Processor Chip and CPU Cooler Fan

The processor chip (you'll see me frequently refer to it as a processor chip or CPU chip) is by far one of the most sensitive parts of your computer, and it's vital that you take extreme care when handing it. Once again, discharge any static electricity on your body by touching something metallic, like your PC case. Take the processor chip out of its box by handling it from the sides with your fingertips.

On your motherboard, the CPU socket (the large square area) should have an "arm" that can be raised. Raise the arm, and place the chip in the socket, pins down - but only when you are sure that you're placing it in the right way. You'll notice that the processor chip has one corner that is slanted. The CPU socket on the motherboard also has a square pattern with one end that's slanted, as well. Common sense says that you have to match the slanted corner of the CPU chip with the slanted corner on the slot!



Above: You're looking at an Intel Core 2 Quad 2.66G chip being installed in an ASUS Rampage Formula board. Step 1) On the motherboard, open the socket hatch and raise the retainer arm, Step 2) Gently insert the processor chip into the socket, aligning the angled edge of the chip with the angled edge of the socket, Step 3) Close the socket hatch and lower the retaining arm back to its original position. The chip is now securely in its socket!

Never forcefully push the processor chip in - if you accidentally bend the pins under the chip, you'll probably have a major problem on your hands. If the chip didn't fall into place, it's either in wrong, or needs to be gently moved in place. Either way, the chip has to be secured within the socket before you lower the arm and secure it down. Chips and sockets were engineered so that there is no need to ever have to push it down, it should simply fall into the socket. If the chip is in place, lower the arm on the motherboard to secure it.

Once the processor chip is in place and the socket arm is in the down position, it's time to spread a layer of thermal grease onto the surface of the chip. Thermal grease has the consistency of caulk or putty...perhaps not as binding.

Take your little tube of thermal grease (I use Arctic Silver, which has always been the signature brand) and squeeze a dot of grease on the center of the chip. Then, spread the grease across the entire top of the chip (the entire silver/metallic cover on top of the chip should be covered in grease).



Above: Step 1) Squeeze a reasonable amount of thermal grease on the surface of the processor chip, Step 2) Spread the grease across the entire surface, evenly.

Don't use too much grease, because we're going to fasten a CPU cooling fan directly on top of the chip, and the excess grease will smush out the sides like a roasted marshmallow between a couple of graham crackers. The best way to spread the grease over the surface of the chip is to wear a rubber glove and use your fingertip, or rip off a piece of a manila envelope and spread it across (just make sure there's no dust on it). We're not painting a Picasso here...just make sure the surface of the chip is covered!

If you have never done this before, it may seem like a frightening thing to be doing, but is in fact an important part of installing a processor! Thermal grease assists in the heat dispersion of the CPU chip, keeping it as cool as possible, and preventing chip damage via overheating. It acts like a buffer or conduit between the chip and the CPU cooling fan (heat travels out of the chip, buffered by the thermal grease, and through the CPU fan which blows the heat it out of the PC case).

Keep your tube of thermal grease. It's a good practice to re-grease your CPU chip every year or two. You can also use it to grease the chip in your video card!

Installing the CPU cooling fan (sometimes called a heatsink fan) can either be a quick and simple task, or a real pain. It depends on the fan. The standard fan that comes with your CPU chip is usually easy to install, and the instructions are included. Many aftermarket fans, including Zalman, are typically superior in regard to keeping your processor cool. It's always a best practice to not use the standard fan that came with your processor, and chip in for something a little better.

Some cooling fans may require you to install a bracket in which the fan will be mounted on, because it's physically impossible to screw the fan onto the board itself. Let's take a look at the process involved in installing a Zalman CNPS9500 AT 2 ball cooling fan on an ASUS Rampage Formula motherboard:



Above: Crap! My Zalman CNPS9500 bracket doesn't fit on the ASUS Rampage Formula board because of that damn heatsink being so close on the left. I had no choice but to shave off that "fin" on the left hand side of the bracket, so that it could fit in there. I don't know why on earth they ever manufactured it that way. Thankfully it was easy to cut (see below)



Above: That annoying plastic part was pretty easy to cut off. Simply use a Dremel tool and get rid of that sucker.



Above: Success! It fits like a glove.

This little fiasco shows you how you might have to improvise, sometimes. Not all brackets will be this much of a headache to install. Simply screw the bracket into the motherboard as directed from the included direction booklet, and connect the fan to the bracket. Some brackets have a bottom retainer that must be positioned underneath the motherboard (that was the case with the Zalman CNPS9500), so, you'll have to take the motherboard out just to install the CPU cooler fan!

If you're installing a Zalman fan (which I highly recommend you do), fastening the fan can be a bit of a pain. Zalman fans are usually large and have a double ended metal piece that fastens the fan to the motherboard. It's easy to screw in one end, but the other end will require you to insert the screw and press down hard with your screwdriver, and continue pressing while you fasten the screw. In these cases, be extremely careful that your screwdriver does not slip and damage your motherboard. I suppose I made this sound a lot scarier than it really is, but it's worth the precautionary note!

CPU cooling fans have a flat metallic piece under them. This area gets placed directly over the top of the CPU chip, with the thermal grease being the mayonnaise of the sandwich (now you know why I told you not to use too much thermal grease before!) Follow the directions that came with your heatsink fan, as different models may have different installation instructions. Be sure to point the exhaust end of your fan toward the back of the case, so that it moves air out of the case. The exhaust end is simply the "fan end," you'll see that the fan's fins are pointed outward to blow air rather than intake air.





Above: Here, you can see the installed Zalman CNPS9500 CPU cooling fan installed in an ASUS Rampage Formula motherboard. Two angles are included so that you can get a better view.

Many CPU fans are heavy, and you'll want to make sure they're installed properly. Once you've fastened your CPU fan (once again, don't fasten the screws too tight, but secure enough to hold it down), gently jiggle the fan to make sure it's sturdy, and you're done.

There's one final step! Your CPU fan has a power plug on it, it's a thin little female-end cord with a small rectangular end. Find the outlet somewhere near the area where the fan was connected, you'll be able to spot it quickly. It usually has two prongs in a white plastic housing, that the power plug can fit directly onto.

On to the next step, Installing the CD-ROM & DVD-ROM Drives >>
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