Quietpc.com Radial Fin Installation Instructions

FC-PGA/Socket A Radial Fin™ Installation Instructions

These instructions will tell you how to install your new Radial Fin™ processor cooler in an easy-to-follow manner. If you are used to taking the lid off your PC, you should find the installation reasonably straightforward. You may like to print out these instructions so you can refer to them while you are upgrading your machine. However, if you are in any doubt as to your own skill in PC hardware installation then for the safety of yourself and your PC, please ask an expert engineer to do the work for you!

These instructions are for guidance only and no responsibility or liability can be borne by Quietpc.com for damage or loss incurred, (including data loss) howsoever caused, either directly or consequentially. Removing the heatsink from your processor is likely to void the manufacturer warranty, especially if you damage your processor while doing it! However, with a little care and by following these instructions to the letter, there is no reason why your upgrade shouldn't be safe and successful, and the reduction in noise is undoubtedly worth the effort. Print these instructions out, take your time and enjoy yourself!

IMPORTANT: Before starting, backup the data on your hard drive. You should do this regularly in any case, as hard drives are never 100% reliable and total data loss can be disastrous if no other copy exists. The hard drive is at a higher than normal risk of failure due to accidental damage while a PC upgrade is in progress. You can damage and replace other components in your PC, but if you break your hard drive, without a backup the data may never be replaceable. Right, lecture over, now on with the installation! Please read these instructions in full before starting.

1. Unclip the old cooler

Firstly, if you are building a PC from scratch rather than replacing the noisy cooler on a PC which is already built, please skip straight to step 3.

Otherwise, unplug all cables from the PC and place it on a clean work surface with plenty of room for manoeuvre. Remove the cover. If access space around the CPU is tight, you should remove the motherboard entirely from the case and place it on a flat working surface, preferably on top of an anti-static bag or mat. Do not work on a carpet, (especially not a carpet containing nylon), as static electricity can damage electronic components. If you have an anti-static wristband then wear it.

Disconnect the existing CPU fan connector from the motherboard, making a note of where it went. The procedure for removing the existing cooler will vary slightly depending on the design of the clip. Most coolers have a clip which retains the heatsink block in place on either side of the CPU socket. Start with the end of the clip furthest from the tip of the CPU retention lever bar. Press the latch downward (1) then outward (2), so that it clears the plastic lug on the CPU socket. Then carefully allow the clip to spring upward (3), slowly releasing the pressure. If you use a screwdriver for extra leverage, be very careful you don't slip and damage the motherboard!

2. Remove the old cooler

With one end of the cooler retention clip free, the cooler will be loose. Do not move the cooler sideways, but simply lift it upward at an angle as shown. The other end of the clip will still be in place, and you can now carefully unhook it. It should be easier to unhook this end because the clip is no longer under pressure. When the clip is free, lift the cooler away from the CPU completely.

Note that the photographs in these instructions show an AMD CPU, but the principle is exactly the same for Intel FC-PGA processors.

3. Prepare the processor

Ensure that the CPU is firmly installed in its socket as shown. Do NOT power up the PC at this point! The CPU would overheat and be completely destroyed within a few seconds. The next stage is to ensure that the raised core of the CPU (also called the die) is completely clean and free of any thermal paste or the remains of any thermal interface pad. If your CPU has not previously had a cooler installed, then cleaning the die will not be necessary. Otherwise, you should use a cotton bud or lint-free cloth, and a low residual solvent such as isopropanol (tape head cleaning fluid) or acetone (nail varnish remover). Before proceeding you must ensure that the CPU core is entirely free from heatsink compound, fingerprints, dust, hairs etc. For a good thermal connection, the surface of the CPU core must be 100% clean.

4. Prepare the cooler

These pictures show the different types of thermal interface pad which will have been supplied with your cooler. The thermal interface pad is very important because it will melt on first use and form a good thermal connection between the CPU and the cooler. It provides a less messy alternative to conventional thermal compound.

If your cooler has a red or transparent protective liner like the one shown in picture A, then please remove it to reveal the yellow or white thermal interface pad as shown in picture B. You MUST remove this protective liner before installation of the cooler.

If your cooler looks like pictures B, C, or D, then the thermal interface pad is in place and ready to go. Do not remove the yellow, white, green or black thermal interface pad unless you plan to use your own thermal interface compound instead (not supplied). When using your own compound, remove all traces of pad first. You may find that by using silver-based compound, a reduction in running temperature of a few degrees is achieved.

5. Install the first side of the clip

It's time for action! Tilt the cooler at an angle and slowly lower it toward the processor. While keeping contact with the processor to a minimum, carefully engage the cooler clip onto the CPU socket lug nearest the tip of the CPU retention lever. Ensure it is fully hooked under the lug, then pulled in toward the CPU before being moved upward so that it is kept behind the lug as shown in the photographs. If the clip is simply rested on the lug rather than being fully hooked under it, the CPU socket lug could be snapped off in the next step. Please be absolutely sure that the clip is fully home before continuing!

IMPORTANT! MAKE SURE THE COOLER IS ORIENTED CORRECTLY SO THAT THE RAISED CORE OF THE CPU IS COMPLETELY COVERED BY THE COPPER BASE OF THE COOLER! The cooler can be installed in two positions, and some motherboards' layouts tempt you to install it the wrong way round. If you do this, the core of the CPU die will make only partial contact with the base of the cooler and the CPU will overheat very quickly causing the computer to crash. CPU damage could result.

6. Final installation

While keeping the first lug in place (arrow 1), slowly lower the other side of the cooler downward so that it rests on the CPU. It will not lie flat on the CPU but will be raised at an angle. At this point, DO NOT press downward on any part of the fan. Doing so will place excessive pressure on the delicate CPU core and may result in it cracking.

Use the green or red thumb latch on its own to apply progressive downward pressure so that the clip bends toward the lug on the CPU socket. As the clip bends downward, guide it slightly left or right as needed, so that the centre of the clip aligns with the centre of the lug. Just before it touches the lug, press the thumb latch inward toward the CPU, so that the bottom of the clip pivots and moves outward, over the lug.

Continue pressing downward on the thumb latch and when the correct position is reached, allow the the latch to move back outward away from the CPU so that the bottom of the clip pivots toward the CPU and is retained under the lug. It is critically important that you use the plastic thumb latch to press downward, and do not press downward on the top of the fan itself.

Well done! All you need to do next is to plug the fan connector into the motherboard. The plastic thumb latch makes installation much easier than most other coolers, but it is still important to be aware of what you are doing and follow these instructions carefully. Your efforts will be more than worthwhile, and your PC will be much quieter for years to come!