my first ever 'build my own' experience, please answer a few questions!

[dude2]

Hey

my first build my own experience is near. im kinda new to this so please forgive my stupidity!

I have just bought a new KT3 Ultra motherboard, athlon xp 2100+ cpu, 256mb ddr ram, 60gb seagate 7200 hdd.

Please can you answer the following questions for me:

1. i need a heatsink for the cpu, any suggestions!? or anywhere that do them online for the uk?

2. On the motherboard there is space for 4 fans, processor, mainboard, power supply and system. Well i obviously have the mainboard one, i am getting the heatsink - processor one and power supply i jhave but i think i need a system one - can i use the one i have inb my cureent p3 600mhz system? or should i get a new one?

3. Thermal grease - need to get some with the heatsink but im still unclear on where it goes?

Also if there is anything else that i need to know for my first time please tell me!

if you could answer these or any of these questions it would be most appreciated!

Thanks for your time.

Jonny :burn:

[Diggrr]

I've watercooled for years, so I'm prolly not much help with the heatsink, but the volcano 7+ seams pretty popular here. 80mm fan means it's easy to get a replacement to taylor the noise/cooling to your tastes. If it has a Delta fan, do not plug it into the motherboard fan connector if it has one.

All the heat generated in the case is left to the underestimated case fan to remove. Chances are, your psu's fans connect internally to the psu, so you'll have all 4 motherboard headers to support case fans. Get 2 or 3. And cut out the perforated grille that's a part of the case at the fan mount locations. That stuff kills airflow through your fans.

Almost all the heat generated on a cpu comes from that shiny silvery 10mm square in the middle of your processor, called the core. The thermal greese is intended to go onto this little square, vastly improving contact with the heatsink, once it is mounted, to make heat removal much more efficient. The greese, more specifically, goes between the core and the heatsink's underside.
Write down all the info as it appears on the core (handy for later info purposes) apply the greese, mount the heatsink, remove heatsink to check for a good full core imprint, then remount the heatsink...viola!

Anything else you require, just ask!
And Welcome to the Forums!

[Tiger]

I would also suggest going here (http://www.amdmb.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=12) and look in the stickies at the top for bios setup and save yourself a lot of heartache in getting your system going.

[GoingH2o]

I would consider the Thermalright Ax-7 with a papst or panaflo 80mm fan if you want to keep things quite. Otherwise go for a Delta fan but expect noise (good temperatures as well)

If you need any of those above look no further than overclockers.co.uk or tekheads.co.uk or theoverclockingsore.co.uk should have what ya need ;)

[Da Whip]

1.Thermalright AX-7, SLK-800, Coolermaster HCC-001 Heat Pipe, Swiftech MCX(expensive) and Alpha PAL8045 are all good.
2. Get a couple of quiet 80mm fans, place 1 in lower front blowing in and 1 upper rear blowing out. Also, plug them into the molex plugs, motherboard headers(fan plugs) can only handle 0.5amps.
3. Get some Artic Silver, here is the link on how to apply;
http://www.articsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

[CSaddict]

I guess the Glaciator series are old hat now? Anyway too much of your thermal grease can be very bad. Go to www.articsilver.com website and read how to apply it.