Step 1 : Installing the Processor

First, before you take any components out of the packaging, always ensure that you're electrostatically discharged. You can do this by wearing an electrostatic wrist strap (which can be purchased at any electronics store) or just simply touching the metal case of a power supply that's connected to the mains (but not necessarily turned on). If you're not wearing the wrist strap, always discharge yourself from time to time to ensure you're always grounded.

Now that you've earthed yourself, you can safely remove the processor from the box package and inspect to see if it's intact and if there are any bent or broken pins. In fact, one should always inspect the processor at the store if it's convenient. Always hold the processor by the sides as shown in the pictures below. Do not touch the pins as you do not want to soil nor damage them. Although AMD processors are covered by a three-year warranty period, they do not replace damaged processors caused by mishandling.

The AMD Athlon 64 Socket-939 processor. On the top metal cover, you can see the processor's part and model number clearly engraved for easy identification. Make a quick check of the processor's part and model number before you purchase it at the store.

Always hold the processor by the sides and avoid touching the fragile pins on the underside. Handle the processor with care as you do not want to bend or break any of these pins. Damages caused by mishandling are not covered by AMD's three-year warranty.

Next, remove the motherboard from the package and you should see a highly integrated board like the one shown below.

In this guide, we'll use Gigabyte's latest high-end nForce3 Ultra motherboard known as GA-K8NSNXP-939. This Socket-939 board supports all of AMD's latest Athlon 64 and Athlon 64 FX processors and it also comes with Gigabyte's unique Dual Power System (DPS).