Step 2 : Installing the Cooler

Once you've installed the processor successfully, you'll now need to install the cooler. In this guide, we'll be using the Gigabyte 3D Cooler-Ultra GT cooler which comes with a highly efficient copper heatsink with as many as four heatpipes. Its rotary fan drum located inside the heatsink provides an all-round heat removal system that gives it the ability to quench the heat generated by today's high-speed processors. Here's how you install the cooler:-

The Gigabyte 3D Cooler-Ultra GT.

You'll find a sticker on the heatsink's thermal interface. Remove it to expose the shiny metallic interface below. Make sure the surface is clean. If you find glue remnants left behind by the sticker, use solvent (like thinner) to remove them.

Various clips are bundled along with the cooler. Find the appropriate clip for AMD Athlon 64 motherboards. You should use the clip as shown in the picture above. A tiny "K8" word is engraved on the clip - if you want to be doubly sure.

Insert the clip through the opening between the heatsink fins and the base. Position the clip as shown.

Take the tube of thermal paste provided by the cooler and squeeze some onto the processor's surface. Use the compound supplied by Gigabyte as it provides excellent thermal conductivity.

Spread the thermal paste evenly on the processor's surface. Use a flat spatula (or a large flat tip screwdriver) to achieve an even and thin layer of the compound.