newbie questions :)

Hi there...im going to be building my first comp and have been looking around at motherboards...i want to build a comp with an athlon processor but am getting pretty confused at all this heatsink stuff..primarilly how to fit them.
Ive looked at numerous guides and to be honest not many are alike....i looked up a guide that was recomended here and the heatsink was a great big thing but on others its just a small static thing on top of the processor.
Oh yea and why do some socket a motherboards have small fans on them.....i was going to buy a motherboard the other day (socket a) and when i looked at the layout it had a small fanjust below where the processor should go....if a motherboard has that does it mean you dont need this other heatsink thing?
Thanks
Alistair

1. RE: newbie questions :)
lbyard Nov-09-01 10:01 PM
In response to message 0

>the heatsink was a great big thing
Athlon
>others its just a small static thing on top of the processor.
Very old processors.
>i was going to buy a motherboard the other day (socket a) and when i looked at the layout it had a small fanjust below where the processor should go....if a motherboard has that does it mean you dont need this other heatsink thing?
The CPU has to have a heatsink-fan. An Athlon or duron will burn-up in a second or two if operated without one (see http://duxcw.com/digest/guides/cpu/socketa/heattip.html and http://duxcw.com/digest/Howto/cpu/socka/1.html). The one you are referring to is for one of the chips in the motherboard chipset, not the processor.
See http://duxcw.com/dcforum/DCForumID7/483.html. Larry

2. RE: newbie questions :)
Alistair Nov-09-01 10:07 PM
In response to message 1

hmmm right i think im beginning to see this clearly now ....i should stop looking at old books :/
Why does a chip need a fan as well?
Alistair

4. RE: newbie questions :)
lbyard Nov-10-01 05:26 AM
In response to message 2

To boost its ego. Larry

5. RE: newbie questions :)
Alistair Nov-10-01 09:59 AM
In response to message 4

#boom boom tish#

6. RE: newbie questions :)
Davetek Nov-23-01 04:22 PM
In response to message 2

Same reason, Ali, to reduce heat.