Socket A CPUs

LAST EDITED ON Mar-27-01 AT 05:16 PM (GMT)
Just in case you all haven't noticed, I have posted an article on How to Install an AMD Athlon or Duron Socket A Processor. It's at: http://duxcw.com/digest/Howto/cpu/socka/1.html. Any comments? Larry

1. RE: Socket A CPUs
copperpipe Mar-27-01 11:16 PM
In response to message 0

LAST EDITED ON Mar-27-01 AT 11:18 PM (GMT)
LAST EDITED ON Mar-27-01 AT 11:17 PM (GMT)
I found your detailed article to be very interesting and informative. I will have to read it a few more times before I try doing the actual installation. Thank you for posting it, Larry.
It seems that removing the heat sink from the CPU (for whatever reason) may be a bit more dangerous/challenging than the installation.
I did not know that two corners of the socket do not have pins.
I was wondering about the OEM vs PIB (retail) processors. Someone had given me the impression that the PIB CPU's did not have the heat sink already affixed to it. I know the retail K6 chips come with the heatsink attached. After reading your article, I think I am a bit more inclined to buy a PIB unit rather than an OEM one due to fear of damaging it during the installation. Of course, my overclocking alter-ego is telling me to buy the OEM. OEM units seem to be a bit harder to find in local computer stores, and perhaps it is due the reluctance of the dealers to sell in anticipation of customers destroying them during the installation.

2. RE: Socket A CPUs
lbyard Mar-28-01 01:01 PM
In response to message 1

I'll check on the PIB version. I assumed it had the heatsink attached. Larry

3. RE: Socket A CPUs
lbyard Mar-28-01 03:16 PM
In response to message 2

I checked and you heard correctly; the heatsink is not attaached to the CPU like previous AMD PIB processors. I corrected the article. Thank you very much. Larry

4. RE: Socket A CPUs
copperpipe Mar-28-01 09:09 PM
In response to message 3

Aw shucks, and I was hoping to not have to go through all those steps!
Maybe I will postpone my Socket A upgrade for a while and get another socket 7 board instead.

5. RE: Socket A CPUs
lbyard Mar-28-01 09:50 PM
In response to message 4

I didn't mean to scare you away with that article...
Frankly, I have been postponing mine since before Christmas (the ones I have written about were computers I built for customers). Now, I think I'm going to wait for a cooler chip. I don’t care what the specs say, I get concerned when I see an idle chip setting there at room temperature cooking away at 111 deg. F. I also worry about the long-term reliability of run-of-the mill PCs with four fans. I've heard that versions of the Palomino, the next Athlon, is so cool they can run without a fan on the heatsink!
And people wonder why the tech sector, and in particular the PC sector, is in a slump. I just said why. Everyone is waiting for the latest and greatest, and every time someone is about to buy something, another manufacturer says, ‘Hey, wait, I’ve got something better than my competition coming-out tomorrow!’ A lot of tomorrows have gone by with no product shipping on time. Furthermore a lot of the stuff that is shipped has problems because it has been rushed out the door to beat the other guy. They are absolutely killing themselves! Larry

6. RE: Socket A CPUs
copperpipe Mar-29-01 06:28 AM
In response to message 5

But Larry, if the processor runs too cool it will last too long and you won't have an excuse to upgrade again within a couple of years!
But seriously, what you say is true about waiting for something better...whatever we buy today will be outdated in a few weeks or months.

7. RE: Socket A CPUs
deerslayer Mar-29-01 02:32 PM
In response to message 6

in particular video cards!!!! anyone notice a top of the line grfx card will cost you 2 times more than a cpu????
633 Celeron @1055, Abit bx-133, 384 Kingmax pc 133 @ cas 2-2-2, ATI radeon 64 mb DDR 16 fans