When you’ve put in your CPU, it’s time to put in a CPU cooler. CPUs can get fairly sizzling, particularly if you’re overclocking your PC or doing heavy video gaming.
The extra the CPU has to work, the warmer it can get. Putting in your cooler accurately will guarantee your CPU stays cool. In any other case, your CPU can overheat, inflicting your system to lag or shut down unexpectedly.
Observe that watercooling methods work in a different way and require a unique set up course of. Observe the hyperlink above for our information on putting in a watercooling system; this information is for CPU air cooling methods.
What A CPU Cooler Consists Of
A typical CPU cooler system consists of the next fundamental elements:
- Thermal paste: This helps dissipate warmth from the CPU and onto the warmth sink. Thermal paste is critical as a result of it is a greater thermal conductor than air.
- Warmth sink: Usually consisting of enormous pins, a warmth sink collects warmth, drawing warmth away from the CPU.
- Fan: The fan helps expel sizzling air away from the warmth sink, conserving the system cool.
The CPU cooler is a should, along with different cooling elements. When you have a GPU put in, it can probably include its personal hooked up followers. You also needs to set up case followers if you happen to’re doing heavy gaming.
Earlier than You Start: Preliminary Steps
Earlier than you get began, be sure your laptop is unplugged.
Floor your self by carrying an ESD anti-static strap, and contact a chunk of grounded metallic to discharge any static electrical energy.
Begin by figuring out the CPU model you’ve got put in. AMD and Intel often use completely different CPU socket sorts, and the precise set up course of will range barely relying on the kind of socket you’ve got.
Most CPU cooler methods will include two sorts of mounting {hardware}, relying on the kind of CPU {hardware} and socket you’ve got. You might need to make use of plastic levers, a metallic bracket, retention clips, spring screws, or perhaps a mounting plate that’s put in on the bottom of your motherboard, permitting you to safe the CPU cooler in place.
Check with the CPU cooler’s set up guide for directions, as it could possibly range barely from one model and mannequin to a different. You might need to take away the inventory bracket or mounting {hardware} and substitute it with one other kind of mounting {hardware} earlier than you start.
Putting in Your CPU Cooler
In all instances, although, you’ll usually begin by making use of thermal paste to the highest of your CPU. Your CPU cooler ought to include a small syringe of thermal paste; if it doesn’t, you’ll want to purchase it individually.
Apply solely a small quantity! It must be across the measurement of a small pea or giant grain of rice.
Should you apply an excessive amount of thermal paste, it may insulate your CPU and forestall warmth from leaving, inflicting it to overheat.
Some CPU coolers include a skinny layer of thermal paste already utilized. If that’s the case, do NOT apply further paste. Verify your CPU cooler guide if you happen to’re undecided.
Don’t contact the thermal paste together with your naked arms. If any of it will get in your hand, wash it off instantly. Should you unintentionally swallow it, name poison management instantly.
Don’t use a bank card to flatten the thermal paste, both. As a substitute, search for the small sq. space on the warmth sink; it ought to match up with the highest floor of the CPU, with another holes aligning with the mounting bracket or levers.
Place the warmth sink gently on the CPU, flattening the thermal paste within the course of. If there’s a plastic cowl on the warmth sink, take away it first.
Relying on the warmth sink, you might need to take away the hooked up followers earlier than inserting the warmth sink into your case and onto the CPU.
After putting in the warmth sink, safe it to the motherboard utilizing the offered mounting {hardware}.
Subsequent, reattach the followers if you happen to eliminated them. Be sure that to reattach them the identical means they had been earlier than you eliminated them. Should you’re uncertain, seek advice from the CPU cooler guide.
The subsequent step is supplying your CPU fan with energy. The CPU fan will include a cable that attaches to your motherboard. Usually, this might be a cable with a Molex connector of three or 4 pins, consisting of wires with completely different colours (often yellow, purple, and black).
Establish the CPU fan connector in your motherboard. Once more, it is going to be a three-pin or four-pin connector. It’s going to often be labeled as “CPUFAN” or “CPU_FAN.” That is versus case fan connectors, which could be labeled as “CHA_FAN” or “SYS_FAN.” Don’t join CPU followers to case fan connectors, as they require completely different energy outputs.
When you have a four-pin connector in your motherboard, you’ll be able to nonetheless connect a three-pin cable connector to it. It’s going to work simply high quality, however with out PWM (pulse width modulation), which lets you management the RPM of the fan.
It’s also possible to connect a four-pin cable to a three-pin header. Once more, PWM is not going to be supported, and your fan will run at high RPM speeds.
As soon as that’s executed, energy up your PC to confirm that the case followers are working.
