Disclaimer:
This guide is provided for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace your own product knowledge.

This guide should be used in combination with professional opinion and guidance from certified IT hardware professionals as well as information from official product manuals.

We disclaim any and all liability resulting from the use of any informational media appearing on this site. Usage of this guide is at your own risk.

Notice:

This guide is a general introduction to CPU installation. The installation procedure may vary with different socket types and/or heatsink types. Please refer to your processor, motherboard and heatsink (CPU cooler) manual for detailed instructions.

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Make sure that your motherboard supports the CPU before installation.

We assume that you are installing the CPU onto the motherboard before installing the motherboard into the system case, and it is highly recommended that installations be approached this way.

1. Locate the CPU socket

Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.

2. Open the CPU socket

Gently lift the CPU socket lever to the upright position to open the socket.

For the LGA775 socket, you need to pull the CPU socket plate up after lifting the lever.

3. Align the processor

Locate the diagonal corner (golden triangle) on the upwards facing side of the processor. Align the processor so that this corner matches on the processor and the socket.

This step may vary with different socket types, please refer to your processor, motherboard and heatsink (CPU cooler )manuals for detailed instructions.

4. Insert the processor

Carefully place the CPU into the socket in a straight and downwards motion.

5. Lock the processor

Push the lever back into its original position to lock the processor.

You need to close the CPU socket plate before engaging the lever on the LGA775 platform.

6. Apply thermal paste


Apply an even layer of thermal paste on the surface of the installed processor. It is highly recommended that you use a plastic card to spread the thermal paste evenly, or use your finger with a new and clean plastic bag over it instead. This prevents contamination of the thermal paste.

This procedure may not be necessary when using a heatsink with thermal paste already applied to its base.

7. Align the heatsink

Place the heatsink atop the processor; align the heatsink so that its clamps/clips are in line with the mounting holes on the motherboard.

Please refer to the heatsink/cooler manual for precise instructions.

8. Mount the heatsink

Clamp/Mount the heatsink in place using the proper technique (see heatsink/cooler manual for detailed instructions).

Be careful at this step since the motherboard and/or the CPU will be under a lot of pressure, and your screwdriver (which may not be necessary) can cause serious damage to the motherboard in the case of a slip.

9. Attach the heatsink fan header

Finally, please attach the heatsink power connector to the CPU fan header located on the motherboard and make sure it is properly plugged in.

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The processor should be physically installed onto the motherboard properly after these procedures. The remaining part is the BIOS configuration (after your system is completely set up). Please refer to the manual that comes with the computer or motherboard to learn how to configure the BIOS for the processor model installed.

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