Motherboard Preparation
With the grunt work out of the way, it was time to begin the more intricate prep-work on the motherboard. I removed the heatsink retention mechanism from the motherboard and started the back-plate assembly. The thick steel back plate needs to be joined with the adhesive insulation and then subsequently mated to the smaller of the two heating elements. This insulation and heater will help to keep the back of the socket toasty and condensation free while the front of the socket is exposed to temperatures below -50’C. Many people dislike the heating elements because they think it is increasing their CPU temperature. Without heaters and a unit as powerful as the ‘LS’, there is a very good chance that you will not only rot away the back of your motherboard, but cause an electrical short and permanent damage. The temperature increase as a result of the heaters is next to nil.
Be careful when handling the heating elements, as the wax-covered cable connections seem somewhat fragile and easy to break.
Next I used the supplied mounting posts and plastic washers to secure the back plate and provide a mounting system for the clamshell assembly. This requires a little bit of force, especially with the thick DFI PCB. Once on, it is held very securely. You can see the exposed heater cables, which are long enough to reach just about any point in the case.
Once the backplate and mounting posts were secured, it was time for a bit of a messy step. Asetek recommends that you fill all of the CPU socket holes with the supplied thermal compound to protect the pins from condensation. According to Asetek’s documentation, the unit tested ‘ok’ without this step, but it is strongly recommended. Personally, I would not take the risk and decided to begin applying the pasty compound to the socket. It broke my heart, but I suppose some patience and a toothbrush could get it out if need be.
Asetek recommends using lots of thermal paste. Be sure to use only their supplied paste, as it is designed for this purpose. Other retail pastes may be capacitive or conductive and cause all sorts of issues. Asetek provides quite a bit of goop, and more can be ordered if needed. Notice the thick mounting posts from the backplate mounting.
Next, I installed the CPU. It slid into the socket with little resistance, even with the heaps of thermal goop in the socket. Again, Asetek recommended using lots of thermal paste on the chip. Prior to mounting the unit, I actually thinned it down considerably, because as you can see below, it seems a little TOO thick. In the end, I used about a quarter of the provided goop, even though Asetek says the provided goop is enough for only one installation.
Next came the above-board insulation. I had to cut a small piece out to allow clearance of one capacitor on the DFI board. The insulation is actually two pieces, but one is adhesive and joins the second to create a nice thick piece of insulation.
The insulation is VERY thin around the mounting posts and tears easily, so be very careful as you slide it down over the socket. At this point, the insulation seems to be somewhat loose and not held on very tightly. This is normal, as the pressure from the evaporator mounting will hold it down with some force.
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