My very first build (I'm really scared)

prince

I'm new here, this is going to be my very first build,
My new spec is going to be:-

Athlon 64 bit-3400 clawhammer
1 gig ram pl 3200 (generic)
geforce 6800 128mb
200 gig hard drive- still awaiting delivery
Zalman 7000c Heatsink
K8NS PRO Mobo
Enermax PSU 430 watts

I know how to do minor upgrades like memory, Graphics card, pci upgrades, cd rom etc, My only worry is putting on the heatsink (Zalman 700c), How much thermal paste do I put on the CPU?and do I cover the whole back??, do I also have to put thermal paste on the Heatsink? (i'm really worried about messing up the CPU, cant afford to mess up),
Can anyone give me a detailed instruction on how to put on the CPU on the mobo with the Zalman heatsink???
are there any websites which show in detail with detail pictures on how to install a athlon 64 CPU/athlon 64 build??? i'v tried searching on google with no luck

My second worry is connecting the the font power button/reset button/front usb, if I was to connect it wrong, will the whole rig mess up???

also can anyone give me any tips,

SSR_06

what i usually do when i put thermal paste on is cover the core of the cpu in a thin coat. does your heat sink have clips on it? if so just put the heat sink on then push the clips on so they lock on to the socket. as for the power/reset button. if they are put in wrong nothing bad will happen, all that will happen is that the system won't reset/startup. as for the front usb. there should be 2 rows of pins where it should hook up(near pins it usually says usb x/x). 1 row of 5 and one row of 4.


i don't remeber what the 3 are called right now but i hope that helps you.

btw, nice system

OverLoad

Just wanted to say welcome to the site. I was in your shoes a year ago,built my first computer. Since then havent been able to stop. Very nice for a first computer!

NYCDrew

Welcome to the board!

Don't worry about building. It's easier to do then it feels like it should be. As far as the heatsink, just put a thin layer of thermal paste. You don't want it oozing (sorry for the technical term )onto the mother board. Also, make sure the heatsink is flat on the processor when attaching it. Don't twist the heatsink to get the clip on, move the clip around the heat sink.

If you have any problems, there's alot of geniuses on this forum, so don't guess, ask.

lordbean

The only problem I ever have with building computers is that I can't seem to do it without hurting myself (bashing/slicing/scraping my hands) at least once. I should get a pair of gloves or something.

youvegotjermz

hey prince, a good amount is just a few daps of paste and spread it with the edge of a razor blade, oh and your mobo came with a manual that you should read! i can't stress that enough, it has all the diagrams of your mobo telling you exactly where everything should go and what they do.

and one final tip (if you haven't done it already) put the proc and heatsink on the mobo BEFORE you place it into the case, makes it a lot easier, oh and you'll need a small flat blade screwdriver to attach the heatsink clips to the mobo.

good luck man

Zuntar

Take your time and READ THE MOBO MANUAL!!! You will do just fine!!!!

Practice with the clips on the heat sink before you apply the paste to anything make sure you feel confident on how they attatch, then practice puting it on strait (as in make sure you are put it on perpendicular to the CPU core) not at an angle. If there are two clips as in one on each side, be careful to hold the heatsink level to the CPU while you switch from attatching the first clip to attatching the second one.

Good luck and welcome to the forums!!