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Well my Chaintech VNF4 Ultra went tits up. I was told on the Chaintech forums that it means the BIOS chip is fubar... I will be working on getting that chip pulled and sent off and replaced. (TIP - don't upgrade your BIOS to V5 from the CHAINTECH web... ) ANYHOW...

I just picked up my ABIT AN8.

I need to move my CPU to this board... tips? Obviously i am going to have to take my FAN and HEATSINK off the chip to even get it unclipped from the CHAINTECH.

What do I need to do about the goop on the chip that provides cooling... what is it called... Thermal Paste. How do I remove it and re- apply or do I even need to re-apply?

That is my only question.

Just dont eat any

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silv ... ctions.htm

General tips.

1. Remove Heatsink.

2. Remove CPU.

3. If your current CPU is using a thermal pad, remove the old thermal pad. If using thermal grease, clean it off.

4. Align the CPU and insert into the new mobo. Two corners of the CPU are missing pins, make sure they match up to the cpu socket.

5. Spread a pea sized dollop of Arctic Silver on the CPU Heatspreader, spread it out evenly across the heatspreader. I use the straight edge of a piece of plastic to get nice even coverage. If you are not getting a thin layer over the entire cpu hearspreader, put a bit more goop on. A little too much is better than not enough.

6. Align the heatsink back onto the CPU. The Heatsink may have to be put back on correctly aligned, so look at it carefully.

7. I like to give the heatsink a couple of gentle twists back and forth to make sure the compoud will spread out between the heatsink and cpu and work out any bubbles.

8. Connect the fan to the proper motherboard header.

9. Grab a frosty beverage!

I would personally reload the OS at this point. But, you could try and run the HDD straight from the old computer. XP would probably want a re-activation.

Hope that helps. And, if I missed a step, others can feel free to point out my oversight.... No offence taken!

What do you use the remove the goop?

Flying Fox wrote:

What do you use the remove the goop?

What kind of goop is it?

If its a thermal pad (the goop left in there when you take it apart will be a solid, potentially kinda rubbery), scrape it off with something that won't leave scratches in the metal of the CPU and/or heatsink. Long fingernails, a credit-card, etc. Or - use a razor-blade, and re-surface the HSF when you're done (lotta work, google heatsink lapping for more information, I wouldn't even consider unless you are overclocking and all that)

If its thermal paste (whatevers left will be a paste/grease) - wipe off most of it with some kleenex or something, and rubbing alcohol and q-tips to give both the HSF and the CPU a final cleaning.

If it has a heatspreader (ie, not an AthlonXP), then you don't have to worry about spreading it yourself. Even Arctic Silver, on their site, says just put some in the middle and smoosh it down by putting the HSF on it. *shrug*

Thanks all..

Lickety had a good link.. I figured that was all there was to it...

As far as reloading my OS... I don't want to lose what is on it.. so hoping I can at least get it to boot up.. and then move things and THEN reload it.

It is XP Pro.. so it "should" work.

Is it the same chipset?

If you're worried about XP starting on the new system before a re-install, then before you dismantle your current system, install the drivers for whatever IDE/SATA/SCSI controller the new system will be using to talk to the disk. Or if its the same chip, you already have the drivers installed.

P.S. you probably won't need as much Thermal Paste this time, as the microscopic gaps in your CPU are filled now, Just the fresh heatsink is all you need worry about. And weather it's a pad or paste don't use anything other than pure Acetone or 95% (99 or 100% is best) Alcohol to clean the chip (be sure to peel the pad off first) moisture is a very very very bad thing.

My computer is dead... there will be no loading of drivers before I do the switch.

I have isopropyl for the cleaning.

I am pretty computer savvy...as far as building them and getting them to work with out a hitch - I was just wanting to find out what it took to move a CPU from one MB to another.

I HAD a Chaintech ANF4 Ultra...
I will HAVE an ABIT AN8 Fatality...

dractul wrote:

I HAD a Chaintech ANF4 Ultra...
I will HAVE an ABIT AN8 Fatality...

I don't forsee major problems since they have the same chipset. You may run into some issues with sound drivers and stuff, but that won't give you BSOD on boot.

Happy to report.. system working very well.

Had a few drivers to fix.. the OC abilities of this board... are nuts.

Win XP FTW!

CPU runs about 27C under load.