Hi all,
Having never before installed a processor into a motherboard, can anyone tell me whether it's just a simple matter of positioning to some form of reference mark and then gently pressing it into place, or whether there is much more involved? Do I need to use any form of heatsink compound between processor and heatsink?
The processor concerned is an AMD Athlon 2800 and will be inserted into a 754 socket on a ECS M860 PCCHIPS motherboard.
What form of anti-static precautions should I consider? I do have a wrist-band that is attached to the grounded chassis of the PC being worked upon. Is this sufficient?
Also, what are your thoughts on budget power supplies? I have seen some advertised for £70 to £80, whilst others are available for as little as £6.99p. They all look cosmetically very similar, so what's the benefit of spending more? Can anyone recommend a budget unit that is not likely to damage my new motherboard and processor.
Oh, and whilst I'm asking, what are your suggestions on cleaning the dust from the insides of a PC case and motherboard/fans etc. I have just been reading an artical in MicroMart magazine which says that its acceptable to vacuum the dust from inside a PC, but about a year or so ago I read elsewhere that using anything other than aerosol aero-duster spray is a bad idea, as vacuums/hairdryers/compressors generate a stream of charged particals which can actually damage delicate components. Apparently, even using a clean, soft paintbrush can cause damage as it can generate static. I can understand a made-made bristle brush generating static, but surely not a genuine horse-hair brush. What are your thoughts on any aspect of this? Suggestions and/or advice very welcome.
Having never before installed a processor into a motherboard, can anyone tell me whether it's just a simple matter of positioning to some form of reference mark and then gently pressing it into place, or whether there is much more involved? Do I need to use any form of heatsink compound between processor and heatsink?
The processor concerned is an AMD Athlon 2800 and will be inserted into a 754 socket on a ECS M860 PCCHIPS motherboard.
What form of anti-static precautions should I consider? I do have a wrist-band that is attached to the grounded chassis of the PC being worked upon. Is this sufficient?
Also, what are your thoughts on budget power supplies? I have seen some advertised for £70 to £80, whilst others are available for as little as £6.99p. They all look cosmetically very similar, so what's the benefit of spending more? Can anyone recommend a budget unit that is not likely to damage my new motherboard and processor.
Oh, and whilst I'm asking, what are your suggestions on cleaning the dust from the insides of a PC case and motherboard/fans etc. I have just been reading an artical in MicroMart magazine which says that its acceptable to vacuum the dust from inside a PC, but about a year or so ago I read elsewhere that using anything other than aerosol aero-duster spray is a bad idea, as vacuums/hairdryers/compressors generate a stream of charged particals which can actually damage delicate components. Apparently, even using a clean, soft paintbrush can cause damage as it can generate static. I can understand a made-made bristle brush generating static, but surely not a genuine horse-hair brush. What are your thoughts on any aspect of this? Suggestions and/or advice very welcome.