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How to Install a CPU - Install a new CPU yourself with my step-by-step guide Print
Written by CompuPair   

When you are going to install a CPU, the most important thing to remember is to exercise caution. Overall installing your new CPU is not that complicated, just as long as you are careful, you can complete the installation in about 10 to 15 minutes.

Before we begin, you need to remember some things that will prevent you from damaging anything when you install a CPU. First off never hold or touch the CPU any where else but on its sides.

If you touch the pins on the bottom or top of the CPU, you could destroy it. The next important thing to remember is to never try and force the CPU into its holding position, just gently lay it in. With those tips in mind, let's begin to install a CPU.

unplug-power-cord 1. First of all, you need to power off your computer and unplug everything, including the power cord.
remove-case-cover 2. Next you have to take the computer case cover off, so you can access the CPU inside.

If you are upgrading your CPU from an old one, then you first have to remove your old CPU. When you look at it, you will notice a fan on top, then a metal block underneath that. That is the heatsink, and it distributes heat evenly and conducts heat away from the CPU to prevent overheating. And underneath the heatsink is the CPU.

The fan is actually connected to the heatsink, so all you have to remove is the heat sink and the CPU. To remove the heatsink, you first have to unhook to CPU fan power. There is a wire going from the fan to the motherboard that is the CPU fan power.

After that, study the latching mechanism, and unlatch it. Some heat sink latches are different, so that is why I cannot give you a detailed description on how to unlatch it.

When unlatching the heatsink, DO NOT scratch the motherboard or touch it with a screwdriver. It may be hard, but you cannot or your motherboard most likely will not work anymore. So be careful .

Now that your heatsink is gone, and your CPU is exposed, you can remove it. To do this, you just have to lift up the locking lever vertical, then grip the CPU and lift it up and out of there. CPU slots since the 90's have used Zero Force Insertion, which basically means the CPU just sits in there and no force is required to install/uninstall it.
lift-cpu-latch-up

3. Now that the old CPU is out, let's put your new one in. First of all, make sure that you lift the latch up that locks the CPU in.
insert-cpu-gently

4. Next you need to insert the CPU. Processors are fragile, so when you do this, don't try to cram it in there. Remember, it uses Zero Force Insertion, so your CPU just needs to lay in there. Which way do you lay it? Ah, the easy part. Every CPU has a notch on one of the corners and needs to match up to the point where the CPU holder has a notch. Read your CPU's instruction manual for more information.
push-down-cpu-latch 5. When the CPU is in place, properly, you can now push the locking latch back down.
cpus-die-location

6. Next you have to put the heatsink on top of it. Before you do this, locate your CPU's die (circled in the picture to the left) and put the thermal compound on it. This is the cushion between the heatsink and the CPU, and spreads the heat evenly. The thermal compound needed usually comes with your CPU, but if it doesn't you can purchase some at the same store you purchased your CPU from. This is a really important step when you install a CPU, so do not skip it.
place-heatsink-on-cpu

7. Now that the thermal compound is on, you can place the heatsink on top. Make sure the heatsink is facing the correct direction, and then gently sit it on top of the CPU, with the thermal compound smack dab in the middle.
latch-heatsink-on 8. Next is a tricky part, you have to latch the heat sink on. It is always tricky for me because the latch notch is so close to the motherboard and it requires a good amount of force to pull it back and latch it on. So if you slip, your screwdriver will right into the motherboard and possibly destroy it. Just take your time and make sure you read the CPU's instruction manual for further advice on latching the heatsink on.
screw-cpu-fan-back-on 9. Next, if the CPU fan is detached from the heatsink, you need to screw the fan on.
hook-up-cpu-fan

10. Now you need to hook the CPU fan up to its power source on the motherboard. This is easy since the hookup is labeled "CPU FAN" and is located right next to the CPU's position.
cpu-is-installed

11. Last but not least, check over your work and make sure the heatsink is securely fastened on and all wires clear of the heatsink. If all looks good then you have completed the CPU installation.
Screw case cover back on 12. Put your case cover back on and screw it in place.
Plug the power and other cords back into their appropriate location

13. Then plug in the power cord and switch the power button back to on. After that plug in the rest of cables that need to be connected and you are ready to turn your PC back on and you have learned how to install a CPU.

You have now officially learned how to install a CPU. With this knowledge you could make extra money, because you now know how to install a CPU and can do it to other people's computers.

Getting a faster CPU is more affordable then people might think, and upgrading there's will dramatically increase the computers speed and loading times. Lots of people will pay you money to make there PC faster and it only takes about 10 to 15 minutes to install a CPU.

You also can apply this same knowledge in the future to your desktop computer, since most likely the way you install a CPU will continue to be the same for many years to come.
 

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