How do I replace my CPU cooler?

Greetings,
I recently decided to upgrade my CPU cooler. My old one—the stock unit that came bundled with the processor—was becoming an absolute nuisance with its noise levels, and to make matters worse, one of the plastic mounting clips actually snapped on me.
The previous setup utilized four plastic screws that threaded directly into the motherboard mounting holes, much like this
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h...d=0CCIQMygIMAg

Now, I’ve purchased a new cooler, but the mounting mechanism is entirely different; it utilizes a metal backplate that requires screws to be tightened through it.
The instructions indicate that this backplate needs to be installed on the underside of the motherboard. However, I find the design somewhat perplexing: there aren't any additional mounting holes provided, just two adhesive strips. Is it truly sufficient to simply stick this to the motherboard? Will it actually hold under pressure, and more importantly, is there a risk that this adhesive might damage the protective coating on the PCB?

I would greatly appreciate some guidance from anyone who has experience with this type of mounting system.

To get started, could you let me know which processor you're running—specifically, what socket are we talking about? Also, which cooler did you end up picking up?

p.s. Did the cooler not come with any installation instructions or anything?

Make sure you don't forget to wipe off all that crusty old thermal paste first—using some isopropyl alcohol is definitely your best bet, just be gentle so you aren't pressing too hard, and then you can just buff it clean with a microfiber cloth.
After that, just put down a tiny amount of the new stuff, maybe about the size of a single grain of rice. You can pick up a decent tube for like five or six bucks at basically any Micro Center or Best Buy. Once that's set, go ahead and mount the heatsink onto the CPU.

With AMD setups, it’s honestly such a breeze since you just clip it on, press down, and you're done... but since you're running an Intel build, I'm not totally sure how much pressure you need to apply, though I'm sure you can find a killer tutorial on YouTube🙂

@Larry Ortiz5/">@@Larry Ortiz5
Intel Celeron dual Core G530 2,40 GHz LGA 1155
It’s quite a curiosity, isn't it? There aren't any actual instructions provided—just the warranty information.
Take this Corsair i240 cooler, for instance:
http://www.xilence.de/produkte/cpu-k...hler/i240.html
Corsair was established back in 2003 and operates as an American-Chinese manufacturer specializing in components designed for PC cooling and noise reduction. Their product lineup includes everything from chassis and power supplies to case fans, laptop coolers, and specialized thermal solutions for CPUs, HDDs, GPUs, RAM, and Northbridges.

Roger Gray8 said:Don't forget to wipe off that old thermal paste first—isopropyl alcohol is your best friend here, just be gentle and don't press too hard, then buff it clean with a lint-free cloth.
Then, apply a tiny amount of new thermal paste, about the size of a single grain of rice. You can pick some up at almost any Micro Center for maybe five or six bucks. Only after that should you mount the heatsink onto the CPU.

With AMD, it’s usually just a simple clip system—you snap it on, press down, and you're done. But since you're running an Intel setup, I'm not entirely sure about the mounting mechanism for your specific socket, though I'm sure you can find a quick tutorial on YouTube.🙂

Look, I know how to swap out thermal paste; my issue is specifically with the fan.

Alright, just go ahead and mount that backplate onto the motherboard, screw the cooler down, and you’re all set. There isn't really anything to worry about—just make sure the cooler makes nice, firm contact with the processor 😉

Larry Ortiz5 said:Alright, then just stick that backplate onto the motherboard, screw the cooler down, and you're done. There's really nothing to worry about; you just need to ensure the cooler maintains very firm contact with the processor. 😉

So, you're telling me I have to pull the whole motherboard out just to glue that plate on the back?
Won't that damage the finish on the board or whatever coating is applied there?
And honestly, will it even hold? Some kind of adhesive sounds a bit... questionable to me.
p.s. Is 30dB quiet enough for this cooler? Like, will it actually be silent during use?

Man, that ice is no joke—you should probably go ahead and mount it first just to see how things shake out. If you only got that one bracket for mounting it onto the motherboard, then just stick it on and call it a day. As for the fan noise, if it ends up being too loud for your liking, you can always just head into the BIOS and dial back the RPMs a bit...

Larry Ortiz5 said:Man, just get it installed first and then we can see what actually happens. If you're just dealing with that one mounting bracket on the back of the motherboard, just secure it and call it a day. As for fan noise? If it ends up being too loud, you can always go into the BIOS and dial back the RPM settings...

Alright, I’ll give it a shot this evening.
No need to get defensive; I was just asking so I don't accidentally wreck something, considering it's my first time doing this.

I’m not upset or anything—you’re just asking questions before actually jumping in. If it makes you feel any better, I once used a Corsair i240 following this exact same logic:

Basically, I just glued the backplate down, screwed the cooler right onto it, and called it a day. When I eventually sold the cooler, the adhesive popped right off without any drama, so there was zero damage to my motherboard.

Larry Ortiz5 said:Look, I’m not angry; it’s just that you’re asking all these questions without having actually attempted anything yet. If it makes you feel any better, I once used a Corsair i240 and followed this exact same logic:

Basically, I just glued the backplate in place, screwed the cooler down onto it, and called it a day. When I eventually sold the cooler, the adhesive came right off without leaving a trace, so there was zero damage to the motherboard.

Well, shouldn't I ask the questions before I dive in? I need to know exactly what my plan of attack should be, don't you think? 😁

Fair enough.

p.s. Why did you end up selling that cooler anyway? Was there something wrong with it?

I ended up swapping out my 1156 socket for a Haswell 1150 setup—so I went ahead and gave away the old heatsink for free too 😍