//flex table opened by JP

Click to See Complete Forum and Search --> : My AMD experience - part Deux


BipolarBill
07-17-2002, 02:32 PM
I finally have everything in sync and functioning. Sure enough, I had fried 3 CPUs in this MSI KT3. The Thermalright, on closer examination, leaves no slack on installation. When you push the heat sink down beyond the socket "step", it falls in and is immediately up against the clip on the other side. There is no wiggle room at all. No wonder I fried those CPUs! I thought the HSF was in, but it was angled up and not in contact with the die at all.

I put an old 4500RPM Global Win 60mm fan on the Thermalright. It's actually rather quiet and maintains the CPU temp at 45-50C. Apparently, 4500PRM is the "sweet spot" - good cooling and acceptable noise. The 4 CoolerMaster case fans are pretty quiet too.

I installed XP Pro and Win2K on the RAID array and the system is impressively fast. It would be unfair to compare it to my P3 1.2G for obvious reasons, but it is much quicker at first blush. There's very little load on the AMD system now though. The P3 is my workhorse.

Now - should I migrate my main system to the AMD or work it in as a gaming machine? Hmmm....tough questions now!

BipolarBill
07-17-2002, 05:29 PM
Sorry -

AMD Athlon XP 1900+
MSI KT3 Ultra ARU
512MB OCZ DDR333 CAS2 - 1 stick
Leadtek GF2 GTS-V 64MB DDR
Thermalright SK6 Heatsink 60mm Global Win 4500RPM fan
Chieftech aluminum server case/Enermax 350W PSU - 6 fans total
WD800JB x 2 in RAID 0 config.
Onboard sound - quite good!

CD drives are swapped in/out regularly as well as the AGP card - GF4 Ti4400 available.

Optimus Prime
07-17-2002, 05:36 PM
GAMING MASHEEN!

ai wud leek tau sea yur plaeing orf teh gaem ****er-strik!!!!!

ai wud kik yur but on taht gaem!!!!!

RampageIII
07-17-2002, 05:39 PM
3 CPU's?? Ouch!! Expensive lesson there.

Look's like a winner, though! :D

BipolarBill
07-17-2002, 05:52 PM
Originally posted by RampageIII
Expensive lesson there.Only as much as return shipping. RMAed! :)

TARP2
07-17-2002, 06:45 PM
So, you incorrectly installed it 3 times, and they still kept RMAing? Or was something else happening?

BipolarBill
07-17-2002, 07:04 PM
NewEgg is a big machine. No one took any notice. Besides - they didn't look burnt. They would have no way of knowing what was wrong with them other than the fact they didn't work. ;)

TARP2
07-17-2002, 07:24 PM
Nice; inexpensive lesson for the rest of us.:D

RampageIII
07-17-2002, 11:09 PM
LOVE the RMA!:D

Rugor
07-19-2002, 04:25 AM
Congrats Bill.

I still remember installing the HSF on my Athlon XP. I was so paranoid that not only did I install it outside the case-- but I got down with the table at eye level and eyeballed it from as many angles as I could to see if the heatsink was on the die.

Of course it was a free CPU from AMD's Extreme Performance project and I knew I wasn't gonna have the cash to replace it if I fried it.

This may have had something to do with my caution.

BipolarBill
07-19-2002, 11:12 AM
That's what I did too! I need an AMD feeler gauge! ;)

TARP2
07-22-2002, 08:53 AM
Gosh! It never occured to me that AMD might have feelings! I'm such a cad.;)