How To Correctly Apply Thermal Paste - Socket 462 Processors of 13

Socket 462 Processors

Socket 462 is used by Athlon, Athlon XP, Duron and Sempron socket 462 processors. How it is attached is similar to that of older processors (Pentium, Pentium III, Celeron and AMD K6). Therefore, the next instructions also pertain to those old processors.

Using a cotton swab, put a small amount of thermal paste on the processor. Don’t put too much paste because the excess can make the heat transfer worse instead of better.

Figure 15: Apply a small amount of grease on the processor

Don’t worry about covering the entire area of the processor (the pink part) because the cooler pressure itself will make it uniform.

Figure 16: Correct amount of thermal paste

Next, carefully install the cooler over the processor. Notice that socket 462 has one side bigger than the other; the side next to the processor installation lever is larger than the opposite side. Coolers for socket 462 will also have one side bigger than the other. Notice that one of the sides of the lock that joins the cooler to the socket is longer than the other. Therefore, the longer side should be facing the larger side of the socket (the side of the lever), while the shorter side should be facing the smaller side of the socket.

A common mistake when installing coolers on socket 462 processors is installing the cooler “inverted,” i.e., rotating it 180° in relation to its correct position.

In some PC cases, it may be necessary to remove the motherboard in order to install everything without having any problems.

Figure 17: Put in position and fasten one side

Then, using a screwdriver, attach the cooler. Use the screwdriver as a lever to fasten the cooler clip to the socket. Don’t put excessive pressure on the cooler to avoid damaging the processor. Be careful not to let the screwdriver slip and hit the motherboard.

Figure 18: Finishing the cooler installation