MSI Shows Us How To Install an AMD Threadripper CPU

I know there's huge contention in a lot of the tech world about TIM, but I've always just added a small dab at the centre of the headspreader/die and let the force carry it outward. It's always given me great, even application across the surface.


The pea sized ball in the center approach has never let me down either.

I'm.not quite sure what people are complaining about. Pea sized ball in the center has long been considered the best application method.

This CPU is so much bigger though, that they'd need more than a peas worth.

That, and people seem to think that applying too much results in poor contact, but that's just utter bs.

The excess is just squeezed out the sides when you clamp down the cooler.

It can result in a mess, but the contact will still be good.
 
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So guessing by the size of this going to need new coolers made just for thread ripper.

Definitely.

I don't think anything currently on the market (except maybe EPYC coolers) would be if enough.

EK has already teased a water block, btw.
 
Compared to all the years of crappy plastic push pins this is truly some nice engineering.

I too am in the 'blob in the middle' does the job camp.
 
Well it looks like the CPU won't slide into the bracket without first taking the plastic shroud out, so it should be dummy proof. But the stupidity and determination of people has amazed me before. It won't surprise me if some people ignore the instructions and try to install this like your typical Intel LGA at first.
Never underestimate the ingenuity of stupid people and their ability to break fool proof designs. I'm just wondering how many people are going to WORK on taking the Torx screws all the way out first.
 
I like the Mechanism. However did anyone else notice when he put the cooler on it wasn't aligned, then the video cut to it being aligned before tightening it down? I laughed a bit at that one. Also had it muted so no jazz.
 
How common of a problem is crushed pins that so many people keep mentioning it.

I've build probably 30+ systems since Intel introduced the painless CPU's, and never bent any.

Are people retarded?

Yes.

I live by Chicago where there are two Micro Center stores. They have incredible open box motherboard deals sometimes, but I've pretty much given up on the open box Intel boards now. I have seen probably a dozen or more on the shelf that have had bent pins. It's too big a risk and waste of time.
 
A pea sized blob is one thing, but he dabbed it down a few times (I assume he wanted to try for extra air bubbles).
I am a bit surprised he tightened one screw at a time rather than tightening them each a bit then going back over a few times.

That is a nice bracket setup though.
 
Is it just me, or would that video have been much better set to ? (DragonForce- Through the Fire and Flames, seems appropriate)


I love that song, but its a bit fast for this video.


How about something like this instead? :p

 
This has to be the most complicated CPU install I have ever seen. Why are there 2 "brackets?" why the fuck do they need to ensure that the screwdriver needed isn't just your everyday phillips head? Why is there 2 plastic protective coverings? why do you need to slide the CPU into a bracket instead of just setting it in there.

Innovation is one thing

Trying to be unique for the sake of being a special snowflake, is another.

I like this as well. BUT, some kid out there will be racing to build his system like most do and will find a way to bend the pins.

For the people that take their time, back-out screws instead of stripping them as they force the occasional one in, discharge themselves of static electricity, avoid a greasy trail of finger prints all over their case since they do wear gloves like any professional PC builder would and the 100 other things you can do if you're a real pro .... then, yeah, this should be a pretty fail-safe solution.
 
The pea sized ball in the center approach has never let me down either.

I'm.not quite sure what people are complaining about. Pea sized ball in the center has long been considered the best application method.

But most CPUs have the logic near the center. Threadripper has just empty PCB in the center and the four dies spread laterally almost to the edge of the gigantic surface.
Der8auer-CPU.jpg
 
Sooo....what's this air cooler doing here? I thought these were coming with AIO liquid coolers. Is that not the case?
 
How necessary is the smooth jazz? Between that and all the creepily smooth motions, I feel a little dirty after watching that video.

*EDIT* And oh, God... the thermal paste...
It was like watching a bad porno rofl

Horrible music. Weird gloves. Poor application of shmoo.

Music, 5/10 due to hilarity. TIM application, 3/10.
 
How common of a problem is crushed pins that so many people keep mentioning it.

I've build probably 30+ systems since Intel introduced the painless CPU's, and never bent any.

Are people retarded?


No, people are not retarded .... they are young and inpatient. That's why you have dead motherboards, bent pins and just bs issues in general because kids rush their builds. I've seen it a gazillion times. Anytime we've had BYOPC workshops here in KC will will literally see 1 or 2 pc's not fire up and that's if we have a class of 8 or 10 first time / repeat builders. Occasionally, no issues but that's when we have a father / daughter build or a few women in the class or guys in their late 20's or early 30's. I'm telling you it's strictly an age thing.

I have to walk around and remind them it's not a race but it goes in one ear and out the other. Look ... if your 15 to 23ish with a pair of testicles ... you are not going to listen to anyone or anything in regards to a PC and it's not even their fault it's some sort of weird DNA evolution mutated gene type shit. These are the guys that bend the pins and or other general totally avoidable bs that takes place inside their PC.

This is my experience since I started building out of computer shopper in the early to mid 90's when CD-ROM "readers" were $499.
 
I really like that mounting system. Lets be honest here, with 4000 freaking pins who wants to risk bending them? I see nothing wrong with how they applied the TIM. Its a big ass chip so it will need a lot more TIM in order for it to spread properly. Anyone getting overly fancy with their TIM application and painstakingly spreading it out by hand is simply wasting time.
 
No, people are not retarded .... they are young and inpatient. That's why you have dead motherboards, bent pins and just bs issues in general because kids rush their builds. I've seen it a gazillion times. Anytime we've had BYOPC workshops here in KC will will literally see 1 or 2 pc's not fire up and that's if we have a class of 8 or 10 first time / repeat builders. Occasionally, no issues but that's when we have a father / daughter build or a few women in the class or guys in their late 20's or early 30's. I'm telling you it's strictly an age thing.

I have to walk around and remind them it's not a race but it goes in one ear and out the other. Look ... if your 15 to 23ish with a pair of testicles ... you are not going to listen to anyone or anything in regards to a PC and it's not even their fault it's some sort of weird DNA evolution mutated gene type shit. These are the guys that bend the pins and or other general totally avoidable bs that takes place inside their PC.

This is my experience since I started building out of computer shopper in the early to mid 90's when CD-ROM "readers" were $499.


Meh. If you ask me youth is no excuse.

I've been building my own since I was 11.

Only time I ever broke anything was when I tried to install a Vapochill and crushed a couple of AMD cores. The fir was just so damned tight with my motherboard that it couldn't be installed.

Other than that, over 25 years of building I've never damaged anything.

It's simple really. The one thing you have to know is that if something doesn't fit easily, never force it.

If they can't control themselves, or their testosterone, then they ought to just be put down.
 
Why are there 2 "brackets?" why do you need to slide the CPU into a bracket instead of just setting it in there.
Probably easy to mis-center the CPU onto the socket and bend some pins when you close it so it needs a little something extra to prevent a bunch of mobo RMA's.

why the fuck do they need to ensure that the screwdriver needed isn't just your everyday phillips head? Why is there 2 plastic protective coverings?
A tad stupid yeah, but not a big deal to remove. Dunno why there are 2.

Trying to be unique for the sake of being a special snowflake, is another.
Heaps of off chip IO through the mobo means a blown out package size so there probably wasn't much else they could do.
 
A tad stupid yeah, but not a big deal to remove. Dunno why there are 2.

Clear one keeps the cpu holder from bending when locked into the socket.
Brown one is there so that you don't accidentally drop anything into the socket while sliding the cpu into the alignment bracket.
You pull the brown one off right before you put the CPU down.
 
Looks simple enough to use ... kind of like this mounting system.

As for the TIM maybe a pattern like the "5" on a die would fit.
 
But most CPUs have the logic near the center. Threadripper has just empty PCB in the center and the four dies spread laterally almost to the edge of the gigantic surface.
Der8auer-CPU.jpg
Missing capacitors= how they cut it down?
 
Music reminds me of an episode of "How It's Made" :)

Been so long since I built a new PC, my last real build was using an AthlonXP. With the exposed die, I found it best to put a little dab of TIM on it and use a sandwich bag over a finger for a really smooth surface to spread it out in an even, thin layer before putting the heat sink on. With the heat spreader and more pressure you can let the center drop spread without worrying about it getting on the components.
 
All i got out of this is never buy a used threadripper mobo. I cant even get all the lga 2011 v1 pins to stay connected 100% of the time...
 
I am pleased to see socket design advancing and adding more protections to maximize ease and minimize user error. Especially with such a large CPU it is important. Oh, I remember reading that the Torx heads allow the screws to be flatter and grip better so that makes sense - I just hope that MSI and anyone else with a Torx head board makes sure to list it in the instructions that a Philips simply won't do!

The thing that is of most concern to me however is regarding Threadripper's TIM application style. I suppose we'll have to see if non-ES Threadripper chips actually have 4 onboard dies before we know for sure, but if they do then I am guessing that especially for the high-end TR chips the "dot in the middle of the heatspreader" just won't do, to cool all of the cores sufficiently given placement and such a large heatspreader? Would 2 crossed lines be best?
 
As far as applying TIM goes I have a number of methods depending on the die type, whether is temp or permanent, etc.

Method 1 (Heat spreader on chip, temporary): A small amount on the corners and a larger amount in the middle, just enough paste to cover the heat spreader without having to clean up the chip too much when i take it off.

Method 2 ("Permanent" HIS or die): Thin layer of TIM spread evenly with a plastic card, small amount in middle to prevent bubbles.

It really depends on the type of TIM that you are using, if it is very thin (not vicious) The pea-sized method works fine,
but if you are like me and have a big syringe of arctic ceramique that has thickened over time It will not squeeze out all the extra material between chip and heatsink and thus method 2 is what I use.
 
That looks like the easiest CPU installation procedure I've ever seen. It essentially looks dummy proof and doesn't look like any unnerving bending and pushing with the bracket.
 
I love that song, but its a bit fast for this video.


How about something like this instead? :p


WOW!! You can't imagine how long it's been since I've last heard that. My father used to listen to stuff like that.
Yeah, that one fits too.
 
As far as applying TIM goes I have a number of methods depending on the die type, whether is temp or permanent, etc.

Method 1 (Heat spreader on chip, temporary): A small amount on the corners and a larger amount in the middle, just enough paste to cover the heat spreader without having to clean up the chip too much when i take it off.

Method 2 ("Permanent" HIS or die): Thin layer of TIM spread evenly with a plastic card, small amount in middle to prevent bubbles.

It really depends on the type of TIM that you are using, if it is very thin (not vicious) The pea-sized method works fine,
but if you are like me and have a big syringe of arctic ceramique that has thickened over time It will not squeeze out all the extra material between chip and heatsink and thus method 2 is what I use.

The idea with TIM is that it is an interface, not a heat conducting medium in and of itself. Its role is to fill in the microscopic valleys in even the most highly lapped surface and nothing more. That is why you can actually use toothpaste temporarily if you in a pinch. The conductivity of most TIM compounds is less than that of the heatsink or heatspreader/die. So it makes sense to have as little interfering with that heat conduction as possible. The less TIM you have getting in the way of the peak/peak contact of the CPU and the cooler, the better the cooler will perform.

In short - less is more.
 
WOW!! You can't imagine how long it's been since I've last heard that. My father used to listen to stuff like that.
Yeah, that one fits too.

I last heard it the last time I played Fallout: New Vegas. My grandfather listens to music like that all the time though; I had to rig up something for him to be able to play cassette tapes in his new truck the other day.
 
I last heard it the last time I played Fallout: New Vegas. My grandfather listens to music like that all the time though; I had to rig up something for him to be able to play cassette tapes in his new truck the other day.


Yep, that's where I got it from as well. I thought it would be a humorous and also hit Fallout players with recognition. Perfect for a CPU install video :p
 
that music though.

was waiting for a pizza guy to show up.

geez.

also that is the most uninspired vrm heatsink evar.
 
Everyones talking about teh TIM skills (or lack thereof). But what about the fck up @ 2:10 and the jump cut around 2:17 to fix the alignment to the mounting screws! I'd have done a re-shoot for that at least! No way would i let that go onto a public video. lol. Not to mention... be totally bummed i just stuffed up the "great" TIM application with a double-dribble!
 
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