First Intel build - few questions

[waterboysh]

Hey guys. I've been a long time reader... made a few posts here and there. Ever since I got into building my own computers for me and family/friends I have always stuck with AMD for the better priceerformance ratio. I've been wanting to upgrade my mobo/cpu/ram for a while and my workplace is part of the intel retail edge program. I just recently was able to purchase the core i7-2600k for $100 through it. I spent a while reading reviews for Z68 motherboards and deciding which one I want. I went with the MSI Z68A-GD80.

Now, since this is my first build with an Intel chip, I have a couple questions.

1) With Intel using LGA and the socket having that weird metal clip thing that goes down on the CPU, does the thermal grease have to be spread on in any special way? I've always used the method of putting a little dab on the cpu and spreading it around with my finger through a zip lock baggie.

2) I only just realized this morning that every motherboard I have ever used in the 8 years or so I've been doing this has used an Nvidia Nforce chipset. I started with a Socket A Nforce 3 board, and right now I'm using an AM2 NForce 550 (I think) board. NVidia makes installing the drivers needed for the motherboard really easy with their unified driver architecture. One download has the ethernet/chipset/audio/raid etc drivers you need. It doesn't appear Intel has anything similar. Are the drivers that are included with Windows 7 fine for that, or do I need to hunt down all the drivers for the motherboard?

That's really the only questions I have. Hopefully they should be really easy to answer. If anyone is curious, here are the full specs for the system I'll be putting together once it all gets here.

Case: Coolermaster HAF 922
PSU: Corsair CMPSU-750HX
Motherboard: MSI Z68A-GD80
Processor: Intel Core i7-2600k
CPU Cooler: ZALMAN CNPS11X (I do plan on overclocking =D)
RAM: 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR 1600 G.Skill Ripjaws X series 8-8-8-24
GPU: MSI N560GTX-Ti Hawk GeForce GTX 560 Ti
HDD: Intel 320 series 120GB SSD (got this cheap through the program too)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 7200 RPM 640GB

 

[amdmaxx]

win7 has all the drivers you need.. MSI iwll include a CD with drivers, but you better off getting the latest from their web site..
Enable SSD caching feature of Z68 MoBo...
And MaximumPC guide on thermal paste applications:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/howto_install_cpu_and_apply_thermal_paste

No video card?
I'd go for bigger drive than 640 (unless you already have it or got good deal), since you using SSD for OS..

nice rig!

 

[waterboysh]

win7 has all the drivers you need.. MSI iwll include a CD with drivers, but you better off getting the latest from their web site..

So should I just use the win 7 drivers or get the ones from MSI? I'm trying to download everything ahead of time onto my external hard drive. Should I get all the drivers from this page?

Enable SSD caching feature of Z68 MoBo...

I'm going to use the SSD as my boot drive. It really only makes sense to use SSD caching for a 64GB or smaller drive since that is the maximum size supported by Z68

And MaximumPC guide on thermal paste applications:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/howto_install_cpu_and_apply_thermal_paste

Thanks!

No video card?

I have the GeForce 560 TI

I'd go for bigger drive than 640 (unless you already have it or got good deal), since you using SSD for OS...

I have a 500GB now that I am only using about 300 of. I don't have a huge music collection and no videos/movies.

nice rig!

Thanks! I'm really excited about getting all the parts and getting it put together. I'm currently using a much older Athlon 64 X2 4000 (2.1GHz) with 2 GB of DDR2 800 and a GeForce 8600GT, so it will be a HUGE speed increase over what I have now.

 

[Jason Xiao]

Grats on the killer 2600K deal!

Gravity is your friend. When you spread with your finger and there is a dip in the middle, that can be potential for a bubble. Sure, you may only lose 4-6*C in temps, but we're enthusiasts, go for gold or go broke. Depending on your cooler, best way is usually a rice size dot in the middle of the CPU. When the heat sink is the type where the bottom is not flat and smooth, I go for a very thin X.

Usually motherboards come with discs but from my experience, I just set it up and it worked fine off the bat. Only driver I've done recently is Intel Raid Controller. With the discs, i wouldn't even worry.

That weird metal clip is why I've never heard stories of Intel users ripping a CPU out of a socket. It's a real sturdy latch and will keep your CPU in it's place ; ]

Looks like a solid build, good luck!
Jason Xiao

 

[waterboysh]

Depending on your cooler, best way is usually a rice size dot in the middle of the CPU

I used to do it that way, but I just don't understand how that can optimally cover the cpu's ihs. If you use just enough so that the paste spreads to the edges then the corners of the ihs don't get any paste. The paste expands in a circular shape. If you use enough to get the corners as well, then the paste oozes off the edges.

I tried using an old credit card to spread the paste, but AS5 is to thick for that to work very well and that's when I came up with the idea to spread it with my finger inside a baggie.

Something funny is that the Zalman cooler comes with some thermal paste, and I was curious as to how Zalman says to apply it, so I looked in the instruction manual. It says to use 1/3 of the tube of paste. The tube is bigger than what my AS5 came in, and I have used the AS5 on at least 8-10 CPUs... 1/3 of that tube would be way way way to much paste. I can't believe Zalman would put that in the manual...

That weird metal clip is why I've never heard stories of Intel users ripping a CPU out of a socket. It's a real sturdy latch and will keep your CPU in it's place ; ]

That's good to know.