Et tu, Brute?

Had to do that to the MB tray....the V8 cooler wouldn't fit in the slide-in....had to be installed after the tray was in place...so had to access the back of the MB for the bolts...

There's not a lot to building a rig these days... with all the snap together components you hardly even need a screwdriver.  Well to open the case you do, but the rest is a breeze if you follow the basic rules and common sense.

One of the basic rules is to wash your hands thoroughly prior to handling the components, then 'ground' yourself, which can be done by wearing a wetsuit and flippers, with a conductive wire attached to the weight belt and the other end attached to a spike which you hammer into the floor. Snorkel and googles are optional. 

Oh, if you don't have flippers and a wetsuit, gum boots and some of that kinky rubber gear will do. 

The other thing to remember when inserting the CPU is not to go.....

Nah, seriously!  It's not that hard.  I usually install the PSU and drives in the case first, then the CPU/cooler and RAM on the mobo while it's still outside the case (remembering to ensure the CPU is properly seated before locking it down), then install the mobo and connect the PSU and front panel leads, etc,  prior to adding the graphics and sound cards.  Works for me.

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Oh, and Jafo, the only mad bull in a china shop, when installing my CPU, was running up and down my cervical spine, thus causing pins and needles and my hand to cramp up from pinched nerves.  Bit hard holding on to a CPU like that... so I dropped it. 

What surprised me, however, was the ease with which the pins bent (didn't fall far or with any force), and how easily one broke off during the techie's attempt to straighten them. Manufacturing and quality control seems sadly to have suffered with AMD sending much of its operation offshore (from the US).  What we also discovered (probably due to harder economic times, the worldwide financial crisis, etc) is that AMD were/are accepting/approving very few returns... hence the desperate attempt to get mine up and running.  Thankfully it fired up.

Oh, ok!   Thing is, given AMD isn't accepting too many returns these days, and mine works famously without a pin, it might be worth your while seeing if somebody technically inclined can get it up and running for you.  In my case, even though the new CPU would technically have worked, the old CPU had to be reinserted so the BIOS could be flashed/updated to enable the recognition of the new one.  This can happen with some older mobos and newer CPU's that were designed with newer boards in mind, so it is worth a try.... it could very well work.

Here's hoping for ya.

Hey all, I ended up getting an Athlon 64 X2 4000+ Dual Core at my local PC repair shop for $50.00 which Wiz was nice enough to send me as a Christmas gift!  He's clairvoyant...he knew I would screw up the first one...lol!!

Edit: He sent the money before I had even taken delivery of the first cpu....hence the clairvoyance remark....I think he has a crystal ball....or two?

I'm so glad it worked out for you.  Wiz is one heck of a great guy, isn't he... doing that for you is one heck of a nice thing to do.

Thanks, Wiz, you're a true gentleman. Your helping out a mate like that is pretty special to us all.

I wish that he'd been clairvoyant the night before I did mine... with an email saying: "Leave that CPU the heck alone tomorrow, otherwise you're gonna drop the blasted thing and bend some pins."

Oh well, all's well that ends well.

What a great thing to do!!!

  Shucks guys,it weren't nuthin'. Jim deserved a little upgrade to his computer. He's been a good friend ever since we met here on WC. I'm just glad I had the extra money when it could do him the most good.

As for crystal balls....nah,that's just a bit of frost forming. I may be  keeping it a little too cold in the computer room.