Awesome!! It's coming together!!"I think I need a pinch of that silver toothpaste thingi whatever compound and then spread like butter on bread? :)" http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htmYes..You could temp install with your Dell XP cd...You'll have 30 days for activation if you don't get Online with it...I wouldn't get on the internet with it...It's not safe until you get XP all Patched up with hotfixes...If you start the Hotfix process..Windows will go through a product check and make you register at that time...I wouldn't feel safe with an un-patched copy of windows out there these days...What kind of Internet security are you using??Dell Just Brands their copy of Windows and add's in all their own Stuff into the Extra's portion..ie: Free AOL, McAffee or whatever...It should be a good way for you to get her up and running...Hummm...How about Vista?? I still havn't got started with that myself..I'm lasing around..he heGood Job getting her going!!

Chuck, you are so helpful buddy. I can't thank you enough.I was not sure, how much of that goo I should put on it.. and thought I'd google to find out instead of me learning the hardway. Since this is the CPU we are talking here. And then I see your post with the right link. :)Thanks again. So let me read that and be brave and plant that copper thingi on the CPU. MannyFrom your link.Quote:"Only a small amount of Arctic Silver is neededP4- About the size of an uncooked grain of short-grain white rice or 1/2 of a BB."Once the heatsink is properly mounted, grasp the heatsink and very gently twist it slightly clockwise and counterclockwise one time each if possible. (Just one or two degrees or so.)Please note that some heatsinks cannot be twisted once mounted. Our testing has shown that this method minimizes the possibility of air bubbles and voids in the thermal interface between the heat spreader and the heatsink. Since the vast majority of the heat from the core travels directly through the heat spreader, it is more important to have a good interface directly above the actual CPU core than it is to have the heat spreader covered with compound from corner to corner.

Right-On!! I'd follow their directions to a tee...They got it goin' on...I use to be guilty of using "Too Much" thermal paste myself...Good Luck and Have Fun!!

Chuck ..small problemhttp://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=165&codeIn the manual of that cooler. Page 3, They are talking about two option in how to place that clip to hold the copper thingi to the cpu/MBA. For motherboards with horizontally - Oriented retention guideB. For motherboards with veriticalky - Oriented retention guideI have the Lian Lin which very similar to that Lian Lin case of yours. do I fasten the clip like in Option A or like Option B. I am getting confused here.Manny

Well they could have made that just a bit more confusing if they wanted..huh??With YOUR perticular adapter...It appears you have a choice...You can either go horizontally or vertically...I would choose Option B(Vertically)... With my AMD set-up...I had only one option to "Orient" the clip..Vertically as in Option B...Edit:To Clarify....The Coolers orientation is not in question here...All they are referring to is the Spring Clip orientation..The cooler will remain "Horizontal' with the fan blowing towards the rear of the case...http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/157031.jpgI just think...From a leverage standpoint...Mounting the clip vertically makes a bit more sense...Since it appears you have the option of choosing either direction with your perticular "Adapter"...Hope this Helps!!

Thanks Chuck.Vertically makes sense because, The way the PC will be (upright) and assuming the weight of the copper thingi would want to torque, Vertical would not allow it to Torque.. Right?The only problem is, the horizonal is easier. I placed the Cooler over the CPU and tried to insert the holding pin through the side but I never could straighten it out. Let me try it again.MannyBTW.. in your PCm the fan is right behind the cooler. In the Liam Li case the case fan is off to the side.

Don't spill that beverage :)

If Horizontally is easier...Kewl..Just do that then...I thought about it for a few minutes...It's going to be no big deal from a stress/loads standpoint...The load is going to be distributed across the surface of the processor and base of the cooler...The spring clip shouldn't carry allot of the load...Either orientation should be equally as good...Maybe a slight preferance for the vertical...But if it's too hard to do...Then go horizontal... "BTW.. in your PCm the fan is right behind the cooler. In the Liam Li case the case fan is off to the side."I think that may be an "Illusion" in that picture...That perticular Asus Case uses 120mm fan's...vs the 80mm's used in the Lan Li's...It may be slightly more behind the cooler just because it's a larger fan...But the centerline of the fan is still off to the side like the Lan-Li's are... ;-) I have four Rig's right now...So my pictures may vary he he...Making things confusing...I have some older shots of previous rigs thrown in the mix too...he he

Chuck,I connected the Cooler with the clip in the horizontal position. Yeah.. I think it would work too. Except, when I applied the grease, I want to spreadit around just on the center. I did that but it was a little messy and it was rubbed all the way to the edge. Hope thats ok.I have a pussle here. I was trying to see where all the wires from the fan and USB and everything from the Liam Li case goes to the MB. I was doing a dry run.. and came across one connection I do not know where to plug in the mb.There are two sets of wires that come from the lian Li front pannel. One is the Power sw, reset sw etc...where I have the Q-connected and I know where that goes in the Mb. The second set has the USB connectors which I have connected to the Q connector and I think I know where that goes as well. But this same Second set has to the side another connector 1,2...9,10 (where the 10 is the White (Key)) Where does this go? Initially I thought this was the power connector for the two front fans. But the power CHA_FAN1 has only 3 pins (gnd,+12V,Rotation). So what is that? and where in the MB does it go?Hmmm.....MannyI found this via google. I am reading it nowhttp://www.directron.com/installusb.htmlI am talking about thishttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/157069.jpgAnd here is the online version of Lian Li. Front panel cable installation guide "Multi Media I/O Connector" USB 2.0http://www.lian-li.com/faq.htmAfter reading that webpage.. It might be redundent..but then how does the front fan gets its power? from the USB?------------------------------------------------------------EDITED TO ADD:All right. I think I firured it out.. IT is redundent..and the fan is power via a pair of 4 pin Molex. and not via the MB CHA_FAN1/2

OK.. I think I have put everything together... now comes the time to turn it on.But before that, I am going to go through all the connection one more time. Kind of like a Take off Check list. and then read up on how to get into the BIOS to set the RAID and what disk I need to put where and stuff.Manny

Awesome!!

OK..I am in trouble.I plugged in and I turned on the PU on the PC and I see the MB SB_Pwr light turn on. Then I turned on my PC and then Case fans come on... and also the fan on the NVidea Video card.But no beep and nothing on the computer monitor. The Cooler fan is not working either.Hmmmm...MannyEdit1: OK.. I had the Cooler pwr plugged in wrong. I turned it over and now the cooler works fine.I am also unable to turn off the PC from the buttun on the front of the case.

So have you got to the bios?? Got video now??You may have to press and hold the button to power down for a second or so..Then release...I do that with mine...Edit: Hopefully you got her going...I know there are some un-nerving times...If you feel like your really in trouble..I'll gladly give you my phone#...

Nope.. No Bios.. 1. There is no signal to the CRT. I tried with a second monitor. I hooked up to the Geoforce 7600 GT card but it should work without a driver for a start..,right?2. I can't turn off the PC by pressing the start button in the front.. no matter how long I hold it down. But I can turn it on. There are two front lights.. 1. for the HD and the other with a bulb logo. The one with the bulb logo is on (blue light).3. No beep sound of any kind... Not even a single beep.Hmmmm...Chuck.My E-mail addy is [email protected] you please e-mail me your # and a time for me to call?ThanksManny

Chuck,Check this one out. He has the same issue... http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic58148.htmlI too have not pluged the 2X2 12V power into the motherboard. cause what I have from my PU is the 20+4 in the main PU power... Since the 2x2 is already in this thing.. I left the other 2x2 emptyI do not have the 2x2 coming from my PU.. I have a 2x3 and the molex 4 etc.Is that my problem.BTW.. I am still trying to figure out how to remove the CMOS Battery.Manny