Installing a CPU cooler

After Market Heatsinks
Although the procedure for the Stock CPU cooler is fairly easy, aftermarket coolers can be quite different, depending on the model, as an example here, we will be using a Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme CPU Heatsink. (Pictured on the right, along with all the required mounting gear).Now first of all, have your mounting gear set up near your motherboard, having all the components at hand.

Now, turn your motherboard around, around the back, there are four holes. You take the backplate (in the bottom of the picture, the X-like figure with a square in the center) and line it up with those four holes.

Pick up your heatsink, and clean its base with isopropryl alcohol, and a lint-free cloth, and clean the CPU's IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader) too. Put a dab (not bigger than a pea) of TIM (Thermal Interface Material) in the dead center of the CPU, and lay don your heatsink on it, using it's weight to spread that dab on the CPU.

Now take the X-Bracket (below the heatsink in the picture), and put it through the space in the lower part of the heatsink, spreading it open afterwards.

Pick up your correspondent mounting screws (the longer ones mount in LGA775 Motherboards, the shorter ones in AM2/AM2+ Motherboards).

Tighten them down hard (don't be afraid to use force, as these screws might take a lot of power to fully screw in, using the Opposite Cross method helps with this (first, tighten a screw slightly in one corner, then, tighten the one on the corner opposite to that one).

Test for the stability of your mount, and you are set, now you need to install the fan (which is not always included with the heatsink). On this particular cooler, there are special fan holders thet require no effort in mounting (left in picture). But, you can also use fan clips, which clip on to one of the holes on the side of the cooler, and then to the fan. This usually takes no effort, unless you install a fan with the Motherboard already in the case, in that case, it could get tight.

This whole CPU Heatsink intall section will be completed in little time, there is a lot to adress.