CPU warranty says own heatsink only - what would you do?

[Jennifer]

Hello all

Just got the bits for my new quiet system and have been quietly perusing the manuals and suchlike. I was a bit put out to see that the warranty for the CPU (AMD Athlon 64 X2 3600 AM2 1.9GHz) will be void if I put a different heat sink on it, which is of course exactly what I was planning to do.

So, risks either way it seems: either
a) stick the Ninja on it and take my chances, without having even checked that the CPU was working in the first place. But then if it's a dud, I'm stuck with it (unless I lied, supposing I could get away with that). I don't mind a void warranty once I've checked that the thing was working in the first place, but that seems a bit extreme.
b) initially use its own heat sink and fan, establish the system running, then do a bit of rebuilding and switch to the Ninja. But I'm sure I read somewhere that replacing heat sinks is a pain in the arse kind of a job. Presumably I'd have to clean off the first lot of thermal paste before the second lot goes on, which sounds like a lot of bother and extra handling of the kind which leads to things getting inadvertently broken.

However, never having done it, I don't know how much bother it would actually be. And I don't know either what the stats are on how often you get a CPU that's a dud out of the box.

I have the impression that people here probably tend to do (a), but thought I would ask. What have other people done? What would you do? And how much of a down side is there in your opinions to the process of replacing one (installed) heat sink with another?

thanks

Jennifer

[Felger Carbon]

And I don't know either what the stats are on how often you get a CPU that's a dud out of the box.

Since you have the retail box version that comes with a heatsink, the odds against it being bad are astronomical unless you do something klutzy like not insert it into the socket properly, and then try to force it.

Purchasing an OEM "tray" version is rather sporty.

It's understandable that the CPU maker would place that restriction. Forget it (everybody else does), and be careful installing the new HSF - after confirming the CPU is working by using the original HSF.

[oso]

Just stick the Ninja on it right off the bat. If it turns out to be DOA (highly unlikely) you should be able to exchange it at the place you purchased it from.

[Firetech]

Just stick the Ninja on it right off the bat. If it turns out to be DOA (highly unlikely) you should be able to exchange it at the place you purchased it from.

with the original heatsink (minus thermal tape)

[jaldridge6]

is it really possible to tell that an aftermarket heatsink has been on a cpu?

[Mr Evil]

is it really possible to tell that an aftermarket heatsink has been on a cpu?

The way they find out is that they search the internet, looking for posts by the owner talking about installing an aftermarket heatsink

[Live]

Install the Ninja. They cant tell which heatsink has been on it if you don't tell them. And since you know they want you to have the original crapiola installed just tell them you did if you have any problems. Which I am sure you wont.

[Fayd]

i've never returned a processor, but...

just install the ninja. if you have any problems, do the following.

uninstall ninja, and install retail hsf.

see if it works now.

if it does, then reinstall ninja properly.

if it doesnt, then send in the retail hsf with proc.


(by installing the retail hsf, you make the dents in it's thermal goo that it has in fact been used.... )

there is no possible way they can know you used an aftermarket hsf with this processor if you dont tell them.