Don's HTPC

First task this morning was mounting the unbelievably huge Zalman CNPS7000 CPU Cooler - That think looks like a cargo helicopter sitting on a tank. It's 4 1/4" in diameter and weighs 445 grams - just shy of a pound, exceeding the Intel spec considerably and likely voiding the warranty. I sure hope it cools well. I used Artic Silver 5 thermal paste and applied per the Arctic Silver instructions on their site. You simply put a dollop (about 1.5 grains of rice in size) on the CPU heat spreader. You don't spread it out, but let the weight and pressure of the heatsink spread it evenly. There are several articles on this procedure and it now appears to be the favored method. ::Crosses fingers:: Here it is mounted - wow, just huge.

I then mounted the MB in the case: Somehow, the CPU HS/Fan doesn't look near as large now.

Now I start connecting cables --- Yeah!