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AMD's Threadripper CPU is a significant departure from any mount system the company has used before. And if you're planning to buy one of these fries, we'd strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with the process earlier y'all begin.

Hither'due south why: For over a decade, AMD has used basically the same mounting system for its CPUs. The heatsink locks down over the chip with a pair of prongs with 1-three hooks on each side of the cadre. The dimensions of the socket changed so trivial over that time, y'all could utilise coolers that date back to the original Athlon 64 on AM3+ motherboards (provided they were rated for the CPUs TDP, of course).

AM4 slightly adapted the ratio. Only Threadripper? Threadripper tosses out that rulebook altogether.

The new TR4 socket packs 4,094 pins and is AMD's first LGA (Land Grid Array) product for its consumer hardware division. The socket's concrete dimensions are identical to Epyc's, fifty-fifty if the proper noun is different (TR4 for Threadripper, SP3 for Epyc). MSI has released a video showing how you install a Threadripper CPU and the steps involved in doing and so.

For those of you who don't want to or can't watch the video, hither are the steps:

First, utilize the Torx wrench (provided by AMD) to loosen the three Torx screws that hold the chip's retention subclass to the motherboard. These are loosened in a 3-ii-ane design (each corner of the socket is labeled). The "one" Torx screw is at the top of the motherboard.

One time the retention plate is lifted, you'll see a second retentiveness bracket underneath it. You slide the Threadripper CPU and the orange sled it's mounted to into the second retentiveness bracket. Assuming yous are looking down at the motherboard, with the CPU at the top of the board and the PCIe slots and various peripheral headers at the bottom, you want to make sure that the arrow on the CPU is in the top-left corner of the sled. I'm non sure it'due south even possible to insert the sled any other way, but let'due south not take bets on it.

Once the CPU is fully and correctly inserted, y'all lower the second retention subclass down into the socket. With that done, the chief memory bracket drops back down as well. The torx screws should be tightened in contrary order, 1-two-iii, every bit opposed to the 3-ii-1 used to loosen it.

Once that'south done and yous've applied your thermal paste, it's fourth dimension to mount the libation.Here, the mounting arrangement is like to what Intel uses for its LGA 2066. At that place are four spiral sockets around the CPU frame, and all uniform coolers will utilize these sockets to mount accordingly. Mount the cooler, tighten your screws, and voilà — everything locks down.

The overall installation procedure is different than annihilation nosotros've seen from AMD earlier. Only it's not hard, and every Threadripper CPU contains a Torx screwdriver as office of the kit.

Hat-tip to our sister site PCMag, which initially posted this story.