I'm pretty sure that you cannot tell how to orient an AMD processor without sight. I can't say for sure because I don't build machines every day. Could be I am missing something. I'm not sure what it means that Intel processors are keyed. Does that mean you can tell how to orient them by feel? If so, they are ahead of AMD processors in that regard. I don't want to be too negative here. After all, I build all my own machines. But I don't think its much of a consolation to say that you haven't broken any systems while installing the heat sync once you learned how to do it. That can be a kind of expensive learning curve. My experience has been that the processor and heat sync combination change often enough for your knowledge on how to do one might not help much the next time. It seems like I have to figure it out again each time. But as I said, typically, I build myself a new machine only about once every 3 years. My recommendation is if anyone is considering building their own machine, definitely go for it. You might consider getting help installing the processor and heat sync. The rest just takes some thought and carefulness. You really can't screw it up if you study up a little first and take your time. One good thing is that there is about a million UTube videos on installing the processor and heat sync. Some of them have pretty good audio descriptions. Some don't. But if you listen to enough of them, you can probably figure it out. On Nov 5, 2012, at 11:48 AM, Ben Mustill-Rose wrote:
Hi,
Do you thihnk its any more of a problem than installing an Intel though? Pins are involved in both situations, their just in different places. Intel and AMD CPU's are keyed; if it doesn't just drop into the socket then you're not installing it correctly; you can't put it in the wrong way. Heatsyncs are easy once you've done a few; I've broken systems when I've installed heatsyncs before, but in hindsight, this was because of a lack of experience as opposed to the installation being overly hard.
Jmo.
Ben.
On 11/5/12, John G. Heim <jheim@math.wisc.edu> wrote:
I think its easy enough to bend the pins on an AMD processor that its worth worrying about. The pins on an AMD processor are so fine that you cant experiment or make any mistake. If you do, you will most likely bend the pins. Furthermore, I don't think a blind person can tell which way to orient the CPU in the socket. There is a mark on the CPU that lines up with a mark on the mobo but I don't believe you can feel the mark. But I would agree that it doesn't take someone with knowledge of computer hardware to help you with that. You might even be able to do it with a cell phone camera and a OCR program.
I do woodworking and when I use a table saw, I always practice what I'm going to do before I make a cut. I practice the motion I'm going to make with the saw turned off, turn it on, and then do exactly the same motion. It would probably be worth while doing something like that when installing a CPU. All you'd have to do to damage a CPU is to drop it by bumping your elbow as you reached out to install the CPU.
Then there's attaching the fan & heat sync. I don't think that's always easy either. I can see how even sighted people could make a mistake doing this stuff.
----Original Message----- From: Blind-sysadmins [mailto:blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org] On Behalf Of Ben Mustill-Rose Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2012 5:07 PM To: Blind sysadmins list Subject: Re: [Blind-sysadmins] Intel CPUs easier or harder?
Sorry for the double post, but before I was able to build myself, I used to get my mum to build systems for me and she never broke a CPU. If someone like her (VI and with very little hardware knolige) is able to do it, I really don't see why so many fully sighted people find it hard.
On 11/1/12, Ben Mustill-Rose <ben@benmr.com> wrote:
Hi,
It's very subjective really. I know that's not helpfull at all but I feel it really does depend on how often you've done it; I've done both and I wouldn't really say that ones harder than the other. If as you say we assume that the people who are saying it's hard are sighted, I have to wonder just how good they are at building computers for it to be a problem for them. I'm pretty sure one corner of the cpu is color coded or different visually in such a way that it's obvious which way round it's meant to go, so I really find it hard to understand why lining up a cpu with a socket and gentely placing it in is so hard for them. When you secure the cpu in place with the leaver you do hear a bit of a crunch sound which can be a bit worrying, but theres a cover that flips down around the edges of the socket before you do this and if you've installed it incorrectly (Which you can't do), the cover just won't sit smooth with the rest of the board.
My gut feeling is that which ever cpu you buy there are going to be pins involved so theres always going to be a chance that something gets bent. I'd probably look at what you want to do on the system and then buy the CPU that suits your intended uses best.
Cheers, Ben.
On 11/1/12, John G. Heim <jheim@math.wisc.edu> wrote:
The last time I built a PC, I got an AMD CPU partially because I had read lots of messages from people (presumably sighted people) talking about how they damaged their mobo trying to install an Intel CPU. Apparently, the pins are on the mobo. You close the lever and the pins are inserted into the CPU. But apparently, its easy to mess that up. That scared me considerably. Its pretty easy to bend the pins on an AMD CPU but that can be fairly easily fixed. Although you'd probably need someone who can see to do it.
Comments?
I am currently shopping for a mobo and CPU. I just built a PC about a year ago but I gave it to my wife when hers crashed. I came pretty close to buying a quad-core Intel CPU and Asus mobo. I kind of chickened out at the last minute. Also, with 16Gb of RaM it would have been $350. I don't know if I need to spend that much. I'm thinking I might end up going with components similar to what I bought a year ago, quad-core AMD CPU, Asus mobo, 8Gb RAM.
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