It's time to once again put some focus on this subject.
Many posts in the "Problems with K7S5A" section about instability/freezing are in many cases directly or indirectly related to chipset overheating. The feedback from many users solving their instability problem speaks for itself.
Often, the chipset heatsink re-mounting is the last thing K7S5A owners try when working on an unstable setup. But it should really be the first thing to do (also on systems running just fine). Of course there will be situations where a (small) modification to the original setup of the board like the heatsink fix would be problematic, if for example you are considering an RMA. In theory, it will void your warranty, because it is a physical modification to the board. Some would say that it is not a modification, but more a needed fix for a production flaw at ECS. One can only guess why ECS (and many other motherboard manufacturers) uses double-sided tape to mount the heatsink, double-sided tape is not a good heat conductor, on the contrary. A guess could be that it's because is a relativly inexpensive way (massproduction-wise) to do it.
You can re-mount your chipset heatsink this way:
Gently twist off the small orange heatsink on the SIS735 chip. You must twist it back and forth a few times to get it loose. When you have it off, "roll" of the tape from the chip with a finger and try the same with the heatsink (the heatsink side will be more difficult, you may have to use some rubbing alcohol to get it off). When both chip and heatsink is clean, reattach the heatsink with a thin layer of thermal paste (the same stuff you use for your CPU) and four drops of glue in the corners to keep it in place. Apply pressure while the glue hardens.
You can also use a thermal adhensive (heat-conductive epoxy) to attach the heatsink without the use of thermal paste. If you plan to overclock a lot, or just want to be on the really safe side, you can also choose to mount a bigger heatsink, for example an old 486 or Pentium heatsink.
If you touch the heatsink on a running system (under full load) mounted with double-sided tape, the heatsink will not feel particularly hot, only lukewarm. If you then reattach the heatsink properly and touch it again under the same conditions, it will be much hotter. This is an indication of the heatsink is now doing its job, not being held back by the tape insulating the chip.
Location of the chipset heatsink:
Many posts in the "Problems with K7S5A" section about instability/freezing are in many cases directly or indirectly related to chipset overheating. The feedback from many users solving their instability problem speaks for itself.
Often, the chipset heatsink re-mounting is the last thing K7S5A owners try when working on an unstable setup. But it should really be the first thing to do (also on systems running just fine). Of course there will be situations where a (small) modification to the original setup of the board like the heatsink fix would be problematic, if for example you are considering an RMA. In theory, it will void your warranty, because it is a physical modification to the board. Some would say that it is not a modification, but more a needed fix for a production flaw at ECS. One can only guess why ECS (and many other motherboard manufacturers) uses double-sided tape to mount the heatsink, double-sided tape is not a good heat conductor, on the contrary. A guess could be that it's because is a relativly inexpensive way (massproduction-wise) to do it.
You can re-mount your chipset heatsink this way:
Gently twist off the small orange heatsink on the SIS735 chip. You must twist it back and forth a few times to get it loose. When you have it off, "roll" of the tape from the chip with a finger and try the same with the heatsink (the heatsink side will be more difficult, you may have to use some rubbing alcohol to get it off). When both chip and heatsink is clean, reattach the heatsink with a thin layer of thermal paste (the same stuff you use for your CPU) and four drops of glue in the corners to keep it in place. Apply pressure while the glue hardens.
You can also use a thermal adhensive (heat-conductive epoxy) to attach the heatsink without the use of thermal paste. If you plan to overclock a lot, or just want to be on the really safe side, you can also choose to mount a bigger heatsink, for example an old 486 or Pentium heatsink.
If you touch the heatsink on a running system (under full load) mounted with double-sided tape, the heatsink will not feel particularly hot, only lukewarm. If you then reattach the heatsink properly and touch it again under the same conditions, it will be much hotter. This is an indication of the heatsink is now doing its job, not being held back by the tape insulating the chip.
Location of the chipset heatsink:
