Asus P5QL: 1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

®

This motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA775 socket designed for the Intel

®

®

Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Quad / Core™2 Duo / Pentium

Dual-Core / Celeron

Dual-Core

®

/ Celeron

processors.

• Unplug all power cables before installing the CPU.

• Connect the chassis fan cable to the CHA_FAN connector to ensure system stability.

• Upon purchase of the motherboard, ensure that the PnP cap is on the socket and the

socket contacts are not bent. Contact your retailer immediately if the PnP cap is missing,

or if you see any damage to the PnP cap/socket contacts/motherboard components.

ASUS will shoulder the cost of repair only if the damage is shipment/transit-related.

• Keep the cap after installing the motherboard. ASUS will process Return Merchandise

Authorization (RMA) requests only if the motherboard comes with the cap on the

LGA775 socket.

• The product warranty does not cover damage to the socket contacts resulting from

incorrect CPU installation/removal, or misplacement/loss/incorrect removal of the PnP

cap.

®

®

The motherboard supports Intel

LGA775 processors with the Intel

Enhanced Intel

®

SpeedStep

Technology (EIST) and Hyper-Threading Technology.

1.6.1 Installing the CPU

To install a CPU:

1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.

Before installing the CPU, ensure that the cam box is facing towards you and the load lever

is on your left.

ASUS P5QL 1-7

2. Press the load lever with your thumb

Retention tab

(A), then move it to the left (B) until it is

released from the retention tab.

A

To prevent damage to the socket

pins, do not remove the PnP cap

B

unless you are installing a CPU.

Load lever

3. Lift the load lever in the direction of the

PnP cap

arrow to a 135º angle.

Load plate

4B

4. Lift the load plate with your thumb and

forenger to a 100º angle (4A), then

push the PnP cap from the load plate

4A

window to remove (4B).

3

5. Position the CPU over the socket,

CPU notch

ensuring that the gold triangle is on the

bottom-left corner of the socket then t

the socket alignment key into the CPU

notch.

Gold

triangle

mark

Alignment key

1-8 Chapter 1: Product introduction

6. Apply some Thermal Interface Material

to the exposed area of the CPU that the

heatsink will be in contact with, ensuring

that it is spread in an even thin layer.

Some heatsinks come with pre-applied

thermal paste. If so, skip this step.

DO NOT eat the Thermal Interface Material. If it gets into your eyes or touches your skin,

ensure that you wash it off immediately, and seek professional medical help.

To prevent contaminating the paste, DO NOT spread the paste with your nger directly.

7. Close the load plate (A), then push

the load lever (B) until it snaps into the

A

retention tab.

B

ASUS P5QL 1-9

1.6.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fan

®

The Intel

LGA775 processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to

ensure optimum thermal condition and performance.

®

•

When you buy a boxed Intel

processor, the package includes the CPU fan and

®

heatsink assembly. If you buy a CPU separately, ensure that you use only Intel

-certied

multi-directional heatsink and fan.

• Ensure that you have installed the motherboard to the chassis before you install the

CPU fan and heatsink assembly.

• If you purchased a separate CPU heatsink and fan assembly, ensure that you have

properly applied Thermal Interface Material to the CPU heatsink or CPU before you

install the heatsink and fan assembly.

®

Your Intel

LGA775 heatsink and fan assembly comes in a push-pin design and requires no

tool to install.

To install the CPU heatsink and fan:

A

1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed

B

CPU, ensuring that the four fasteners match

B

the holes on the motherboard.

Orient the heatsink and fan assembly

A

such that the CPU fan cable is closest

to the CPU fan connector.

2. Push down two fasteners at a time in a

diagonal sequence to secure the heatsink

and fan assembly in place.

1

A

B

1

B

A

The type of CPU heatsink and fan assembly may differ, but the installation steps and

functions should remain the same. The illustration above is for reference only.

3. Connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_FAN.

Do not forget to connect the CPU

fan connector! Hardware monitoring

errors can occur if you fail to plug this

connector.

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction