MSI K7N2 User Guide - Page 24

Hardware Setup Central Processing Unit: CPU The mainboard supports AMD® Athlon™, Athlon™ XP and Duron™ processors in the 462 pin package. The mainboard uses a CPU socket called Socket A for easy CPU installation. When you are installing the CPU, make sure the CPU has a heat sink and a cooling fan attached on the top to prevent overheating. If you do not find the heat sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and install them before turning on the computer. CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure CPU Clock multiplied by Core/Bus ratio equals the CPU core speed. For example: If CPU Clock = 100MHz Core/Bus ratio = 14 then CPU core speed = Host Clock x Core/Bus ratio = 100MHz x 14 = 1.4 GHz WARNING! Thermal Issue for CPU As processor technology pushes to faster speeds and higher performance, thermal management becomes increasingly crucial when building computer systems. Maintaining the proper thermal environment is key to reliable operation. As such, the processor must be maintained in the specified thermal requirements. AMD Athlon™/Duron™/Athlon™ XP processor with a speed of 600MHz and above requires a LARGER heatsink and fan. You also need to add thermal grease between the CPU and heatsink to improve heat dissipation. Then, make sure that the CPU and heatsink are securely fastened and in good contact with each other. These are needed to prevent damaging the processor and ensuring reliable operation. If you want to get more information on the proper cooling, you can visit AMD's website for reference. 2-3