Installation

To install the Zerotherm BTF92 the correct mounting bracket must be installed on the heatsink's base. Using the four small, black screws in the package, the Intel bracket was fastened into place.


To mount the heatsink on an Intel CPU the motherboard must be removed from the system. The backplate has a thin paper film on it which can be removed for installation ease and a more permanent mounting. Since many heatsinks are tested on this system, the paper was not removed to make it easier to take the backplate out of the system. (In this case the heatsink should be installed before placing the motherboard back in the system, or else the installation will be slightly more difficult.) With the backplate in place the motherboard was flipped over and the CPU was cleaned to remove all the previous thermal compound residue.


The included thermal compound was used and I applied a thin line across the CPU heat spreader. With the fan removed from the heatsink, the unit can be placed on top of the CPU. Using an "X" pattern the screws were tightened a little at a time until they were snug.


Immediately after installation the heatsink was removed to inspect the thermal compound contact area. The included compound was thicker than most other compounds, but it did spread fairly well. At this point it is easy to see how much bigger the base of the heatsink is than the CPU heatspreader.


With the heatsink reinstalled, the fan can now be slid back into place. Since the BTF92 is based on a 92mm fan, there are absolutely no clearance issues around the socket.


The fan can be plugged directly into the motherboard header, or used with the included fan controller. When installed in the system there should be no problems with the heatsink coming too close to the top on the motherboard.