I will be installing the Ultra-X heatsink in my Intel test system. You can see just how large the Ultra-X is compared to the stock Intel cooling solution. The hardware needed for this install includes the backplate, four spring-loaded thumb-screws and four clear washers. Be extra careful when handling these washers, since they are very difficult to see. I lost one during installation and it took me half an hour to find it. Colored washers would have worked much better. You can see in the last photo that I already have the washers in place on the backplate.



First up, you will need to remove your current heatsink. Clean the CPU then apply a fresh layer of Arctic Silver 5. I used 91% isopropyl rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs to remove the old thermal grease.

Since you will need to install a backplate, you will be required to remove your motherboard from the case. My test system is housed in my old watercooling case, in which I cut out a large section of the motherboard tray to aid in installing waterblocks, so I wouldn't have to remove the motherboard every time I changed blocks. This worked well on my old AMD system as the socket area lined up perfectly with the hole I had cut. I was not as lucky, however, with this Intel system. The CPU socket sits higher up on the motherboard and it made it a bit more difficult to get the backplate in place.

I apologize for not having any more photos of the installation process (it is pretty difficult to take pics and install at the same time by yourself), but I will tell you exactly how the process went. With the backplate in place, you simply slide the heatsink down over the four studs, then place a screw on each stud and slowly tighten each screw in an alternating pattern until all are tight.



The Ultra-X is a tight fit in my system / on my motherboard. So much so that it actually makes contact with the chipset cooler, but not enough to prevent the Ultra-X from seating properly. Anyway, continue ahead as we cover testing methods then wrap things up with a conclusion...