Well, I'm building my first computer by hand and I have encountered only a few too many problems than I'd rather handle on my own. Just for completionists sake, I'm using a Opteron 165 with a Zalman 9500 CNPS on an Asus A8N-SLI Premium. Which, happpens to be my first problem...After taking forever to figuire out how to thread the bar through the heatpipes properly, I screwed it down going from side to side every few turns. But, I don't know if I did it properly or applied too much thermal comp since now that it is as tight as I think it should be, it still kinda slides just a wee bit, and I have the bracket flat against the mount, so any more turning would seem to be overtightening.

Second problem, I'm using a Thermaltake Tsunami, and I started installing the standoffs and only have 8 normal ones and then one with a hump instead of a screwhole....should I use that for any of them?

I can't help you because I am not familiar with your hardware, but Prime-evil has a Tsunami case, so he may be able to help you with question no. 2 and Ator has a Zalamn 9500 so he may be able to help you with question no. 1.
I hope that I have put you on the right path.
Edit: I remember what other PCA members have as far as hardware, I think I may be spending too much time online

I think I just need to go back to try again after my (surely cheap stock zalman thermal compound caused) headache goes away...but I'll hope they'll visit....or I'll be a pest and PM them...

If my memory is correct the a8n premium has 9 standoff holes. As for the standoff that has a hump instead of a screwhole. Is it a rubber hump? If not its easily solved.

Place the humped standoff in the center of the board next to the apg and memory slot. If it has a metal head. You could put a few strips of electrical tape over it to assure that it doesnt short the board out. As for the rest of the 8 screws you can install those normally.

i hope this helps.....

Quote: Originally Posted by Gzim But, I don't know if I did it properly or applied too much thermal comp since now that it is as tight as I think it should be, it still kinda slides just a wee bit, and I have the bracket flat against the mount, so any more turning would seem to be overtightening.

Just a thought - but are you sure that the bracket is not on upside down since it should fit in easily and since it is cambered there is no way that you shuld be able to tighten it so that it is flat against the mount. Mind you I have a DFI mobo and I'm not sure about Asus but I would think that the bracket should mount in a similar fashion. But mine is down super tight and I couldn't tighten the screws all the way.

Thanks for all the help everyone, I took my friends advice and simply omitted the wierd (metal) hump standoff. Also, the issue with the cooler is likely no real biggie as I realized that the force required to move it around was more than typical usage, so I let it go. Unfortunately, the XP disc I used appearently was scratched enough to let me almost finish the install before it saw a critical file corrupted, but other than that, good experience...