Are AMD Heat Sinks Interchangeable?

I currently have an AMD Athlon 64 3500 which came with a heat sink and fan. I'm possibly upgrading to an X2 4200 that comes with the CPU only.

Will my old heatsink and fan cool the new dual core sufficiently or do I need to find one that comes with the entire package?

 

Well, I went from a Venice 3000+ to an X2 3800+ and it cooled well enough but don't even think of overclocking it at all. If you're going to use that chip heavily then it's best to get a 3rd party cooler, you can grab a decent one for $20.

Yes, the HS/F will fit because the CPU will fit the socket.

 

Well, I don't plan to overclock the new CPU as I didn't with the old one either. I was just afraid that the heatsink and fan that came with the X2 was more powerful, as it may need more cooling off.

So, if I buy new thermal paste and keep the current CPU fan (this one originaly came from AMD anyway) then I don't have to worry about the CPU running hot and not getting enough cooling?

 

I realize that but your X2 will run hotter as the single core HS/F wasn't designed for X2 heat dissipation. Check your current temps against the new CPU temps and see if they are acceptable. Anything over 50C at idle is unacceptable IMO.

 

I think you should give it a try and see. Chances are it will work just fine. But understand effective CPU cooling is also dependent upon effective front-to-back air flow through the case. If your case is not expelling the hot air and drawing in enough cool air, even the best CPU cooler will just be blowing hot air.

 

It will fit but I wouldn't push it. The X2 doesn't look to run much hotter than it's single core cousin. I would still look around in the meantime for a good deal on something better to cool it.
X2 4200 Max Temps (C): 49-71
Athlon 3500 Max Temps (C): 49-65

 

Well, as I'm trying to squeeze the last life out of this computer tower before I totally rebuild from the ground up, I'll give this a try. As far as heat, I've been happy with the stock AMD fan in the past.

I was worried more about functionality of the heatsink/fan with the changing of processor models.

 

And that makes sense. Since AMD (and Intel too) warranties their retail boxed versions of CPUs and heat sink fan assemblies, it makes sense they would make good coolers. They sure don't want to be forced to replace a CPU or cooler under warranty.

 

It will... work just fine...
Make sure when doing the R&R you clean and reinstall using some thermal paste