How was the old cooler attached? Using the mounting holes around the socket? If you still have it (and the mounting hardware) is it possible maybe to exchange the fan for a modern/silent one?

Also, there are plenty of Socket A coolers that engage all three hooks on both sides. If you don't go for a very large and heavy one, you should be fine with only 2 hooks on one side.

If you have another Socket 462 board you're willing to sacrifice (like some gutless PCChips or such), you could use Robert B's guide:

Re: Hello, World! :D - Robert B's PC builds - oogle away freely :)

I have personally succeeded doing this on a ECS K7VZA Rev3.0, with the socket saved from a GA-7VT600 (which I have installed another socket on, anyways - it just needs caps at the moment). The only thing I did not need was the hammer, as apparently enough precision with a big flathead screwdriver got my broken socket out. Enough care got the new one in without bending any of the exposed pins.

Just look for a NOS Zalman CNPS7000A or CNPS7000B, I have the same board and thats what I use. If is a sealed NOS unit it should have the socket 462 brackets with it that screw in and use the 4 through the board holes around the socket.

Other brands might have units that can use those 4 mounting holes... I dont know.

ASUS A7M266 does have mounting holes for the heatsink. Find one that does this instead.

Cheers,

https://arvutiladu.ee/en/cpu-cooler-mount-space.html

measure diameter of the holes, visit hardware store and buy 4 long screws 1-2 sizes smaller, big washers etc. Get crafty.

quicknick wrote on 2022-10-25, 21:50:

How was the old cooler attached? Using the mounting holes around the socket? If you still have it (and the mounting hardware) is it possible maybe to exchange the fan for a modern/silent one?

the old cooler is a thermaltake super orb. It had a plate that latched on to the sides of the socket, 3 of the hooks on the left side, the middle on the right

Grem Five wrote on 2022-10-25, 22:14:

Just look for a NOS Zalman CNPS7000A or CNPS7000B, I have the same board and thats what I use. If is a sealed NOS unit it should have the socket 462 brackets with it that screw in and use the 4 through the board holes around the socket.

Other brands might have units that can use those 4 mounting holes... I dont know.

I'll try to keep an eye out.

The Zalmans come in 2 different flavors - Cu (all copper) and AlCu (aluminum & copper) ...... oh and with or without LED fan.

Just need to make sure its sealed as most loose versions I have seen for sale pretty much never have the socket 462 standoffs.

If you look below the Zalman above the northbridge fan you can see a blue bracket at the base of the cooler..... those are the pieces needed for motherboard through hole mounting. Only the A and B models of the 7000 include that bracket.

The ones I have I found all under $20 US including shipping, problem is most people selling them are doing it for 2x to 4x this price.
I just picked up the AlCu one last week for a bid of $5.50 (w/$13.65 shipping) and one sold yesterday for $9.00 (w/$10.00 shipping) but other than that they dont come up super often....

Like I said I think there might have been other brands that used similar mounting as well, other option as mentioned is find a cooler with 3 hole bracket.

Just make sure the base isnt too big as to run into the row of caps on the left side of the socket.