The fan will probably keep the CPU from catching fire but not much more. Get a heat sink. 😀

I recommend a heatsink with a fan, plus arctic silver thermal compound. Never assume a fan can do a heatsink fan combo's job.

Since the K6-2 has a headspreader attached already, I would not use any thermal compound. Thermal compound is only needed for CPUs with an exposed die. For CPUs with a non-exposed die but no headspreader, thermal compound is recommended but not needed. In case of the K6-2, it would be wasted.

Ok Im going to ebay to search for a heatsink and fan, I know its a Socket 7 type but does anyone have any tips or recommendations for a good HS and fan? What would happen if I use thermal paste on this K6-2 CPU? would all of life be split apart at the subatomic level like a reality bomb from Dr. Who or would it just reduce the cooling capabilities a little bit.

A good one for a fair price but with expesive shipping in the US (prohibitive expensive shipping if you are from somewere else) Note that this one uses 3pin power, perhaps you will need an adapter aswell.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Pentium-MMX-AMD- … 5.c100005.m1851

A decent cheap one if you are from Canada... shipping wont calculate for some reason what ever ZIP code I enter. This one uses a molex power, works in all systems.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-K6-3-Ball-Bearin … ngAAOSwKtlWiEEo

Cheaper / better can be found but that was what I found in the minute I spent.

This is also pretty good:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/StarTech-com-50x41mm … gEAAOSwV4BZx4Tm

F2bnp wrote:

This is also pretty good:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/StarTech-com-50x41mm … gEAAOSwV4BZx4Tm

That one is probably a winner as it includes the 3pin to molex adapter and has free shipping.

derSammler wrote:

Since the K6-2 has a headspreader attached already, I would not use any thermal compound. Thermal compound is only needed for CPUs with an exposed die. For CPUs with a non-exposed die but no headspreader, thermal compound is recommended but not needed. In case of the K6-2, it would be wasted.

Just NO!

Going by that, since CPUs with an exposed die have a perfectly flat die, then no compound is needed either.

Unless both surfaces are perfectly flat, thermal compound is still needed.

And even if you have lapped the CPU heatspreader and the heatsink to be pretty close to perfectly flat, thermal compound is still needed if you actually want good cooling.

If you don't use thermal compound you are going to at the very least get hot spots. At the worst you will fry the CPU in a very short amount of time.

GabrielKnight123 wrote:

Ok Im going to ebay to search for a heatsink and fan, I know its a Socket 7 type but does anyone have any tips or recommendations for a good HS and fan? What would happen if I use thermal paste on this K6-2 CPU? would all of life be split apart at the subatomic level like a reality bomb from Dr. Who or would it just reduce the cooling capabilities a little bit.

USE thermal compound. ALWAYS use thermal compound unless you want to fry your CPU.

derSammler wrote:

Since the K6-2 has a headspreader attached already, I would not use any thermal compound. Thermal compound is only needed for CPUs with an exposed die. For CPUs with a non-exposed die but no headspreader, thermal compound is recommended but not needed. In case of the K6-2, it would be wasted.

Thermal compound is required for any high thermal transfer interface with imperfect surface mating. The heat spreader and heat sink both have surface imperfections. You either need to lap them both down so they are identically flat and perfectly smooth or use thermal compound.