If you purchase an costly, highly effective CPU, you could pair it with a top quality cooling system. A contemporary system, designed particularly for that processor. Otherwise you threat melting your dear new construct. Or do you? What if all you might have is a CPU cooler that’s sufficiently old to drive a automotive, and also you completely refuse to spend one other cent? What if, in brief, you’re Gordon Ung?

In the most recent PCWorld video, Gordon tries to cool the Ryzen 9 7950X, the most recent 16-core monster from AMD, with a cooler designed for the corporate’s AM2 socket 939. The cooler is a comparatively tiny single fan related to a small heatsink, the form of factor you solely see in small, low-powered desktops right this moment. The cooler is roughly 16 years outdated, however due to AMD’s amazingly constant design, it ought to technically nonetheless work with a model new AM5 socket. All you want is the fitting mount and a 3-pin fan connection.

To see one thing we completely don’t suggest you attempt at dwelling, and likewise get a historical past lesson in 2000s-era PC design, try the total video. We gained’t spoil the ending right here. And for extra nerdy movies, solely a few of which might end in electrical fires, make sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube.