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I'm upgrading from an old AMD Sempron 140 to a Phenom II 945. The motherboard will be the same.

Assuming I'm not planning to overclock, can I still use the same stock AMD heat sink that came with my Sempron? Or do I need to purchase a new heat sink?

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Can you? Well, it'll fit. Is it a good idea? I don't know, but I probably wouldn't personally do it. Modern CPUs do have the ability to shut themselves down before heat damage occurs if cooling is inadequate, so in theory you should be able to give it a try, and check what the BIOS reports the temperature to be, but... – user55325 Dec 1 '11 at 3:51
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don't processors normally come with a heat sink? – Journeyman Geek Dec 1 '11 at 5:42
@Journeyman Geek I bought an OEM processor that didn't have a heat sink. Oh well. I got a coolermaster. Not worth the risk. – Mike B Dec 2 '11 at 0:30
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It will probably fit, but it's a bad idea. I have installed a Sempron 140, and was surprised at its rather short heatsink. Since the Sempron 140 is rated for only 45 watt TDP, the relatively short heatsink is appropriate. The Phenom is rated for 125 watts (or almost 3 times the TDP), that short heatsink will simply be inadequate.

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Thanks. I ended up getting a new heat sink. I appreciate the advice. – Mike B Dec 2 '11 at 0:28
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