The various components of a computer system such as the chipset, the graphics card and the hard drive can produce a large amount of heat while operating. This large amount of heat may be harmful for the proper functioning of the system. The heat sinks and the fans are responsible for dissipating this heat and maintaining the safe temperature limits. The most important factor which determines the selection of Heatsink Assembly is the processor type and its speed. Different processors have different operating temperatures. Higher the speed of the processor, the better the heat sink and fan need to be. Similarly, the type of processor also determines what heat sink would go with it. The chassis type is also important as it defines the housing of the heat sink assembly and compatibility with the system. In order to buy the right heat sink / fan for your system, we recommend that you use the Service Tag look up feature in the Parts For Your Dell tool. This will allow us to identify the processor type and speed of your system and select compatible Heat Sink products for it. Please note that some of our replacement products are provided as kits or assemblies. These kits may contain additional parts required for installation; these parts will be listed separately as ‘Component Parts’ in the Highlights section of this page. In case a product is not sold as a kit or assembly, it may require complementary parts for ease of installation.