Socket 939 thermal diode?
 

I'm finally going to get off my ass and build a diode reader. As I understand it the diode characteristics remains unchanged from Socket A to Socket 754 to Socket 939. Is this correct?

Also as a side note, looking at the pin outs for 939, it looks like AMD moved the diode pins to the extreme corner of the chip. Theres nothing at all on 2 sides of them, so it should be easier to solder.

Yes this is all true

It'd be nice to see some pics when you're done, preferably with some 'how to' for us non-engineering, half-ass educated in electronics types, off course if everything works out as it's supposed to :) .

Use that method of bending the pins ou+ward and cut a little gash in the socket. It SHOULD be a good deal easier than my socket A mess. Insulate the pin/wire when you're done too and twist the wires after they leave the socket. You can leave a third wire in as ground from the reader to the chip (or from a VSS pin if there's one handy). That should result in a better signal/noise than I can get with my TBred.

I was just going to solder onto the back of the board. I'm hopeing that whatever 939 board I get won't be actively reading the diode, or at least that I can disable it. I'd rather not have to cut pins and traces if I can avoid it.

I think they all read the diodes, and if you disable it then you have to deal with the resistance of all the copper traces and caps and stuff connected to the pins by the mobo. Bending the pins and soldering onto them is the only real way to do it. If you aren't doing that then you might as well not bother and just stick with the onboard hardware.

hmm.. to damage a cpu or a mobo..

Anyone know if DFI NF4 boards can read thediode properly, and give the results in mbm?

If they are reading it, then why do we even need these circuits with small chips like the 6657 which is a pita to solder!