lapped e4400

My e4400 Core 2 Duo cpu was running hot - overclocking to 3.33ghz required 1.4875 vcore for stability (12 hours of small FFT Orthos). Idle temps were 27C and load temps were 65 - 67C. I had previously lapped an AMD 4000+ with reasonable results, and anaconda's lapping of his Q6600 inspired me.

The bottom of the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro showed signs of hard contact with the edges of the cpu integrated heat spreader, and more paste than usual was required for good even thermal paste spread - a sign of a concave ihs... something confirmed with a razor blade. Not good - a concave heat spreader cap = bad heatsink contact = high temps.

So I decided to lap it. A visit to an auto supply store and $5 provided a sheet of 800 grit sandpaper, one of 1000 grit and one 1500 grit sheet. You decide on your lapping technique - I went with repeated movement in one direction, a few 90 degree rotations in the early stages, then primarily in one direction with no rotations for the finish.

I started by taping the 800 grit to the glass of an 8x10 photo frame and took a few swipes:



Note the copper starting to show through the top tin plate of the heat spreader cap... but only on the edges.

A few more swipes... there goes the warranty...



Ayup... that sure is concave.

After a few minutes:


After 10 minutes... it's flat.


A few minutes with 1000 grit and a few with 1500 grit and it's fairly mirrorlike - I didn't bother with ultra smooth and shiney, the goal was "flat":



Results:
Previous idle temp of 27C is now... 21C
Previous load temp of 65 - 67C is now... 54 - 57

Coolbeans.

6-9 degrees is well worth it at that clock. Enjoy.

hahahaa, Bro see what i was talking about. Damn man, i hate that these big chip companies cannot do the lapping for us.


Enjoy looking good.

^
Because you... lapped it?

Wow...very informative. Great pics.

Very nice results...does lapping decrease the need for added voltage?

The only part I don't like is the warranty being thrown out the window

Improving the chip to heatsink contact improves heat reduction.

Lower heat at idle, lower heat at load, lower heat at load when additional vcore added = more vcore with a load temp under 65C = higher OC / lower heat at OC.

markintosh13 said:

My e4400 Core 2 Duo cpu was running hot - overclocking to 3.33ghz required 1.4875 vcore for stability (12 hours of small FFT Orthos). Idle temps were 27C and load temps were 65 - 67C. I had previously lapped an AMD 4000+ with reasonable results, and anaconda's lapping of his Q6600 inspired me.

Results:
Previous idle temp of 27C is now... 21C
Previous load temp of 65 - 67C is now... 54 - 57

Coolbeans.

Click to expand...

hi the temps goes 10º less on full load, I've an e4300, 2 days ago i lapped my TT BigTyp VX, and still I can't stabilice my OC over 3450mhz on Orthos, me goal was 3.6 or at least 3.5
My question, when you lapped the e4400, did you can reach more Overclock than before the lapping? or only the same OC but with less temps? Or did you now can reach the same OC than without the lapping with less vcore?

SO before the lapping what its your max OC, and with wich vcore? and after the lapping what its your new max OC, and withh wich vcore?

Thanks I'am will really be waiting for your answer

I was holding at 3.3ghz with the temps posted, 8+ hours Orthos small FFT stable (but who would want to run 24/7 with those kind of temps?).

After the lap, I nudged it up to 3.4ghz... but the temps are ramping back up again, so I'm close to the limits of this cpu / cooler. I'll replace the generic white tim I'm using with a bit of AS5, and see if I can hold 3.4ghz with decent temps. I can boot to 3.6, but Orthos ganks out pretty fast.

markintosh13 said:

I was holding at 3.3ghz with the temps posted, 8+ hours Orthos small FFT stable (but who would want to run 24/7 with those kind of temps?).

After the lap, I nudged it up to 3.4ghz... but the temps are ramping back up again, so I'm close to the limits of this cpu / cooler. I'll replace the generic white tim I'm using with a bit of AS5, and see if I can hold 3.4ghz with decent temps. I can boot to 3.6, but Orthos ganks out pretty fast.

Click to expand...

WOW, REALLY THANKS FOR ANSWER SO FAST

Okey thanks, its all that i new to hear, so i will probably lap mine e4300 this week
Because I'm stuck at 3450mhz stables on orthos,
So i will lap, and try the hardest 3.5ghz, because even increasing a lot the vcore, i cant pass more than 25 minutes on Orthos without aleatory Resets

I will lap just like the TT BigTyp, passing:
400-600 - 800 - 1200 - 1600 - 2000 - 2500

Thanks man, really, really thanks for the fast answer

Okay, seriously positive results on a 2MB Conroe. It's my turn.. Now to find some time off from work to lap the IHS and the waterblock.

(e4300 / Apogee)

im wondering if my e4300 has this problem as well. i have a few line marks around the chip. the temps stock are around 44idle, maybe 65 load. seems a little high to me to start with.

i had a freezer pro 7. but it did the same as the stock intel hsf, so it went back.

im wondering what to do with all this before i get my replacement mobo from GB. when i last applied my AS5, like the site said, and removed the HS, it was almost a perfect circle in spreading, this is normal correct?

Check the flatness of the cpu's heatspreader with a straight metal razorblade (a nice long one like a contruction knife razor or a metal ruler) placed on the top of the cpu and held up edgewise towards a light. Check both dimensions. If you can see "under" the razor, and see that the top of the cpu is cupped / convex, then you're not getting solid contact with the heatsink (and the AS5 isn't getting squeezed out as much as it should be, and while it is probably filling in the gap... it's still not as good as metal on metal).

ill have to wait till i get home tonight to check my e4300. if its not flat, ill lap it, maybe.

rarrr - ran this at 3.6 ghz, 8800GTS 320 @ 665mhz:

Markintosh13, i made the lapping!!!
Before:

After:


Now I've lapped the TT BigTyp VX (lapped two days ago) and the e4300
Here a photo of the two one lapped, with some mirror effect


Thanks, i will try again the 3.5ghz

Nice.

What happened to your temps?

I lapped my e6300 a few months ago to notice a 7c load temp drop

I'll be doing my Q6600 whenever I grow the balls. Shouldn't be that much longer

markintosh13 said:

Nice.

What happened to your temps?

Click to expand...

The goes down, 7 degress less
I lapped the e4300, the TT BigTyp VX, and change the retention system of the TT BigTyp VX for 4 screws (nothing of movement now, with the srews) and some AS Ceramique

Bye