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Help w/ Aerocool DP-102

RaceBannon

n00b
Joined
Mar 13, 2004
Messages
3
Ooook. I need a little help.

I am not a super hardware ninja, but I've installed a CPU Cooler or two. Never had a lick of trouble until now.

I bought one of the new Aerocool DP-102LE coolers. It seem to have decent reviews on the sites that I found and the temps were on par with some of the best air cooled had to offer. It is fairly heavy, but not overly so. It's got a three pronged clip that seemed OK, but I found it suspiciously easy to clip on the opposite side.

My problem is this: I'm getting OK temps with the tower lying on its side (like an old desktop), but if I try and put the tower upright, the temp increases by 10 degrees or more! Its as if the sink is just barely rocking off the core. Just enough to make the connection less forceful. I've tried putting a homemade shim under the spring clip to make it bend a little more. This helped, but I still get the huge difference in temps.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had problems with the Aerocool DP-102's. And if anyone has a suggestion as to what I could do to remedy the situation.

I'm running:

Abit AN7
Barton 2500+ (not overclocked - not until I get this straight!)
1gig GEIL 3200 Ram
Radeon 9700pro

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
DP-102 is using a heat pipe technology which use a some kind of liquid to cool the processor. I am not an expert in this but I read somewhere that the liquid will evaporate then it reach the CPU and condense when it reach the fins cooled by the fans.

This works well if the heatsink is vertically oriented since the evaporation is going up on the same direction of the pipe.

When the heat sink orientation is horizontal. The evaporation does not go as smooth. Also, when it condenses, the liquid supposed to go back to the CPU, but if the pipe is horizontal, it wont go fast enough or something.

I hope that helps.
 
yeah, it's that whole water flowing backwards thing. If you can figure a way to simply change the laws of physics surrounding your case, you'd be set.
 
I'm not so sure that's it.

Good heatpipes (like this one) have a wick in them that makes them work just as well horizontally as vertically. Or so I've read in other places. (most recently dansdata.com)

If anybody else has thoughts on this, I'd appreciate it.
 
have you tried pressing the hsf against your cpu when the case is upright? This would simulate the added force that is experienced when your pc is laying flat...and then it would give you a better idea of what's going on.
 
Sometimes the simplest things are the most elusive.

Pressing against and slightly upwards on the hdf DID bring temps down.

So I rigged up what would have to be the most Ghetto solution I've ever put in a case...

...I put a twist-tie through the top of the cooling unit and attached it to the PSU.

Works like a champ.

Thanks for the nudge.
 
hehe ive got you beat. i had a 120mm Papst with a 120>80mm adapter, to a Thermaltake air duct (those clear bent things), to a Volcano 7+ and i tied it to the top of my chassi with a telephone cord.
 
Well, while we're on the subject of "ghetto", I had an idea at work today to replace the tmd fan on my aeroflow heatsink since it vibrates like a sex toy. It was simple but effective...

Since I didn't want to spend the money for little 80mm to 70mm fan adapter...I'd simply use a small tupperware bowl and cut it appropriately (don't tell the wife though :p )

I may even paint it silver or something so it doesn't look too bad in there. I saw many advantages too...It's the perfect fit, would only require a little cutting to make it work, it's rubbery...so it would absorb some of the fan vibration of the 80mm (like it would matter...anything less than what that tmd fan generates is an improvement)....and the most important advantage of all.... - I don't have to wait for fedex to deliver it :)
 
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