• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Lapping Heat sink Question

H

Hamfiles

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
160
I am ordering the Kingwin RVT-12025 for my Intel 4500. Reading the [H} review of it, I noticed that the bottom part that contacts the CPU is not flush, so I intend to Lap it to make it more flat.

Anyone here ever Lap a Heat sink surface?

My question is, how do u ensure that you make it flat? Is there some technique to this? I have not lapped a heat sink before, and I want to make sure that the surface stays as flat as possible, so that the contact with the cpu heat spreader is good and even.


Thanks for any replies.
 
To ensure that your in fact making it flat you must take your sand paper and tape it to a surface you know is flat. Like a glass coffee table or just a use a small peice of glass that is usually supplied with some lapping kits. While lapping just use a razer blade to check your progress.
 
Hey thanks for the good info!

Lapping kit? I was just going to get some super fine sand paper, but I will look into ordering a kit, if I can find one.
 
Hamfiles said:
Hey thanks for the good info!

Lapping kit? I was just going to get some super fine sand paper, but I will look into ordering a kit, if I can find one.
Click to expand...

kit's aren't necessary, I was a complete novice when I lapped my heatsink + cpu, I just picked up some various grains of sand paper from home depot, worked like a charm. Be careful not to inhale the dust particles.
 
You can get some lower grit paper at home depot but you'll find the finer stuff at automotive stores. I just lapped my new si-128se tonight, went through 220 grit up to 1000grit.
 
Everyone will have a different opinion on what grit paper to start/finish with. Depending on how uneven the surface is it's best to start with 220-400 grit. Once it's good and flat then work your way up to 800-1500 grit. Some people finish with 2000 for more of a mirror finish, but stopping with 800 grit will yeild the same results as 2000. After all, you're going for a flat surface, a mirror finish is purely astetic.

Auto Zone, PepBoys, Advance Auto, O'Reily and sometimes NAPA will have the proper paper to buy. Just make sure the stuff you get is marked "Wet/Dry" paper. And try to keep the paper wet while you are working with it. It keeps the dust in check and also lubricates the surface being sanded.
 
Thanks Hydro, and everyone for the info.

I will be installing the Kingwin without lapping, and then I will lap it and see what the difference in temperatures are.

I will post the numbers here when its all done.

-Hamfiles-
 
- BUMP -

I am not sure that this type of heat sink can be lapped at all. The heatpipes are very thin, and attempting to lap the bottom could weaken the pipes and result in a leak. Once this happens the performance would be ruined. Anyone have any thoughts about this?

Thanks for any replies,
-Hamfiles-
 
Hamfiles said:
- BUMP -

I am not sure that this type of heat sink can be lapped at all. The heatpipes are very thin, and attempting to lap the bottom could weaken the pipes and result in a leak. Once this happens the performance would be ruined. Anyone have any thoughts about this?

Thanks for any replies,
-Hamfiles-
Click to expand...

I would highly recommend you don't try to lap a direct touch heat pipe HFS. The heat pipe walls might be very thin, you can't tell from looking at them. Also the heat pipes are under pressure because they have a small amount of working fluid (water normally) in them which is what moves the heat from the evaporator to the condenser.
 
there have been a few cases in which, yes the heatpipes have broken, you can just use a high grit to polish it instead, then pressure mount it with a bolt through
 
According to Kingwin's spec sheet, the heat pipes are 6 mm thick.
http://www.kingwin.com/product_pages/images/Revolution/manual/RVT9225_manual_web.pdf

There is not much that can be done, as the gaps bet. pipes and the aluminum fittings are much larger than 6 mm. I suppose I could ground out the very bottom, but I think I will leave it alone. Not worth a possible 2 degree C. gain risking the integrity of the pipes, and it is not even the cost of the cooler, but the possibility of it giving out at an inopportune moment.
 
The critical factor is the flatness, not the shine. A true bar will tell you if its flat.
 
Hamfiles said:
According to Kingwin's spec sheet, the heat pipes are 6 mm thick.
http://www.kingwin.com/product_pages/images/Revolution/manual/RVT9225_manual_web.pdf

There is not much that can be done, as the gaps bet. pipes and the aluminum fittings are much larger than 6 mm. I suppose I could ground out the very bottom, but I think I will leave it alone. Not worth a possible 2 degree C. gain risking the integrity of the pipes, and it is not even the cost of the cooler, but the possibility of it giving out at an inopportune moment.
Click to expand...

6mm is the heat pipe OD, not the wall thickness.
 
What a dummy I am!:eek: 6 mm is .24 inches, you are right of course, this is the diameter of the pipes, and not their thickness.
 
I ordered a lapping kit quit a while back, its like the ViperPPL or something.
pcviper.net , cheap check it out
 
Actually, to lap a CPU/HSF you only need 400, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500 grit emery cloth, some duct tape, and a granite counter top or a sheet of glass. A few bucks at Home Depot!
 
Ive always been under the impression that usually anything over a 1000 may have a negative impact.
 
Darkatom said:
Ive always been under the impression that usually anything over a 1000 may have a negative impact.
Click to expand...

Anything over 800 will have no further impact, negative or positive. Making your proc or heatisnk base have a mirror finish is purely astetic.
 
OK. I got my Kingwin RVT-9225 in today. This is a Huge Heatsink, and I am glad I did not order the 120 mm model. I am using the Antec NINE HUNDRED case, and there is enough clearance, but not a lot of clearance. I can't use the side fan window adapter for side fan w/ this heatsink.

My load temps went down 15 degrees Celsius! I am using Arctic Silver 5, and it has not had time to cure yet. I am using a modest overclock, about 15 %, which this chip does easily. Using Intel dual core e-4500.

Anyway, I did not lap the surface, but really there is no need to, as this cooler works very well at stock.

I am really happy with its performance ; )
 
will be liquid-lapping my tdx block for my naked x2 3800, i think the grit goes up to 1500, if not 2000.
:D
 
Hamfiles said:
OK. I got my Kingwin RVT-9225 in today. This is a Huge Heatsink, and I am glad I did not order the 120 mm model. I am using the Antec NINE HUNDRED case, and there is enough clearance, but not a lot of clearance. I can't use the side fan window adapter for side fan w/ this heatsink.

My load temps went down 15 degrees Celsius! I am using Arctic Silver 5, and it has not had time to cure yet. I am using a modest overclock, about 15 %, which this chip does easily. Using Intel dual core e-4500.

Anyway, I did not lap the surface, but really there is no need to, as this cooler works very well at stock.

I am really happy with its performance ; )
Click to expand...

odd. i have the xigmatek 1283 with the 120mm and it fits in my 900. either way, glad you are getting good results.
 
It fits, but its kinda close w/ adapter.

Edit: Here's a pic without adapter. (Man, I really need to clean my window!)
CasePic1.JPG


OK, I guess there is more room than I thought. R U using side fan w/ the 120 model?
 
Cool! I might add a side fan and see how much I can get out of this CPU. What CPU R U using?
 
OK, here is my latest overclock--I think I will wait a week for AS-5 to cure and to make sure it is stable, before i go any higher.

Intel Dual Core E4500 2.20 GHz ------- Overclocked to 3.14 GHz

PC-6400 2 Gigabyte Single DIMM ---- Overclocked to: 950 MHz (475 x 2 MHz)

My BIOS Settings are:

CPU Ratio Setting ...................... Auto
FSB Strap to North Bridge........... Auto
Front Side Bus frequency............ 285
PCI-E Frequency........................ Auto
DRAM Frequency....................... DDR2-950 MHz
DRAM Timing............................. Auto
Clock Over-Charging Mode........... 0.80v
CPU Spread Spectrum................ Disabled
CPI-E Spread Spectrum.............. Disabled

CPU Voltage.............................. 1.3750v

CPU Voltage Reference............... 0.61x
CPU Voltage Damper.................. Enabled
CPU PLL Voltage....................... 1.62v
DRAM Voltage........................... 2.00v
FSB Termination Voltage............ 1.40v
North Bridge voltage................... 1.47v
North Bridge Voltage Reference... Auto
South Bridge voltage Reference... 1.03v

OC_1.JPG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top