Thermal Sensor Installation Question

[ihatecops]

I am in the process of building a new gaming rig and I just bought an Aspire X-dreamer case.

Link to case:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-144-029&depa=1

The case comes with a cool backlighted LCD temp display on the front, using a thermal sensor for the reading (I'm sure you've all seen one; it's just a wire protruding from the front of the case with a small copper head.) The documentation says to "tape it" to the side of my heatsink or just leave it dangling in the case interior. Neither of these options appeal to me...

I was wondering if it would be OK to simply sandwich it between the CPU and heatsink (with glob of thermal paste, of course). Do you think I would have issues with cooling because the heatsink would now be about a 10th of a cm off on the side the sensor is under? In other words.. does the heatsink have to be *absolutely* flat against the CPU?

Any help on this or other cool ideas for places to put the sensor would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Spidey329]

--- In other words.. does the heatsink have to be *absolutely* flat against the CPU?
---------

Generally, it's a good idea

I'd recommend just reading the core temperatures with MBM (motherboard monitor) and use the thermo for either ambient case temp, or something else (I use mine on the harddrives).

 

[heero884]

I was wondering if it would be OK to simply sandwich it between the CPU and heatsink (with glob of thermal paste, of course). Do you think I would have issues with cooling because the heatsink would now be about a 10th of a cm off on the side the sensor is under? In other words.. does the heatsink have to be *absolutely* flat against the CPU?

Any help on this or other cool ideas for places to put the sensor would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

sandwiching the thermal diode between the cpu and the heatsink is a very bad idea. when you apply thermal paste you want a super thin layer and by putting a wedge between the heatsink and the cpu along with a glob of thermal paste you hinder the heatsink's ability to cool the cpu; effectively the diode along with the glob of thermal paste will act as a heat insulator which will raise the cpu's temperature unnecessarily. also the high temperatures you will get could possibly melt the plastic around the temperature diode. so yeah, its a bad idea and fortunately you didnt try it out right?

 

[ihatecops]

--- use the thermo for either ambient case temp, or something else (I use mine on the harddrives).

Where exactly should I put the sensor, and should I tape, tie, or hang it on something? (I just bought rounded IDE cables and my PS has UV sheathing, and the case has a big window in it.... really trying for the clean, small amount of wires look.) I've built many a PC but never with this cool temp display built into the case... I really want to have a useful temp reading on it.. Any suggestions would be great

 

[heero884]

Where exactly should I put the sensor, and should I tape, tie, or hang it on something? (I just bought rounded IDE cables and my PS has UV sheathing, and the case has a big window in it.... really trying for the clean, small amount of wires look.) I've built many a PC but never with this cool temp display built into the case... I really want to have a useful temp reading on it.. Any suggestions would be great

i prefer to tape it on to the side of the heatsink near the base where the cpu is, preferably as close to the center of the heatsink as possible.

 

[n64man120]

I used a dab of superglue, right on the socket butted up the edge of the cpu