Damn Gateway......Is it safe to Dremel a heatsink?

[deftron]

My pII slot 1 processor has a welded on heatsink...it's from Gateway:|
Cannont be removed.

I want to put a fan on it...but there's less than an inch of space between the end of the heatsink fins and the RAM chips on the motherboard..

So...
Are there any really thin heatsink fans I can attach to it?
or
Is it safe to Dremel the heatsink with it attached to the processor in order to make room for a standard heatsink fan?

 

[Viper22]

I seriously doubt it is welded on. Ive never seen one of our system with a Welded on Heatsink and ive worked on Hundreds. More than likely there are 4 Riv-Screws holding it on as well as Thermal Compound which makes it pretty hard to seperate the two. There was a web page a long time ago talking about how to take out the Riv-Screws and it did work because thats how i got the Retail HSF off of my original P2. Check around the web for it.

Viper22

 

[ku]

Hmm... welded heatsink... would it work?

 

[cavingjan]

A Tennmax Lasagna fan is really thin. I'm sure they have a newer version of it that should provide better airflow. What kind of power supply configuration are they using? I'm guessing it an old ATX powersupply that pulls air into the case and blows it directly over the cpu. If so, you need to be careful about changing the airflow of the case. Are you having problems with your system that you need to cool the processor further?

 

[junthin]

Try checking these two links out. It might help you:

http://www.hardocp.com/articles/cooling/uncase_pentium/ocp_pii_case_removal.html

http://www.hardocp.com/articles/cooling/system_cooling_series/ocp_rippin_up_p2.htm

But do not dremel your Heatsink. The flying bits of "heatsink" will ruin your processor.

 

[deftron]

cavingjan-
The old Gateway case did have the "one fan on the power supply blowing straight down on the processor"..

In the new case..2 fans..Airflow coming in from the front bezel and pushed out the back..
Nothing blowing straight on the processor..

Is it even neccassary to have air blowing straight on the processor?
Maybe I'm being paranoid..its only a PII 450...not overclocked.

 

[deftron]

double post

 

[Zucchini]

can't u just sidemount the fan?

 

[cavingjan]

So the old case was cooling the cpu but the new one doesn't. Are you having a problem that you want to install a fan? I would think that if the processor does get too hot and cause a problem that gateway would be obligated to fix it. You don't need the power supply blowing on the cpu. The concept behind the original ATX spec was exactly as the original case was used. OEMs could save money by having the power supply fan blow on the cpu thus cooling it. Works well in theory but real life doesn't play by the same rule book. Heat rises so you are simply pushing hot air around.

 

[Zucchini]

actually i've used dells with just passive cooling.. if they made it that way.. it means it will run that way i don't see why u should waste your time adding a fan to make more noise/eat power. p2's don't o/c well anyhow

 

[deftron]

ok.. thanks, everyone..

I was just under the impression that some sort of airflow needs to be blowing directly on the CPU (either a heatsink fan or Power Supply fan)

Havent actually moved the board to the new case...but im sure it will be OK, now.
Like I said...I'll have a fan on the front of the new case blowing air in, and one on the back pushing air out...Plus, the fins on the CPU's heatsink are over 2 inches long..

 

[MrABJ]

Sounds like your problem is solved,but here's my two cents... Have a Gateway PII 233@291 which I gave to my boys. Same describtion as your unit, long fins and all. I attached a std. cpu fan to the bottom of the heatsink drawing airflow down. No other fans installed other than stock (front and under pwr. supply). Overclocked two years now without a burp.