Dust hazards/Pin-based heatsinks

[Shuriz]

Yesterday anandtech had a newslink to a Frostytech article comparing two P4 hsf's (one Alpha, the other a Swiftech). Both were pin-based, as opposed to fin-based.
My last experience with a pin-based hs was a copper-inlaid Alpha on a Celeron2 566 (cC0 stepping) I had easily oc'd to 850. I had re-installed Windows & hadn't gotten around to reinstalling Motherboard monitor. After the Celery was about 3 wks. old, Windows wouldn't boot, so I checked the BIOS for the CPU die temp & found it to be 60 deg C!! (was used to about 43 deg.). Upon opening the case, I discovered a thick mat of dust around the Alpha (below the fan shroud, remember the fan sucks air up on Alphas). I blew off the dust & reinstalled everything, but to no avail, the Celery wouldn't go above 650 or so, no doubt due to the partial frying. I haven't used a pin-based hsf ever since (have used many, many fin-based sinks on the pc's I've built since then). Obviously I also pay close attention to Motherboard monitor.
Anyone else have this experience?

 

[Soulkeeper]

with todays high CFM fans it's no suprise
i usually try to blow the dust off after a few weeks
sorry for your loss

 

[Evadman]

Dust is starting to become a problem in todays high cfm PC's. Filters help a little, but pc's nowadays have to be cleaned every once and a while ( probably 2x a year )

I am working on a solution

 

[Shuriz]

My beef actually is about pin-based sinks. Alpha seemed to introduce them a while back as a more efficient cooling solution. Sinks were getting huge (wouldn't fit in some mobos) & heavy, & pins were a way of getting rid of more heat with the same amount of aluminum/same cfm fan. My question is, is going to the more efficient close-packed pins (from fins) worth the risk of an overheated chip (between case cleanings)? I never saw a finned heatsink clog with dust to the point where air couldn't get thru at all. The sinks in the FrosyTech review look they are perfect for a controlled-air spacelab somewhere--but come on!!! Some of us live in grungy cities!! With pets!!

 

[Jeff7]

That's why I use dust filters on all my PC's. Might impede airflow a bit, but it's worth it.

 

[Soulkeeper]

dust used to build up a lot on my slot A athlon cooler
built up enough to where it could cause problems

 

[stevieo]

I have the retail athlon heat sink, a slot thing. It gets heavily clogged and my temperatures go up. It's most often just a layer that sits nearly on top of the heatsink, but occassionally some of it gets deep into the slots. Canned air works okay to get rid of it. The perils of chain smoking.

 

[Jhhnn]

Some of the fin-type sinks are worse than Alphas- any that have very narrow fin spacing (some of the copper coolers) will clog in a flash.

Filters are the answer, but no case that I know of has decent design in this respect. The filters need to be very large to allow for extended cleaning intervals and low restriction, and easy to remove.

Keeping the area around the computer clean helps, and getting them up off of the floor is a must, particularly with smooth floor finishes... otherwise the computer continuously vacuums the floor....

 

[SWScorch]

The SK-6 clogs really easily too, since it is thin-fin and the gaps between the fins are miniscule. I would have to clean mine almost every week. My ALpha PAL8045 is pretty bad too, but I do believe that the SK-6 was worse. Course, I also have 7 less fans with my 8045 than with my SK-6

 

[dunkster]

The best method I've found to clean dust and fibers from the pins of the Alpha 8045 is to use yarn. Just align the yarn string with pin-rows and saw back and forth a bit, repeat until cleaned. The yarn fibers work very well to collect dust and fibers.

Paintbrushes don't work. Dish pan and detergent just result in cleaner fiber deposits.

Filters will work, but will measurably increase internal case temps due to restricted ventilation.

Hope this helps!

 

[SP33Demon]

I have a simple and easy solution.... buy a real Air Filter, and have the output of air from the air filter (preferably HEPA) blowing *AT* your computer's intake fans... My air filter has a negative electron feature or something which is supposed to help filter the dust even better from the room, not sure if this works but I don't have much dust on my HS or any fans when implementing this method... Of course, you will have to remember to change your HEPA filter once or twice a year (whatever is recommended for your filter!).

~Rob