Is lapping a heatsink really worth it?

[sjandrewbsme]

The topic pretty much says it all.

I have my tuniq ready to go and I'm waiting for my board and proc. I remember seeing lapping heatsinks on various sites and on TV. I know it offers a little better performance, but is it really worth the effort?

Anyone out there with experience lapping who can offer a real world testimonial one way or the other?

 

[crimson117]

It does help, but whether it's "worth it" is a matter of personal preference. So to you, does the Tuniq 120's performance really need a boost?

For me, I'd never waste the time and risk damaging the heatsink, but then I'm also not one to try to squeeze every last mHz out of my processors, either.

 

[sjandrewbsme]

That's kind of where I'm at too.

I look at the precision I can get from 800 grit (or whatever) sandpaper and I don't think it's appreciably better than the original manufacturing tolerances. I also worry about impregnating the pores of the Cu base with sand from the sandpaper.

I can't speak to the performance of the tower as of yet. From what I've read it's a great cooler (which is why I bought it). I want to get a good amount of overclock, but when I find the max. stable peak I will back off as I still value stability.

Common sense tells me that lapping is just as likely to harm the thermal transfer interface as to help it.

 

[CoachB]

 

[CoachB]

 

[CoachB]

Ok maybe I 'll get this one right. Sorry about the blanks...had a brain fart!

Anyway, if your hsf is nice and flat, lapping won't improve things much. I've spent an hour sanding one and only got a couple of degrees drop at best. HOWEVER, if things are concave, convex, or rough, a nice lapping can knock off 10 to 12 degrees.
Example...I have two Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pros. One came nice and flat performed beautifully out of the box. The second had a little bit of a "U" shape to the bottom. Until I lapped it, it was WORSE than a stock hsf. Lapping has its uses.
Unless you really almost intentionally try to screwup, I don't think you can. I done at least a dozen, some fast, some carefully, and not had a problem.

 

[Jiggz]

Place that HSF on a flat surface, glass is the best one but it's not opaque but you can use paper on top of it for this test. Then shine a flashlight on one side (targetting the bottom of the hsf) and check the other side. If light can go through the other side then it might be worth the lapping. But if you can just barely see the light, no need to lap.

 

[bigsnyder]

I agree that it really is not worth it unless the base is uneven. @Jiggz, nice suggestion.

C Snyder

 

[idiotekniQues]

as others have said, it wont really benefit you much if your heatsink is flat already and has a nice finish on it.

do the test mentioned above or get a razor blade and do the light test with that.

 

[darkswordsman17]

If you're gonna go that far may as well remove the IHS as well so that you've got it contacting with the actual core and not the metal. I don't know if you've ever seen a bare chip like that but basically the IHS is just like a layer of heatsink in between the chip and the actual heatsink, with TIM material between the two. It's really not that hard to do (for me it was easier than lapping a HSF).

The one I don't get is when people actually lap the IHS. Just remove it and you'll be better off. You have to be a bit more careful than with the IHS but it shouldn't be a problem (anyone who has experience with the old AthlonXPs knows its not that big of a deal).

 

[Oyeve]

Just buy a single edge shaving razor and put in on the HS to cpu contact, hold up to light, if you can see light between the edge of the razor and HS then lapping is, IMO, a good thing. If you can not see light or if the edges look nice and even then I wouldnt bother. Sometimes lapping when not needed can make things worse.

 

[marlinman]

What's the recommendation for fools like me who made a nice scratch on the bottom of their aftermarket h/s by bashing it against a corner in their case? Is lapping a good idea here?

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: marlinman
What's the recommendation for fools like me who made a nice scratch on the bottom of their aftermarket h/s by bashing it against a corner in their case? Is lapping a good idea here?

Buy another one.

 

[marlinman]

I was hoping for a less costly solution! I've been running at stock speed since the 'incident' and my PC occasionally reboots while running CoH and SupCom... can't help thinking the scratch is causing probs (local overheating)...

 

[Oyeve]

Is it a gouge or a scratch? How deep?

 

[sjandrewbsme]

There are probably lots of stock intel HS/F units on e-bay for very little money. Lots of people buy the retail proc with cooler and use a third party solution.

It may not be all that expensive....

 

[THEpiGUY]

EDIT:x_x

Sorry, didn't mean to click reply. If there's any way to delete this message, please do so. Sorry again.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: marlinman
I was hoping for a less costly solution! I've been running at stock speed since the 'incident' and my PC occasionally reboots while running CoH and SupCom... can't help thinking the scratch is causing probs (local overheating)...

:camera:

 

[marlinman]

Oyeve: ummm... it took quite a knock but without taking the HS off I couldn't tell you how substantial the damage is... certainly visible and quite a long line...

sjandrewbsme: I still have my chip's stock hs/f but don't really want to go 'back there' if I can fix this zalman...

bob4432: was that a pic request?


I'm not hearing any 'go for it!'s so am guessing that lapping is unlikely to remove the non-scratched surface to the depth of the scratch(?)

 

[sjandrewbsme]

I think all of this depends upon the depth and size of the gouge.

You can lap it down regardless. But, if it's 1/16th deep, you're going to be there for a while....

If you're dead set on keeping your heatsink you could fill the gouge with some thermally conductove material (solder comes to mind).

I think without pics it's really hard for anyone to offer a good opinion.

 

[marlinman]

ok... cheers... I'll get some more thermal compound and grab a pic

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: marlinman
Oyeve: ummm... it took quite a knock but without taking the HS off I couldn't tell you how substantial the damage is... certainly visible and quite a long line...

sjandrewbsme: I still have my chip's stock hs/f but don't really want to go 'back there' if I can fix this zalman...

bob4432: was that a pic request?


I'm not hearing any 'go for it!'s so am guessing that lapping is unlikely to remove the non-scratched surface to the depth of the scratch(?)

yes pic request

 

[Major A]

My E6600 IHS was slightly warped when I bought it. I HAD to lap it; however, once I did, I was very happy with the results. It took me a couple of hours while I was watching the boob tube.

 

[MrPickins]

I've bought few generic HSF's for use in freebie builds for my friends' kids. Often the machining on the base of these leaves quite a bit to be desired.

Lapping to a mirror finish doesn't take too long, and in these cases improved the temps by up to 10 degrees C.