Northbridge heatsink question

[ForgetCassettes]

I have a northbridge heatsink I'd like to cool. Is it okay to hot-glue a small fan to the heatsink? I've heard of people doing this.

 

[Unkno]

wouldn't using hot glue on the heatsink prevent air from contacting the metal.....it'd be much better to use cable ties

 

[Lord Evermore]

I wouldn't expect him to be using so much glue that the entire heatsink was occluded. A small dab right at the fan's hub, if the heatsink has enough of a surface at that point to hold it, would be ideal, since no air gets there anyway. If necessary, 4 dabs just at the corners of the fan would probably be okay too. The surface area loss from what little heatsink surface is covered by the glue should be made up for by the increased airflow from the fan.

Of course I'm not sure what the melting, or at least "softening" point is for hot glue, so it's possible that the heatsink could actually melt the glue, or at least make it soft enough that the weight of the fan could pull it loose.

Zip ties are a good idea if the heatsink has a shape that is amenable to using them. Heck I used dental floss for a long time to hold one fan onto a heatsink (careful of sharp edges there).