What is lapping?

[NewCompGeek]

ive heard it before been never known what it is.

can someone explain it to me or post an article about it?

thanks

-NewCompGeek-

 

[DS1MCSE]

Lapping as it relates to CPU cooling is the act of sanding the base of a heatsink on a perfectly flat surface (like a plate of glass) with successively finer grits of sandpaper, leaving an absolutely flat, mirror bright finish. This helps to promote even heat transfer from the CPU to the heatsink.

A quick Google search yielded these hits -

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/2434

http://www.highspeedpc.com/index.htm?ThermalPadRemovalandHeatsinkLappingGuide.htm

http://www.virtual-hideout.net/articles/sk6_lapping/index.shtml

http://www.hyperformance-pc.com/lapping.htm

http://www.ocworkbench.com/articles/lapping/lappingp1.htm

http://www.a1-electronics.co.uk/Heatsinks_Cases/Heatsinks/Lapping.shtml

http://www.overclockers.com/tips217/

Have fun!

 

[im2smrt4u]

That sums it up pretty well! Although, lapping is becoming less necissary as heatsinks are being manufactured more accurately.

 

[ChrisADuffy]

bump for imformative post, thanks.