Heatsink install with arctic silver thermal epoxy!

[tRiXtA]

Good day ladies and gentlemen!

Here is the deal. Last night I took the heatsink off of the northbridge chipset of my asus a7n8x. I cleaned all the thermal interface off both peices, board and heatsink. (This board has never been put to use yet, im on my way to building a new system)

Anyways, I modified the heatsink down to a size where it would fit on the southbridge, and I have a waterblock that fits on the northbridge.

Now, I have to re-fix the waterblock on the northbridge, and the modded heatsink on to the southbridge, and i am choosing to use arctic silver thermal epoxy.

My question is, should i glaze over the flat bases of these items with just the normal AS3 silver paste, then use the epoxy to fasten them, or will the thermal epoxy do all that very well for me? I am concerned that if I just use the epoxy, it wount fill in the tiny pores in the heatsink and stuff.

Any comments, thoughts or anything are appreciated.

PS: anyway that i could clamp these peices down or get good pressure on them so the epoxy makes good contact?

Thanks for your time!

Rob

<b><font color=red>Nothin like a Pentium II furiously churning out a blistering 0.8 FPS on 3D Mark 2001!!!</font color=red></b>

 

[Civilized]

Yes just use the artic silver thermal epoxy and make sure when you apply it, use a thin layer of the epoxy/hardener mixture and apply it firmly to the northbridge....dont worry about adding anything else...

<A HREF="http://dnadesignz.kicks-ass.net" target="_new"><b><font color=green>MY SYSTEM</b></font color=green></A>

 

[Teq]

Just use the epoxy... It's likely that using thermal paste would prevent the epoxy from bonding properly.

But there is an additional concern... is that southbridge chip going to take the added weight? It is likely that it's only held in place by it's solder points on the mobo, the added weight of a heatsink might be enough to cause bad connections.

Why not build your system without that heatsink first and see if the chip runs hot or not?





<b>(</b>It ain't better if it don't work.<b>)</b>

 

[tRiXtA]

Ok so we have it down that i just use straight thermal adhesive.

As for your concern of the weight on the chipset, i didnt know that was as issue... not that the weight of the heatsink for the southbridge weighs alot.. it is practicially weightless... but i am concerned now of putting pressure on the heatsink and northbridge waterblock to ensure the adhesive bonds well.

Any know how to affix or clamp therse safely?

Rob

<b><font color=red>Nothin like a Pentium II furiously churning out a blistering 0.8 FPS on 3D Mark 2001!!!</font color=red></b>

 

[Civilized]

The only bad thing about not adding the north bridge into the water cooling loop initially is that it is a pain in the ass! to disconnect an already built system to add another block....you basically have to remove all the water, tubes etc just to add a component.

My suggestion is to go ahead and add it...Try to organize the tubes so that it adds tension that will compensate the weight of the block....either that or use a couple zip ties and support the weight...

<A HREF="http://dnadesignz.kicks-ass.net" target="_new"><b><font color=green>MY SYSTEM</b></font color=green></A>

 

[tRiXtA]

I havent set up the system yet, I always like to do research first, find out what im doing, them do it. Im very cautious at this stuff.

Thats a good idea bout getting the pressure of the hoses to work for me, thank you

<b><font color=red>Nothin like a Pentium II furiously churning out a blistering 0.8 FPS on 3D Mark 2001!!!</font color=red></b>

 

[Civilized]

I just installed my first water cooling system this past week....it was a good experience and alot easier than I expected but yet it took all day to organize the case, etc...if you click on my system you can see my craftsmanship =]

<A HREF="http://dnadesignz.kicks-ass.net" target="_new"><b><font color=green>MY SYSTEM</b></font color=green></A>

 

[tRiXtA]

Good god what do u have brewing in that jungle? Thats a beast!! What are you running?>

<b><font color=red>Nothin like a Pentium II furiously churning out a blistering 0.8 FPS on 3D Mark 2001!!!</font color=red></b>

 

[Teq]

Take a look at the solder work on these new ULSI chips... those pins are like hairs and there's almost no solder on them... if even one pin becomes damaged or unsoldered the whole motherboard is essentially trashed.

Anything that adds more than a few grams beyond design expectations stresses the mounting system and may result in component failure.

CPU sockets are *designed* to carry the weight of a heat sink... but there are still specifications for maximum weight and size. The heat sinks on most north bridges are supported by pins through the motherboard. Most of the other chips on a motherboard .. or any other modern circuit are really intended only to support their own weight.

As I said before, if it's not running so hot as to become unstable, don't worry about it. Putting heatsinks on things not intended to support the weight, could well do more harm than good.


<b>(</b>It ain't better if it don't work.<b>)</b>

 

[Crashman]

I use JB weld! It's an inexpensive multi-purpose metel-filled epoxy, it works very well when used in a thin layer!

Method of use: I squeeze the exess adhesive out with my hand. If you lay the board on a firm, flexible surface (a phone book on the table works well), you can press the heatsink against the chipset component with your hand. I move it around while applying pressure, so that the excess is scrapped off by the edge of the chip. As long as you've used a thin layer, the squeeze out should be minimal.

<font color=blue>Watts mean squat if you don't have quality!</font color=blue>

 

[tRiXtA]

That sounds like a great idea crashman, good job.

So do you think it will damage the southbridge to epoxy a tiny 1 inch by 1 inch aluminum heatsink that weighs next to nothing on it it?

What about the northbridge? I am assuming it can take the weight of the waterblock?

regards,

Rob

<b><font color=red>Nothin like a Pentium II furiously churning out a blistering 0.8 FPS on 3D Mark 2001!!!</font color=red></b>

 

[Crashman]

You won't hurt a thing with that sink on the southbridge, and the water block should be attached through the holes in the board using paste, not glue.

<font color=blue>Watts mean squat if you don't have quality!</font color=blue>

 

[jihiggs]

i recomend diluting the epoxy with regular artic silver, that way its not so hard to get off later.

my computer is so fast, it completes an endless loop in less than 4 seconds!

 

[Crashman]

My method for insuring ease of removal is...don't clean the chip! Seriously, I just wipe the dust off with a dry cloth, leaving whatever film of residue already exist from exposure to the environment. Seems to work good too.

<font color=blue>Watts mean squat if you don't have quality!</font color=blue>

 

[tRiXtA]

if your attaching something with epoxy, youy obviously dont want it to be removable easily, especially if it was an important waterblock or heatsink, if it fell off the result could be disastrous.

On the other hand, say incase my board was faulty or i had to return it or something, it would be nice to be able to remove my 70 dollar waterblock and modded heatsink without having the bases of them and marked up from the epoxy not coming off, so if i dilute it with AS3, what would be the correct method? Anybody have any user experiences? Would it be wise to maybe put a thing layer of AS3 on the haetsink and southbridge, and use the epoxy to hold it there?

<b><font color=red>Nothin like a Pentium II furiously churning out a blistering 0.8 FPS on 3D Mark 2001!!!</font color=red></b>