Hyper 212+ copper pipes touch my side panel

[toothman]

The hyper 212+ just barely fits inside my case, and I knew this purchasing it, but what I didn't suspect was that the side panel was close enough to the top of the heatsink that a gentle nudge could slightly bend the panel inward and cause the panel and copper tips to contact.

The copper tips are a part of the heat pipes that run through the heat sink and come into direct contact with the thermal paste ontop of my CPU.

Is that a risk? Can a static shock travel directly to my CPU if the side panel and copper tips come into contact?

Should I just cut open the side panel, or just leave it off until I can get a new case?

 

[davcon]

Good question!
I'd just leave the side panel off until i replaced the case.

 

[clutchc]

If you're worried about static electric discharge, it can't happen. The HSF/CPU's heat spreader are chassis ground, just like the case. There's no potential difference between them.

 

[toothman]

another question, suppose a static shock does make it to my copper tips and through to my CPU, some guy said this on anandtech forums:

"Touching the top of the cpu and the sides of the motherboard does not put static into the system, as these bits don't conduct electricity. You have to touch the top of the cpu with something anyway, in order to apply thermal paste.

Static will enter the pins of the components, which stick out of the bottom of the mobo and cpu and everything else. Even then, static damage is so rare i wouldn't worry."

is this true? if a static shock (my floor is carpeted) makes it through the heat pipes to my CPU, will it cause any damage?

 

[toothman]

what concerns me is that the copper tips are a part of the copper heat pipes that directly contact the CPU. does that pose a problem?

 

[clutchc]

If your system is plugged into a properly grounded electrical outlet, all the metal parts connected to chassis ground are safe from static damage. That's why (if you don't wear a wrist strap) you should always leave the PSU plugged in but turned off and occassionally touch a metal surface when working inside the machine.

 

[clutchc]

what concerns me is that the copper tips are a part of the copper heat pipes that directly contact the CPU. does that pose a problem?

It only contacts the CPU's heat spreader... not the CPU itself. The heat spreader is chassis ground.

 

[toothman]

i see, so the top of the CPU that we apply thermal paste onto is a heat spreader that is grounded and will not conduct a static discharge to the sensitive part beneath?

meaning that if the panel is touching the copper tips, and if at that moment i touch the case and discharge a static shock into the case, that there is no risk of damage?

 

[BlackHawk91]

Well if you want to be on the safe side I suggest you find some kind of rubber patch/sheet the area of the heat-sink and put it between the cooper tips and the side panel, or you could just leave the case open.

 

[clutchc]

i see, so the top of the CPU that we apply thermal paste onto is a heat spreader that is grounded and will not conduct a static discharge to the sensitive part beneath?

That is correct

meaning that if the panel is touching the copper tips, and if at that moment i touch the case and discharge a static shock into the case, that there is no risk of damage?

That is correct.

 

[toothman]

very good answers! thanks for the timely responses. i've been installing for probably about 3 hours now, half of which was spent looking for answers like these. thank you very much.

one interesting note, i thought installing the heatsink would be easier because my case has a hole in the back for installing the bracket. it was not lol between the cooler, my RAM sticks (they have a heat spreader), cords, the top-mounted PSU, and the heatsink's fan itself, it was a pretty tight fight and i had a hell of a time plugging just a few connectors back in.

all done now. can't wait to check out my new temps!

 

[clutchc]

I know what you mean. When I put together a new build, I always breadboard the CPU/HSF and memory outside the case. Then I usually boot to BIOS with it outside the case before I go any further.

 

[toothman]

new temps are AMAZING

i left utorrent on while i went to work yesterday, came back in the evening and checked my temps to see them at 18 celsius!

after 20 minutes of 100% load with a stress test, my temp was only 34 celsius. HALF what i got with the stock HSF after only 5 minutes into the stress test.

gonna be overclocking soon

 

[toothman]

Best answer selected by toothman.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey