Noctua changed coldplate quality, or just a one-off?

[qubit]

To be fair, I don't care about the cooling and difference that an unpolished base makes. The L12S is not really a performance cooler by any means but still cools just fine, and from what I can tell the big boys like my C14S are still true to the Noctua name.

I just hate how hard it is to clean with paper towels. Might have to start using an old microfiber cloth to give it a final wipe after every cleaning.

Ok, great that it does the job ok.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

@tabascosauz so does this mean you'll be lapping it or leaving it?

 

[cst1992]

@tabascosauz so does this mean you'll be lapping it or leaving it?

You took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[Vario]

To be fair, I don't care about the cooling and difference that an unpolished base makes. The L12S is not really a performance cooler by any means but still cools just fine, and from what I can tell the big boys like my C14S are still true to the Noctua name.

I just hate how hard it is to clean with paper towels. Might have to start using an old microfiber cloth to give it a final wipe after every cleaning.

If you aren't already, try using 91% alcohol.

 

[tabascosauz]

My L9x65 SE-AM4 that I bought to replace the L12S arrived yesterday. The coldplate looks a lot smoother and more like what I'm expecting, even though it still looks machined the same way that the L12S is so no reflection:



Noctua says that the L9x65 (conceivably, this includes the SE-AM4 as it's the exact same minus Intel mounting hardware) does not suffer from this at all, regardless of manufacturing date:



I reckon their bigger coolers have stayed the same.

If you aren't already, try using 91% alcohol.

Is it supposed to leave less lint behind than 99%?

 

[Nater]

I make a lot of parts (design) for the food industry. It looks ground, but not polished. Which is the "matte" look. I'm not sure what kind of answer from Noctua that "It's CNC manufactured" means otherwise...I can't imagine they were using manual mills to run a face-mill or fly cutter across those plates. My D15 looks more like the latter two IRCC. (i just had it off last night)

Also, I just used CRC QD Electronic Cleaner on my new Ryzen 5800X and since shelved Ryzen 3600X to clean off the last hard to reach spots of thermal goop. Sprayed it right on the pins even to rinse them off (best if done over the sink), seemed to work really well. Makes it look brand-new. Using those blue or white "Shop Towel" paper towel is also infinitely better. Waaaay less likely to cover your stuff in lint particles. Lay the sheet of towel down on a flat table, spray a wet spot of CRC or 91% alcohol, hold the cpu by the corners and rub it on the flat wet spot, then wipe dry off to the side. Repeat as needed. (make a fresh wet spot, wipe dry, etc). Get the edges with a Q-Tip and then hose it off w/ the CRC. Voila.

 

[tabascosauz]

I make a lot of parts (design) for the food industry. It looks ground, but not polished. Which is the "matte" look. I'm not sure what kind of answer from Noctua that "It's CNC manufactured" means otherwise...I can't imagine they were using manual mills to run a face-mill or fly cutter across those plates. My D15 looks more like the latter two IRCC. (i just had it off last night)

Also, I just used CRC QD Electronic Cleaner on my new Ryzen 5800X and since shelved Ryzen 3600X to clean off the last hard to reach spots of thermal goop. Sprayed it right on the pins even to rinse them off (best if done over the sink), seemed to work really well. Makes it look brand-new. Using those blue or white "Shop Towel" paper towel is also infinitely better. Waaaay less likely to cover your stuff in lint particles. Lay the sheet of towel down on a flat table, spray a wet spot of CRC or 91% alcohol, hold the cpu by the corners and rub it on the flat wet spot, then wipe dry off to the side. Repeat as needed. (make a fresh wet spot, wipe dry, etc). Get the edges with a Q-Tip and then hose it off w/ the CRC. Voila.

I think the Noctua rep may not be getting the whole picture (literally), as I only sent him the photos in the first post. It's hard to make out just how rough that L12S coldplate is, which is much more visible in the comparison photo in the third post.

I've seen a lot of different cooler contact surfaces over the year but the more I look at it, the more that L12S seems like an oddity that should have failed QC for forgetting to go thru the polishing machine. From the L12S reviews I've seen, none of them look as unfinished. The L9x65 has the same symmetric machining patterns as the L12S, but the L9 is so much smoother that I personally don't really believe the "L12S is CNC'd" explanation.

 

[cst1992]

What do you intend to do then? Return it? Lap it?

 

[tabascosauz]

What do you intend to do then? Return it? Lap it?

I'm pretty sure I mentioned a few times that I bought a L9x65 to replace it. There's a picture of the new L9x65's plate in my newest reply; it's definitely better.

Anyways, I don't care for this one because I'm returning it for a L9x65.

L6x65SE should be here on Thursday, I guess we'll find out if this was just a one-off.

My L9x65 SE-AM4 that I bought to replace the L12S arrived yesterday.

 

[cst1992]

Okay, I missed the part that you were returning it for the new one. I thought you just got an alternate cooler.

 

[Chrispy_]

I make a lot of parts (design) for the food industry. It looks ground, but not polished. Which is the "matte" look. I'm not sure what kind of answer from Noctua that "It's CNC manufactured" means otherwise...I can't imagine they were using manual mills to run a face-mill or fly cutter across those plates. My D15 looks more like the latter two IRCC. (i just had it off last night)

Also, I just used CRC QD Electronic Cleaner on my new Ryzen 5800X and since shelved Ryzen 3600X to clean off the last hard to reach spots of thermal goop. Sprayed it right on the pins even to rinse them off (best if done over the sink), seemed to work really well. Makes it look brand-new. Using those blue or white "Shop Towel" paper towel is also infinitely better. Waaaay less likely to cover your stuff in lint particles. Lay the sheet of towel down on a flat table, spray a wet spot of CRC or 91% alcohol, hold the cpu by the corners and rub it on the flat wet spot, then wipe dry off to the side. Repeat as needed. (make a fresh wet spot, wipe dry, etc). Get the edges with a Q-Tip and then hose it off w/ the CRC. Voila.

I swear by blue shop towel; Everyone should have a roll, whether at home or at work - just like everyone should have a bottle of IPA alcohol stored inside the cardboard tube of the shop towel

 

[tabascosauz]

I swear by blue shop towel; Everyone should have a roll, whether at home or at work - just like everyone should have a bottle of IPA alcohol stored inside the cardboard tube of the shop towel

I feel like an absolute knob - white shop towels were once my lifeline at work and it somehow didn't cross my mind I could use them on CPUs, probably gonna go out and get a big roll

 

[Chrispy_]

I feel like an absolute knob - white shop towels were once my lifeline at work and it somehow didn't cross my mind I could use them on CPUs, probably gonna go out and get a big roll

The tough ultra-cheap 1-ply stuff used by office cleaners (and sometimes seen in bathroom hand-towel dispensers) seems to be the best stuff; Minimal lint, and roll lasts forever if you only use it for electronics with alcohol. The roll I have here is almost spent but it was only half a roll I stole from work 11 years ago.

 

[cst1992]

11 years? YEARS?!

 

[freeagent]

It looks like my old D14 sort of..

For cleaning I use a sock or a pair of boxers with 99% iso

 

[PaulieG]

I feel like an absolute knob - white shop towels were once my lifeline at work and it somehow didn't cross my mind I could use them on CPUs, probably gonna go out and get a big roll

I make a lot of parts (design) for the food industry. It looks ground, but not polished. Which is the "matte" look. I'm not sure what kind of answer from Noctua that "It's CNC manufactured" means otherwise...I can't imagine they were using manual mills to run a face-mill or fly cutter across those plates. My D15 looks more like the latter two IRCC. (i just had it off last night)

Also, I just used CRC QD Electronic Cleaner on my new Ryzen 5800X and since shelved Ryzen 3600X to clean off the last hard to reach spots of thermal goop. Sprayed it right on the pins even to rinse them off (best if done over the sink), seemed to work really well. Makes it look brand-new. Using those blue or white "Shop Towel" paper towel is also infinitely better. Waaaay less likely to cover your stuff in lint particles. Lay the sheet of towel down on a flat table, spray a wet spot of CRC or 91% alcohol, hold the cpu by the corners and rub it on the flat wet spot, then wipe dry off to the side. Repeat as needed. (make a fresh wet spot, wipe dry, etc). Get the edges with a Q-Tip and then hose it off w/ the CRC. Voila.

I swear by blue shop towel; Everyone should have a roll, whether at home or at work - just like everyone should have a bottle of IPA alcohol stored inside the cardboard tube of the shop towel

The tough ultra-cheap 1-ply stuff used by office cleaners (and sometimes seen in bathroom hand-towel dispensers) seems to be the best stuff; Minimal lint, and roll lasts forever if you only use it for electronics with alcohol. The roll I have here is almost spent but it was only half a roll I stole from work 11 years ago.

I wonder if you all are overthinking the cpu cleaning thing. I've owned a couple hundred processors over the last 15 years, using coffee filters, qtips and 91% alcohol, and never felt the need for anything else, nor experienced any significant lint problem.

On a serious note, my U12S has a very clean, well polished plate.

 

[Chrispy_]

coffee filters

Coffee filters and cheap 1-ply shop towel are pretty similar tbh - I'd be lying if I hadn't used shop towel as a makeshift coffee filter before. They're both just thin singly-ply paper, compressed enough to avoid losing lint but loose enough to still have some permability.

It's not difficult; paper to absorb the crap, alcohol to dissolve the old paste. Shop towel is the just the easiest cheap bulk product and worth having around as can be useful for more than cleaning CPUs and heatsinks

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yeah lint hasn't ever been an issue just with cheap paper towels 94% alcohol.
I use copper stuff so buffing is not an issue.