Q9550 Lapped for crunching!

[Mindweaver]

Hey TPU Members! I promised everybody on our WCG Crunching team I would post some picks of the lap job for my Q9550. I'm not going to go into great detail, but if anyone is interested in how to lap there process just reply to the thread.

Tools
Flat surface - I used a large piece of glass from a coffee table.
Surface cleaner - I used 91% Alcohol
Air - I used a portable air Compressor (Canned air just as good)
Sandpaper - I used 3M Wet or Dry (from Advance automotive)
Grit sizes (P400, P600, P800, P1000, P1500, P2000)
Tape - I used electrical tape to hold down the sandpaper.

Temps before lap job @ Full Load

All the tools together

Just an extra pic of setting up the tools

Stock Q9550 Processor

After 3 rounds of P400 (Remember to clean the processor after each round. Hit it with air then cleaner to not scratch surface.)

3 rounds of P600 you can start to see where the dips where at.

Money shot of P600.. hehehe

I went 4 rounds of P800 (Just enough to see complete copper) It's not set in stone for how many rounds for each grit... You can start to tell when it's time to move on.. It will start feeling like your not doing anything. the processor just glides across the sandpaper.

3 rounds of P1000

4 rounds of P1500. Some people start to wet the sandpaper. I don't.. you don't have to make it look like glass. It just needs to be flat. If you do.. Use Alcohol not water.. It dries faster .

Money shot of P1500

And finally 4 rounds of P2000

Another pic of P2000

Temps after Lap Job @ Full Load

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the pics. Remember, This is not a "how to".. I'm just showing how I lap processors. If anyone wants to lap there processor, and needs more detail. I will be glad to help as much as I can.

Everyone please help our crunching, and folding teams by joining, and contributing! Thanks!

 

[erocker]

Nice work. I use that sandpaper and electrical tape as well. Good temperature difference.

 

[Mindweaver]

Thanks erocker!

Yea some people use masking tape... but i don't paint houses.. hehehe I use what I have..lol

 

[p_o_s_pc]

looks good but not as much as a shine as my cpus i have done but temps are what matters

 

[Mindweaver]

looks good but not as much as a shine as my cpus i have done but temps are what matters

Yea.. when I first started lapping I would go for shine P400 - P2500... but not a big difference in temps.. pretty much the same.. So, I saved myself 4 bucks.. hehehe and a lot of time... hehehe

 

[ChaoticAtmosphere]

Nice job

 

[Mussels]

but but lapping doesnt help temps, it makes the chip worthless, waaaah.

no one else was in here whining about how lapping does nothing, so i thought i'd do it for em

nice job, lapping mine made my four cores come closer to each other on my Q6600, but the drop was nowhere near as big as yours.

 

[Mindweaver]

@Mussels lol I was waiting on someone to say something about the warranty..lol I'm glad you beat them too it!...lol

 

[BUCK NASTY]

Nice work. I think I may lap my e8400. It's sitting @ 57c/57c with a full load on water right now. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[IINexusII]

hardly saw any difference in lapping my e7300 it just made it harder to sell now

 

[Papahyooie]

Man thats freakin beautiful... nothing says "hardcore" like a mirror-polished heat spreader. I worked on my P4's heatsink and spreader for hours but never could quite get that magical point where you can make out objects in the reflection. Too heavy grit would just scar it up more, and too light grit did nothing. Pospc, thats a very nice job too! what exactly is that sitting on top of them?

 

[OnBoard]

"3 rounds"

Wonder what you mean by that? Surely 3 swipes don't do that Think it took me close to 2 hours to lap my old E4300. But I used just 400 & 800 (and a bit of 2000 to make it nicer).

hardly saw any difference in lapping my e7300 it just made it harder to sell now

My E7200 was pretty flat, so I just didn't bother. E4300 had a massive crater on the middle compared to this one.

 

[Chicken Patty]

awesome job there buddy

 

[Mindweaver]

Nice work. I think I may lap my e8400. It's sitting @ 57c/57c with a full load on water right now. Thanks for the inspiration.

Thanks Buck!

Yea, I enjoyed the temperature drop on my old E8400 after the lap job. The E8400 that I have is a C0 stepping and has one sensor stuck.. but after a few hours of crunching the sensor would free up. My before temps using a zalman 9700n @ 4.05GHz, @ full load were 65c. After the lap job it dropped to 59c with the 9700n, @4.05GHz, @ full load..

After you lap your processor, clean both the processor and block. Then lay the processor on a paper towel or your hand (something soft) and place the water block on top, and pick up.. It should create a vacuum between the two. It will feel like the block is picking up the processor. Remember, it will not be a complete bond, so the processor will fall. Just remember that you don't have to raise it very high.. just enough to clear the surface (paper towel or hand).

If the vacuum between the two are weak, I would lap the block. You can always check the block or processor with a razor blade.

Hopefully this was just a little more inspiration... hehehe

hardly saw any difference in lapping my e7300 it just made it harder to sell now

Hehehe, Your not pitching it the correct way... You need to sell it to a new overclocker.. explain to them that this is a hand sanded processor from an experienced overclocker... hehehe

Man thats freakin beautiful... nothing says "hardcore" like a mirror-polished heat spreader. I worked on my P4's heatsink and spreader for hours but never could quite get that magical point where you can make out objects in the reflection. Too heavy grit would just scar it up more, and too light grit did nothing. Pospc, thats a very nice job too! what exactly is that sitting on top of them?

Thanks Papahyooie
That's a thumb screw (Screw driverless) for the case doors.

"3 rounds"

When I say 3 rounds, I mean for each round push the processor up the sheet of sandpaper 30 times for each side (4 sides = 1 round). Start, at the bottom push to the top, and back.. that is 1 of 30 times for one side. Clean the processor after each round. Remember, do not ,push down on the processor. let the weight of the processor do the work.

awesome job there buddy

Thanks CP!

 

[phanbuey]

Great Job!

For anyone too lazy to go to an automotive store or unsure about paper - performace PC's sells a good lap kit to start with. - http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=21971

 

[BUCK NASTY]

The deed is done and I have nice difference. I was only able to take it to 1200 grit. I'm happy with a 3-4 degree drop. Should make a bigger difference when I take it up over 4Ghz.
3 cheers to Mindweaver for the inspiration!!!

Before lapping

After Lapping

 

[Mindweaver]

The deed is done and I have noticed a tremendous difference. I was only able to take it to 1200 grit. A large part of the drop may be removing the year-old Ceramique and applying AS-5. Now the temps resemble a water cooled rig!
3 cheers to Mindweaver for the inspiration!!!

Before lapping

http://img.techpowerup.org/090716/Capture032642.jpg


After Lapping

http://img.techpowerup.org/090716/Capture033280.jpg

Great Job bro! Very nice temps!

 

[phanbuey]

The deed is done and I have noticed a tremendous difference. I was only able to take it to 1200 grit. A large part of the drop may be removing the year-old Ceramique and applying AS-5. Now the temps resemble a water cooled rig!
3 cheers to Mindweaver for the inspiration!!!

Before lapping

http://img.techpowerup.org/090716/Capture032642.jpg


After Lapping

http://img.techpowerup.org/090716/Capture033280.jpg

one is overclocked and the other isnt. i think your OC reset when you took out the CPU.

 

[BUCK NASTY]

one is overclocked and the other isnt. i think your OC reset when you took out the CPU.

Damn, your right. Let me re-clock and post the temps. I knew it was too good to be true

Edit: pics are corrected now. Thanks Phanbuey.

 

[Asylum]

Yea i was about to say the same..LMAO
Good job mindweaver.

 

[OnBoard]

When I say 3 rounds, I mean for each round push the processor up the sheet of sandpaper 30 times for each side (4 sides = 1 round). Start, at the bottom push to the top, and back.. that is 1 of 30 times for one side. Clean the processor after each round. Remember, do not ,push down on the processor. let the weight of the processor do the work.

No wonder it looked so good even without wetsanding Yeah, the E4300 was the first CPU I lapped, so I took my time on all sides, but didn't really count the times. Lapping my Thermalright Ultima was a different experience, I'll be happy to lap a CPU after that

But pictures tell more, found them handy, so I'll add couple here.
400 grit dry

800 grit wet (and used an old spot as a smoother grit later on)

2400 grit wet for 'polish' (it wasn't a mirror, still had marks on it)

 

[phanbuey]

the only way to really get a true mirror finish is to use brasso after 2500 grit, and then rub it with acetone followed by alcohol to get it off... not worth it IMO. Doesn't improve or hurt temps either way, its just for show.

after one heatsink mounting it won't be a mirror no more either

EDIT: still nice temps buck gj man. Basically what I was getting on water (these other f***ers dont live our nice, cool, arid climate).

 

[Mindweaver]

Damn, your right. Let me re-clock and post the temps. I knew it was too good to be true

Edit: pics are corrected now. Thanks Phanbuey.

Still looks good Buck! Did you use AS5? If so it still should drop 1 or 2 degrees after burn in.

No wonder it looked so good even without wetsanding Yeah, the E4300 was the first CPU I lapped, so I took my time on all sides, but didn't really count the times. Lapping my Thermalright Ultima was a different experience, I'll be happy to lap a CPU after that

But pictures tell more, found them handy, so I'll add couple here.
400 grit dry
http://img.techpowerup.org/090716/lapping1.jpg
800 grit wet (and used an old spot as a smoother grit later on)
http://img.techpowerup.org/090716/lapping2.jpg
2400 grit wet for 'polish' (it wasn't a mirror, still had marks on it)
http://img.techpowerup.org/090716/lapping3.jpg

Looks good Onboard! Nice pics!

the only way to really get a true mirror finish is to use brasso after 2500 grit, and then rub it with acetone followed by alcohol to get it off... not worth it IMO. Doesn't improve or hurt temps either way, its just for show.

after one heatsink mounting it won't be a mirror no more either

EDIT: still nice temps buck gj man. Basically what I was getting on water (these other f***ers dont live our nice, cool, arid climate).

Yea the first processor I lapped was a P4 heater.. hehehe I rubbed on it for 2 days to get a mirror finish.. But your right it's not worth it.. I only take it to p2000 grit now.

 

[d3fct]

nice temp results mindweaver, if this 9650 wasnt brand new i would attempt it...

 

[Mindweaver]

nice temp results mindweaver, if this 9650 wasnt brand new i would attempt it...

After the 2nd day of having it.. I lapped it.. lol Remember it drops half price after you drive it off the lot... hehehehe