Walk Through : Lapping Your HSF

[vladmire]

it's better than the machine's job of lapping it.

 

[Adrienspawn]

Just so people know, lapping is more about making it flat than shiny. You can use up to just 600 grit and it will perform as well as 3500 grit. You can have a mirror surface, but it doesn't mean its flat. Make sure to lap on glass or a really flat surface. Not sure if its been said already, just thought I'd mention it

 

[mike047]

This is what I use for a flat lapping surface. They have free shipping occasionally.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/9-x-12-Granite-Plate-No-Ledge-2-Thick/G9649

I use these Without holes for the Arctic coolers.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=24520399&PMAKA=SM240-0369

 

[Adrienspawn]

This is what I use for a flat lapping surface. They have free shipping occasionally.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/9-x-12-Granite-Plate-No-Ledge-2-Thick/G9649

I use these Without holes for the Arctic coolers.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=24520399&PMAKA=SM240-0369

When I think granite I think roads lol. You sure that's really flat, not a bit rough like the lapping paper? Is has to be flat and smooth.

But from the pics it looks smooth.

 

[DreamSeller]

how do i do this to the cpu i mean can't the pins get bent while doing it ? :-s

 

[mike047]

When I think granite I think roads lol. You sure that's really flat, not a bit rough like the lapping paper? Is has to be flat and smooth.

But from the pics it looks smooth.

Normally "granite" plates are used for inspection purposes in machine shops, fabrication labs, etc.

They are graded by flatness;
http://www.angrave.com/catalog/SurfacePlates.html

Those are inexpensive so I would guess that they are withing .0001[or less] flatness all over[ a human hair is .003-.004 thick. The surface finish[roughness] is a smooth as the proverbial baby's butt.

I have as part of my trade as a toolmaker used surface plates for nearly 40 years and I'll tell you they are "flatter" and smoother than your lap jobs.

 

[mike047]

how do i do this to the cpu i mean can't the pins get bent while doing it ? :-s

If your cpu has pins, place the black foam from your packaging on the pins to protect them...don't get brutal with it and you should have no problem.

 

[DreamSeller]

If your cpu has pins, place the black foam from your packaging on the pins to protect them...don't get brutal with it and you should have no problem.

thanks i'll give it a try tonight )

 

[Bo_Fox]

There are plenty of lapping videos on Youtube. Just type in TRUE lapping or something like that. A video really helped me lap my IFX-14.. whew my hands almost gave out with several cuts even after wearing gloves (took over 1 hour).

 

[sneekypeet]

Had a bit of time and I figured my i7 860 could use a bit of a lap job since I got it used.

Original candidate:

About 5-10 minutes with 600 grit to level the field (bit round in the middle):

About the same time on 800 grit:

1000:

1500:

I missed the 2000 grit image in excitement of polishing it a bit

reflection on my work:

What's it worth? so far with a higher ambient temperature (32 degrees in the case versus the 29 I tested it in before I lapped it), tests show a 3-4 degree drop across all 4 cores under Prime95 for 30 minutes.

 

[p_o_s_pc]

I did this awhile ago so its kinda older(about a year ago) this is 2k grit polished with rubbing compound and then shined with lemon juice (heard that worked) then cleaned with 70% alcohol
I don't even remember what CPU is what but one is a X2 5kBE the other is a X2 4850e

this one i know is the 5kBE

 

[Cold Storm]

great step-by-step Sneeky.


Pos, that's good work man!

 

[copenhagen69]

Had a bit of time and I figured my i7 860 could use a bit of a lap job since I got it used.

Original candidate:
http://img.techpowerup.org/100207/DSC01773.jpg

About 5-10 minutes with 600 grit to level the field (bit round in the middle):
http://img.techpowerup.org/100207/DSC01776.jpg

About the same time on 800 grit:
http://img.techpowerup.org/100207/DSC01778.jpg

1000:
http://img.techpowerup.org/100207/DSC01780.jpg

1500:
http://img.techpowerup.org/100207/DSC01782.jpg

I missed the 2000 grit image in excitement of polishing it a bit

reflection on my work:
http://img.techpowerup.org/100207/DSC01786515.jpg

What's it worth? so far with a higher ambient temperature (32 degrees in the case versus the 29 I tested it in before I lapped it), tests show a 3-4 degree drop across all 4 cores under Prime95 for 30 minutes.

very nice job!
how long overall did it take you? about 10 mins for each grit?

 

[sneekypeet]

yup just over an hour to get from the first image to the last

 

[copenhagen69]

thats not bad at all for a 3-4c drop ... ive spent a lot more time on less of a drop haha

 

[Taz100420]

I did this awhile ago so its kinda older(about a year ago) this is 2k grit polished with rubbing compound and then shined with lemon juice (heard that worked) then cleaned with 70% alcohol
I don't even remember what CPU is what but one is a X2 5kBE the other is a X2 4850e
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u88/p_o_s_pc/S5030835.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u88/p_o_s_pc/S5030836-1.jpg
this one i know is the 5kBE
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u88/p_o_s_pc/S5030836.jpg

Makes me wanna lap my 5000+BE....and maybe finish the shine job on my heatsink. I have an aluminum heatsink and I took some 500 grit to it and got most the machine lines out and hit it with 1000 to get it smooth and even the took the 0000 steel wool and smoothed it out. I thought I had some 1500 and 2000 grit but it was used on the motorcycle sadly so I had to work with what I had left lol Temps are about 5F-10F cooler on load

 

[p_o_s_pc]

Makes me wanna lap my 5000+BE....and maybe finish the shine job on my heatsink. I have an aluminum heatsink and I took some 500 grit to it and got most the machine lines out and hit it with 1000 to get it smooth and even the took the 0000 steel wool and smoothed it out. I thought I had some 1500 and 2000 grit but it was used on the motorcycle sadly so I had to work with what I had left lol Temps are about 5F-10F cooler on load

Go for it man.. Just be careful that you don't bend the pins. Its really easy to bend them

 

[Taz100420]

Go for it man.. Just be careful that you don't bend the pins. Its really easy to bend them

I have a old dead AM2 mobo that I can cut the socket out of so it protects the pins while sanding

 

[erixx]

Noctua website says that with nowadays 'sticky' thermal grease, lapping is not needed. I believe they know their stuff. If this is true, maybe this can be un-stickied to start evangelizing to not lap anymore?

 

[silkstone]

sticky thermal grease wouldn't stop the cpu being convex/concave.

 

[erixx]

good issue, but rare, rarisimo i would say

 

[silkstone]

I'm sure what you read is referring to lapping the HSF, which with the quality of some of the higher end HSFs isn;t needed anyway. But there is a lot of useful information about CPU lapping. Which while isn't needed, really does help with temps.

 

[user21]

this is gud, how much time did you took to finish up ??