Will lapping my CPU make it less valuable?

[N4cot1c]

I'm going to the store to get sandpaper. Before I do so, if for some reason I decided I wanted to sell my chip, would lapping it depreciate the price?

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Lapping it would remove any information telling the buyer what the CPU is. The only re-sale value had for the CPU maybe those who are of the enthusiast crowd who fully understand why the CPU "looks funny".

 

[N4cot1c]

Well I would be selling it on here or [H]

 

[MoonPig]

Might add afew £ to it, depends how well you lapp it and what the results are.

 

[Disparia]

In that case, I'd pay more for a well lapped CPU.

 

[douglatins]

Yes i agree that for the non enthusiast crowd it might lose value, but to others might gain value

 

[Binge]

It loses value all around. There is no way in hell it would gain value, even to an enthusiast. There's one acception to this is that you bought this chip OEM and the warranty period is over & it's a proven low voltage high OCer. Has nothing to do with temperature change after lapping. Everyone who is anyone accepts that lapping gives minimal results that would not even effect an OC.

 

[erocker]

It loses value all around. There is no way in hell it would gain value, even to an enthusiast. There's one acception to this is that you bought this chip OEM and the warranty period is over & it's a proven low voltage high OCer. Has nothing to do with temperature change after lapping. Everyone who is anyone accepts that lapping gives minimal results that would not even effect an OC.

Agreed, and losing the warranty definitely decreases it's value. If you know you are going to sell the chip, don't lap it. Did you check to see if you even need to lap it? Get a razor blade and check to see how flat the IHS is.

 

[Darknova]

It loses value all around. There is no way in hell it would gain value, even to an enthusiast. There's one acception to this is that you bought this chip OEM and the warranty period is over & it's a proven low voltage high OCer. Has nothing to do with temperature change after lapping. Everyone who is anyone accepts that lapping gives minimal results that would not even effect an OC.

A product is always worth less second hand.

However, a lapped CPU that is a known low-voltage good overclocker would be worth more over a 2nd hand CPU that was a crap clocker, to an enthusiast.

 

[lemonadesoda]

lap your cooler. use the best TIM. And you will get 95% of what a lapped CPU can offer, UNLESS for some reason it has a faulty (over-dipped, or proud) IHS - see erockers post.

 

[Urukland]

Lapping the cpu void the warranty, and obviously, people pay less for a cpu without warranty.
Before any lapping, you should test the flatness of your ihs putting/moving a razor blade over it. Many times is flat enough, and lapping it, you are wasting time and money, and losing the warranty to improve your temps 1-2º at best.

 

[kid41212003]

Lapped cpu scare people away, they think you are probably abused the chip (extreme high OC).

 

[Naekuh]

The only re-sale value had for the CPU maybe those who are of the enthusiast crowd who fully understand why the CPU "looks funny".

whose lapped cpu u calling looks funny?

But to answer the OP, it voids warrenty, some occasions its harder to sell the cpu, because if you lapped it, its obviously for overclocking.

But another thought u need to keep is, most of the time when I resell, and when I ask the option at release "would you like me lap the cpu?"

90% of the time, the guy says YES PLEASE!.

 

[Mussels]

If you're selling it to an OC'er, it raises the value. To everyone else, it lowers it.

My Q6600's lost 5-10C from lapping, lapping certainly can help.

 

[imperialreign]

If you're selling it to an OC'er, it raises the value. To everyone else, it lowers it.

My Q6600's lost 5-10C from lapping, lapping certainly can help.

Agreed - I saw the same benefit from lapping . . .

but, as others have pointed out, the amount of work necessary for such a small benefit usually outweighs the amount of work involved . . . and, as erocker pointed out, lapping the cooler is usually the better route to take - even if you purchase a cooler with a nice mirror finish on it from the factory, 90% of the time, they're still flawed (usually have a valley in the middle of the mating surface - not noticeable until you do the water + glass test).


Anyhow, if you have screens to prove the CPUs OCing ability, as well as it's thermal cooling capabilities and pics of the lap job . . . I'd say enthusiasts would probably be willing to spend a little more on a good proc . . . the average joe, though, it wouldn't make any difference - TBH, the might even think it's worth less than you do.

 

[daehxxiD]

Personally it would loose value for me, even if I would plan to Overclock or lap it myself...

Although it is true you can't screw up much by lapping, you can still screw up, making the mating-surface worse than before... So yeah, I prefer lapping my CPUs myself (if needed) and found while lapping certainly helps, a good TIM(application) goes a long way.
The only real reason to lap an IHS or Heatsink is to get them properly flat if they are either concave or convex, which happens quite a lot actually... Smaller imperfections are usually really ruled out by the TIM and a Mirror-finish just looks cool.

Basically talking from experience (as in not measured values) here with my PS3. While lapping did a lot on one Heatsink (it was rather Concave) it did nothing or next to nothing (it still takes the same amount of time to switch the fan up) on the other, which was "perfectly" flat but had a rather rough surface + some very visible holes in it. So yeah, most important thing is flatness, if your CPU is flat (check like erocker said with a razor blade) lapping shouldn't help all that much. And if you want to resell it, but lap it at all costs, make sure to document your lapping experiences very well, so as to demonstrate that the cpu actually performs better or at least the same as it did before.

 

[imperialreign]

Although it is true you can't screw up much by lapping, you can still screw up, making the mating-surface worse than before... So yeah, I prefer lapping my CPUs myself (if needed) and found while lapping certainly helps, a good TIM(application) goes a long way.
The only real reason to lap an IHS or Heatsink is to get them properly flat if they are either concave or convex, which happens quite a lot actually... Smaller imperfections are usually really ruled out by the TIM and a Mirror-finish just looks cool.

heh . . . that's kinda what I was trying to say - there are too many coolers that are too concave, even with a factory mirror finish.

Asides, a mirror finish is rather pointless, and personally, I can't stand that kind of finish. Flat with a bit of small directional grain from the lap job is the sweet-spot, IMHO.

 

[kenkickr]

heh . . . that's kinda what I was trying to say - there are too many coolers that are too concave, even with a factory mirror finish.

Asides, a mirror finish is rather pointless, and personally, I can't stand that kind of finish. Flat with a bit of small directional grain from the lap job is the sweet-spot, IMHO.

Agreed. I always lap upto 1000 but mainly til there is no visible light between the IHS and razor blade extended from one corner to the other.

 

[coodiggy]

Seconded, as the thermal compound settles in due to heat cycles, mirror finishes usually wind up with a pumping action on the thermal compound that will eventually introduce air voids over time. There are some good examples of this issue on the IC diamond thermal compound website.

A good flat lapping "wet sand" to 1000 is all you need, can even go with 800 grit for less critical applications, or longer lasting thermal compound application. The grit/directional groves will provide "tooth" for the thermal compound to reside in and high points/ridges for nearly metal to metal contact as the thermal comound settles in from heat cycles.
Too much clamping pressure on a socket 775 CPU retainer clip can deflect the IHS and make any lapping about useless, with the CPU retention clamp removed, using a pro/bolt down heatsink mount to fix the CPU to the socket, using just the pressure of the cpu heatsink mount or waterblock mount will elliminate the IHS deflection issue. If the IHS is not deflected by the CPU retention clamp, the lapped cooler/IHS can provide even better cooling with less thermal compound needed. This issue may be the reason that most of the Intel 775 thermal compound guides suggest using a blob of thermal compound, or short line/blob for quad cores. With the blob method for these CPU's there is enough thermal goop inbetween the CPU IHS and cooling solution, to fill the voids in the non flat surfaces.

Without the CPU retaining clip, the cpu IHS remains flat, or nearly so, with the IHS flatness un-effected by a CPU retention clamp, you can apply the thermal compound less liberally, a slight wipe of thermal compound on the bottom of the cooler, and the credit card method on the IHS, or the other way around.

 

[h3llb3nd4]

Yes it will lose value, but I would definitly pay someone to lap mine for me...

 

[Sihastru]

If I had to choose between two identical CPUs, one lapped, one in *as new* condition, I would get the non-lapped one.

A lapped CPU is an abused CPU. I would not trust that it will give me better OC results or that it would live longer then the supposedly non-abused CPU.

I lapped my cooler, and not my CPU, and had enough results to stop there. If the CPU IHS is flat enough then I would not touch it, 1-3 degrees less is nothing.

To sum things up, I consider myself to be somewhat of an enthusiast and for me an already lapped CPU has less value. I prefer to do the lapping myself. And any true enthusiast would do it himself (or herself) then have it done by someone else. Because for any true enthusiast everything is done wrong unless is done by themselves.

 

[daehxxiD]

Because for any true enthusiast everything is done wrong unless is done by themselves.

Sums up pretty much how I feel; if I don't do it myself or don't see it being done, I feel like there is still lot's of headroom for improvement. Can't stand that nagging feeling (thus opened and modified every owned console, laptop and PC so far)

 

[h3llb3nd4]

Really?! that's awesome!!
oh I Get the feeling, but if I don't ask some one to do it for me, I can't get it done! cos of my dad