My Northbrigde isn't flat and I am ticked!

I just discovered this today. I tested it with the stock hsf, as well as a spare cpu heatsink and a waterblock, all of which have flat bases (or flat enough, as demonstrated by the "blob test").

The middle of the northbridge dips down and makes no contact with the heatsink. When I pull the heatsink off the NB, there is only TIM/goop around the edges, no matter how much pressure I apply. So at best, 50% of the NB makes contact with the heatsink.

I've run this board at 200 FSB since I got it (about a month ago). It's hot as hell in my room (average 80-85 F) but I have not had any problems with instability. So some might say I shouldn't care...

But I do. Is it too much to ask for a flat northbridge? Sheesh.

Is this cause for an RMA? Or is this a common problem? I did a search, pulled up 213 threads from the last 2 years and didn't see anything related.

Any thoughts, comments, please post 'em.

Thats common actually...you can try to RMA it...but odds are the new one will be the same way...maybe not as bad...but still concaved...most people do not notice this though...usally slips past them...you can lap your NB like most extreme overclockers do (including myself)...which is about the best thing to do...it does take a little more elbow grease to lap the NB...but well worth it when done...and lapping the NB is the same as lapping a HS...just takes a little longer to get the outter shell down (the black ring)...

Oh yea...go to xtreme forums if you want to read more about the NB's being for from even...a few threads over there about that problem when the NF2's first came out...

My Abit's Via NB has the same thing, silver disk center is lower than the black ring around it.
I just cut a piece of copper shim to fit the circle and mounted my waterblock on that.
I'd rather have two thermal interfaces (with goop of course) than to have a .015 thick layer of goop alone. And more RMAable if it's not lapped...

Just a thought.

Diggrr said:

And more RMAable if it's not lapped...

Just a thought.

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Thats true...but most of us have already modded our boards ..

where is the "Xtreme forums"?

Hmmm, I didn't know the NB had a shell thick enough to lap. Think I'll do some reading up before trying that. Certainly don't want to mess with an RMA.

sandman001 said:

where is the "Xtreme forums"?

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YGPM

They are all like that.. just like cores on Ti cards. Theres a lapping guide on www.8rdafaq.com i think.

q149 said:

They are all like that.. just like cores on Ti cards. Theres a lapping guide on www.8rdafaq.com i think.

Click to expand...

That was exactly what I needed, thanks for the link.

weird...I tried 8RDAFAQ.com and I kept getting a dead link...that is the guide I was going to link them too...

rebookmarks the working link