Zalman (CNPS6000-Cu) Long-Term Test-Drive

I bought and installed a Zalman CNPS6000-Cu heatsink and fan kit to my XP-2100 using Arctic Silver. During the first week, it performed great: under 80 F temperatures. But after several months, I checked the temp only to find 110+ F temps. I couldn't find the culprit because the ambient temperature remained about the same at about 75 F. But I did notice that the fans on the heatsink acquired a coating of fine dust that can't be removed by dusting with tissue or compresed air. It seems the copper fins somehow fused with the baby powder we use in our home. Has anyone else found this problem?

Jon

take the whole thing off, either stick it in the dish washer (use hand soap, not dishwasher fluid), or scrub the thing with soap and ur tooshbrush in ur shower after showering it, and then lap the base with really fine sand paper.... it should be good as new afterwards....

yeah i'd try to submerge it if it's not a big hassle. I've never heard of baby powder attacthing and bonding to metal like that though. Let us know if you can get it off

On my dad's PC with a CNPS6000Cu it is the one thing that gets the most dust. I think it is mainly due to the design with the many fins and low airflow causing the thing to act like a giant air filter. As for cleaning it try the dishwasher - but don't sand the base because it's pretty well milled anyway - but if the base becomes corroded then remove it with VERY fine sandpaper >800 grit.

Has anyone thought that maybe his thermal compound could have broken down? I know my artic silver 2 did after 4 months.

maybe, but its just really weird cause non of us have ever heard of baby powder/dust bonding with metal before...

and besides, he's going to have to redo the thermal compound after the dishwasher right?

and oh yeah, clean the chip with alchohal too...

Detergent Test Tomorrow

Thanks guys. I'll immerse the heatsink in detergent and post some before and after pictures. I frankly was surprised myself to find that the copper fins have seemingly permanent white dust encrusted on them. As for brushing, these fins are too close together and delicate.

I've worked with computers for almost 20 years, and since heatsink/fan setups have been on the market, have never come across this sort of thinge before with anodized aluminium heatsinks. If the dust doesn't come off, I have to assume that there is some sort of chemical reaction between copper and talcum powder. Any chemists know what solution would dissolve the baby powder (assuming it IS baby powder--if not, it's just dust, I guess)?

Jon

yah, the dishwasher, or a jewelry cleaner big enough if you can find one that big....

and copper/chrome polish from home depot works pretty well...

Re: Detergent Test Tomorrow

disorganizer said:

Any chemists know what solution would dissolve the baby powder (assuming it IS baby powder--if not, it's just dust, I guess)?

Click to expand...

Checking now, will get back to you.

Talcum powder?

As far as I know the stuff is nearly chemically inert (which is why they use it for babies) so I don't see how it can chemically bond to metal. I say wash the heatsink, and it should come off fine.

After-Wahing Pictures of my dust-encrusted Zalman

Sorry it took so long with my pictures.... (((Since the last time I posted, I added a Western Digital 1600JB only to find that I could not get reliable data transmission from my 1200JB and 1200BB's to the new 1600JB. After days of frustruating failed experiments, I've decided to get a non-Via chipset mobo.)))

Here are the pictures:

1. Just after taking off of the CPU:
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/~jswift/Zalman/IMGP2062_.jpg

2. Close up:
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/~jswift/Zalman/IMGP2064_.jpg

3. After blowing with compressed air:
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/~jswift/Zalman/IMGP2066_.jpg

4. After scratching with toothpick:
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/~jswift/Zalman/IMGP2075_.jpg

5. View of toothpick:
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/~jswift/Zalman/IMGP2076_.jpg

6a. After washing (the After pictures are taken under different lighting conditions):
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/~jswift/Zalman/IMGP2150_.jpg

(((Washing methodology: I don't have a dishwasher, so I put hair shampoo on the fins and vigorously moved the heatsink back and forth under water in a sink. I then held the fins under the bath tub and poured warm water as hard as I can.)))

6b. After washing:
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/~jswift/Zalman/IMGP2151_.jpg

6c. After washing:
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/~jswift/Zalman/IMGP2152_.jpg

My conclusion:
I don't know the exact composition of the dust, though I expect a bit of baby powder. More importantly, however, the dust seems to cling to the fins and they cannot be removed easily. Worst of all, even if the fins could be cleaned, the dust is just going to cling back on with the same dibilitating effect: hotter CPU.

Unless others have not found this to be a problem with forced-air heatsinks (espicially with Zalman coppers with extra surface areas), I'm going to move into watercooling....

Jonathan

My chemist freinds tell me that baby powder material shoudn't bond to copper (or anything) and that water should get it off.

Clearly that didn't work for you, so my best guess is that whatever the dust-like material is, it is not baby powder. However, that doesn't help you clean it, and it's quite a mess.

Sorry to not be of more help. I'm confused.

Looks like paint to me. Have you been painting near the computer, perhaps?

No Paint, and probably not baby powder alone

No, after having tried to wash it off, I think it's not baby powder alone, but mostly everyday dust that somehow sticks onto the copper.

And no, I haven't been painting anywhere near it.... It's our living room.

After the unsuccessful but merely partial washing the heatsink, my computer is running around 105 degrees F, but as dust sticks into it again I expect temperatures to climb up to the 110's again. Far higher than the sub-90's I got when I first installed the Zalman.

As far as I'm concerned, any review of heatsinks should be LONG TERM, as *I believe* each design and material will react to dust particles differently. As for Zalman's flower designs, I'd like to hear if other people have had the same result:

(1) Dust on the fins (nearly impossible to clean due to delicate copper)

(2) Rising temperatures

Jon