What's up w/ those copper shims??

[The masterless newbie]

Greetings everyone...
I just bought a new HSF (AlphaPal6035) and can't wait to install it. However, I just have a couple of questions. First, I've read about people using these new copper shims imported by plycon to help prevent die chipping. I was wondering if anyone knows if the shims are helpful at all. Also, do they affect cooling in any way? I've running a T-bird 750 and I'm itchin' to overlock it, but I wanna get all the info I can before I actually do it.

Thanks
RoninX74

[Johnniest5]

As far as I know, shim doesn't help cool the CPU. Its only job is to prevent the CPU Core from chipping or being crushed when you try to install and take out the HSF, that's all.

If you are not someone that takes off and install the HSF every so often, you really don't need the shim. Shims are for those that do bench testing and have to take off and install HSF very often.

Anyway, shims are not needed. They are just a cheap insurance for your CPU Core, that's all. As for me, even though I don't really need it, I'm going to get one just for my own protection (or the CPU's protection, I should say).

Good luck!

[Bovon]

The original concept and hand made shim was actually pretty good, both at protecting the cpu and cooling the chip. The new mass produced shims are not uniform, and can actually leave the HSF slightly above the core. It must be checked thourghly that it is of correct thickness. If anything, it should be maybe 1/2 thousandth thinner than the distance between the surface of the ceramic and the top of the core. You can do this and get close by placing the chip down on a antistatic material, lay the shim on top, and take a straight edge and place across the shim from side to side over top of the core. Ideally the straight edge should just touch the top of the core. If there is a space between the straight edge and core, the shim must be lapped down in thickness until the above results are obtained.

Also be aware that the shim can move around during install of the HSF, and short out the bridges. If the shims are of the type that require removal of the leveling feet AMD puts on the chips. There are some kinds that have a hole cut out for these feet, others require the removal of the feet. Be very carefull with these...they have been known to kill the cpu just as quick as a chipped core.

Read at this following site where a guy has replaced those spongy feet with epoxy...thus supporting the cpu HSF and preventing any rocking effect, which chips the cpu.

http://www2.apex.net/users/timwhita/protection.html