Lapping, smoothing, how much is safe?

[RangerXLT8]

I recently read the sticky about lapping Intel CPUs. So I went and lapped my 2.8E prescott as the directions in the sticky said. I went past the nickel with the 220 grit and into the copper. I then switched to the 600 grit and sanded it smooth. I haven't really seen any changes in my temps. So my question is, how much can I sand this sucker down before I ruin my CPU? 1,2,3mm?

[Lancelot]

What you don't take into account is that Prescotts, 'M0'-step- and 30-cap- Northwoods have the heatspreader kinda 'soldered' onto the die. Unlike the older versions which have thermal goop between the die and heatspreader. When 'soldered' on, lapping won't make any real difference anymore I guess...

[batboy]

The heatspreader is not always perfectly flat, that's why lapping sometimes helps to lower temps. If you didn't see any temp change, then your hearspreader was probably already nice and flat. Continuing to lap at this point is unlikely to help. Hopefully you are measuring load temp? Because idle temps will really not be affected much by lapping.

[nikhsub1]

Actually the IHS's are not flat and not supposed to be. They are concave by design, when a cooler is mounted the pressure flattens the IHS out. I don't know if any of you ever notice but look at the bottom of your HSF or WB the next time you take it off, you will see marks around the edge of the IHS, particularly at the corners. Sometimes lapping the IHS can make things worse.

[(HR)Titan]

u ll not have much beter performance

[RangerXLT8]

Hopefully you are measuring load temp? Because idle temps will really not be affected much by lapping.

Now that I really look at it I did see about 2-3c drop in my load temp.