How effective is lapping 'really'?

[Pablissimo]

I got me a Tasiol 760 with a YSTech 60mm fan on it from a mate. It dropped CPU temps by about 3 degress active from the old orb cooler (now about 52 active). I also have a 92mm top blowhole (Sunon, loud, very windy =0)) ) which is keeping case temps down to the 29 mark (25 ambient).

Though I'm happy with a 52 degree active temp, I'd love to see it closer to 49 so I would have some leeway with overclocking (its a 1.333 axia that I want to push to 1.5 hopefully), so I ask whether lapping the Tasiol is really going to see any great benefit in heat distro from the core to the sink.

If all else fails theres an 80 mm intake coming soon dragging in from the loverly UK winter air =))).

[foxmulder]

I'd like to know that myself

[WyrmMaster]

It should, have gained around 3c, maybe more, from lapping. Course it makes a difference how bad it was to start with. Cant hurt thats for shure.

[jbslow]

You will need to look at the base of your hs and then decide. I use a sk6 and the base of my hs was poorly machined it had a seam running through the center and it had these swirls machined into the hs also. I decided to lap mine with 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper and I lapped it using the wet method. In the end the seam was gone and the base was smooth and had sort of a miror finish , it looked great. Well not only did it look great my temps dropped by 2°C idleing and loading the cpu so I was happy. You will need to decide for your self if your hs will benefit from a smoth lapping or if it is fine the way it is.

Good luck lap at your own risk ;)

[Kibler]

Both the Lowes and Home Depot in my area had nother better than 800 grit. The guy I asked gave me a look like I was a moron when I asked if he had anything 1000+! Where do you guys get this stuff?

Kibler

[William]

Auto parts stores. They have very very fine grit stuff.

[Szech]

Kibler,

I was in the same boat. But I looked around, and I found up to 2000 grit at Pep Boys. I'd imagine that any good auto store would have it, since they use it for paint jobs.

Anyway, I sand my heatsinks/waterblocks until they aren't concave/convex anymore. That's most important to me. I have gone up to 1500 grit on a waterblock I made, but to be honest, it wasn't worth the trouble. I hate the meticulous moving back and forth, and it gets that much worse for me by the time I hit 600.

I'd really like to see a review where someone goes grit-by-grit, comparing temperatures to find out at what point the returns are negligable. HINT HINT HINT HINT!!!!

[MetalSiren]

I looked at lowes to for some of that sandpaper an they didn't have high grid stuff. The only autoparts stores around where I live are Auto-zone an napa. Wonder if they'll have it.

yeah a reveiw would be nice. :)

[bigfoot]

By the way, any hoby shop should also have some Very fine grit sand paper.

[Pablissimo]

Ta lads I might have a quick go on my orb first to practice =)))

Wouldn't want to bodge me £20 Taisol now would i?

[-=UR=- Ranger]

I stopped lapping my Global Win VOS 32, which was machined really badly at 600 Grit. I do believe that any smoother then that won´t help much and will perhaps even hurt performance as it is too smooth for the thermal paste to stay on.
Just my 2cents

[Slaught]

But if you can get it THAT smooth ,then you wouldnt even need thermal paste, as all the paste is doing is providing more suface area for contact by filling all the tiny gaps and holes isnt it? So if it was that smooth, u shouldnt really need to use it, as it would just get in the way, even though it is a good conductor of heat.

[docJ]

If the heatsink is well machined and flat, you will not see big gains from lapping.

[.. AE 86 ..]

i lapped my fop38
went down 4c

[oc jason]

Lapped a Glaciator - 3c gain now a 1.33 is 36c idle

Lapped a SK6 - 5/6c gains now a 1.4 is 45c idle.

[Pablissimo]

The base of the sink is flat, but you can see slight concentric circles on it (if you run your nail across the base you can hear the ripples). That indicates lapping required?