ALPHA PAL 8045 owners or future buyers

[Big Mike]

Hey, I sent this to Joe so it might make it onto the main page, but if not here goes:
After breaking a perfectly good A7V-133 trying to remove this heatsink <wonderful unit other than the standoffs spinning problem> I came up with a fix. I simply put all the standoffs on and dabbed a bit of super glue where the standoff goes through and around the nut to the M/B, its not super sticky and is easily removed but yet keeps them from spinning so heatsink removal isnt a bear.

[Intraveinous]

Yeah, I did that with my MC462 (Uses the same mounting system). All in all, I like the Zalman CNPS 5000+'s method the best. Screws in the bottom, screwing into a threaded on both ends tube. You can tighten it as much as you like (well, not enough to break the board) and it will stay tight. Installing and uninstalling that sink is a BREEZE!
I've been wanting to try something of that nature with the MC462, but I've gotta find shorter stand-off tubes.
Peace
John

[mrilock]

Because it looks like I'm going to do quite a bit of adjusting to my PAL to get it to work optimally.

Something is wrong right now, with my PAL I'm running at load 56-59C, that's only a 4 degree difference from the stock hsf :-(

I think I didn't apply enough Arctic Silver 2, or the hsf isn't contacting chip closely enough.

Do you guys understand the bit about using 2 extra washers for more tension in the article on the front page?
http://www.overclockers.com/articles454/
Maybe that is my problem...

Right now, all I know is that my first "serious" modification to my store-bought computer (micronpc, first pc ever) didn't work nearly as well as I'd like ::sigh::

[CizMeyeAzz]

I used an extra washer when setting up my 8045. My Tbird 1ghz@1.33ghz at default voltage sees temps between 38C to 42C, motherboard temps are 32C. I think the extra tension should help but airflow inside the case is important also.


Cheers,

[Terry]

I used the extra washer also. W/Artic Silver 39c idle/44c load. TBird 1.4@1656. Had a Glaciator on there before and 1608 was tops for it. So the ALPHA got me almost 50mhz.

[el]

great thread I am still too lazy to take off my mobo but I will soon waiting to win an XP! don't think it will happen but I am still going to try! I would like to test it with my duron but not worth the hassle if I can't put in an XP and really test the hsf out with a nice high OC.

btw at 1656 what was your vcore?

[Terry]

1.85v is what I set it at in the BIOS but MBM reports it at 1.90v.

[Mr Fuzzie]

1656? what board? wut multiplier/fsb? wut memory settings?

[Terry]

Asus A7V133/11.5X144/Overclockerz.com PC150 memory [3X256mb] @2-2-2]Enermax 431w PS/Enermax Fileserver case with 2 extra 80mm side blowholes/fans-1 120mm top blowhole/fan. So total of 6 80mm fans and 1 120mm fan. Herc GeForce3. Seems real solid at this speed and runs every bench I have tried with no lockups. OS is WinXP Pro. USB works fine [USB mouse/keybord/printer/scanner].

[el]

very nice overclock just 20% but still about as fast as most 1.53 will go and cost about half the money.

[popadel]

I got an alpha the other day and the load temps on my 1400 @ 1533 is 65 after running prime 95 for 20 min. Both fans seem to have same results, a Delta 88cfm screamer - for the deaf, and a sunon 40cfm . Why bother when my coolermaster dp5 with a copper plate attached gave me simmilar results!! Swiftech isint much to brag about either.

[Intraveinous]

I'd be willing to bet you're not getting good contact, or you're putting too much thermal paste on the chip, thereby insulating it. You shouldn't get that high with a PAL8045 or a Swifty. I'd tighten it down more if I were you, basically till the screws bottom out in the standoffs. Also, make sure things like your thermistor (if you have one other than the one under the chip in the socket) aren't getting wedged between the chip and the HSF, holding it off the die. Also, make sure you're putting a very thin layer of ASII or other thermal paste on... Too much does worse than none at all.
Peace
John

[Big Mike]

Yeah you're about 15 degrees out of the ballpark, this is what mine did when it wasnt tightened down real good. Also you have to watch stuff around the slot, mine almost hangs up on the memory slots on my A7V-133, you may need to break out the extra set of washers to get it tight enough.

[el]

also is the fan supposed to go down into the hs or up away from the heatsink?

[mrilock]

The fan is supposed to go down into the heatsink, for "increased performance and reduced noise" according to the PAL installation instructions.

Wow - somebody has hotter temps than me! I'm so happy!
Seriously though, I think everyone is right that you aren't making good contact.

I'm getting my sunon 50cfm replaced because I screwed it up, I think, and it does this really loud whine now, but I think the main problem is that I did a junky job of installing the hsf. I can get the cpu down to 31c under load when right next to the window, open case, middle of night, but it runs about 45-50c now idle. I really need to re-install my PAL, and do a decent job this time.

this time I'll scrape off ALL of that pink gunk around the chip... and properly clean the chip and the hs first, AND put in another set of washers. that should help.

[Intraveinous]

OH DEAR GAWD!!! You mean you left the pink crap from the TIM pad on a crappy HSF on your chip when you istalled something else??? Well, there's yer problem.. :D
A friend of mine bought a CAK38, but when he pulled his no-namer off the chip, it left a big layer of that crap all over, then he slathered Radio Hack goop all over it and threw the CAK38 on there, insulated well enough to kill his chip within 25 minutes... :( So yeah... Something I've been forgetting to ask...
Peace
John

[chaosdriven]

Originally posted by Terry
I used the extra washer also. W/Artic Silver 39c idle/44c load. TBird 1.4@1656. Had a Glaciator on there before and 1608 was tops for it. So the ALPHA got me almost 50mhz.

Same here: the Alpha gave me at least another 60mhz...
And I used the extra set of washers on the first and so far only install....

[mrCide]

http://www.hydrobarn.com

[popadel]

I removed the HSF and found the bolts that hold it to the mobo were loose even after i super glued them on. I applies AS2 and now with the Delta 80CFM screamer i get 57 load and 49 idle at 1533 1.92V and with the sunon 52 idel and 59.8 load.

It seems that the delta can vibrate the nuts loose and as such i dont use it.

NOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To reduce the noise of the delta 80CFM at 1.35A, i removed the propeler, shortened the stryts that support the prop by half (anti clock wise static blades) and the noise almost acceptable with the same CFM output. I wonder if Delta Elect. are aware of this?

Overall im still not too hapy, coming from a 35 C water cooled system. I think the system temp at 36C is the prob not the HSF. I only had a sys temp of 28 with the 1.2 versus 36 with the 1.4 @ 1.533

[el]

use all the washers sounds like you aren't making good contact with the back of the core.

[JetMech]

Originally posted by popadel
I removed the HSF and found the bolts that hold it to the mobo were loose even after i super glued them on. I applies AS2 and now with the Delta 80CFM screamer i get 57 load and 49 idle at 1533 1.92V and with the sunon 52 idel and 59.8 load.

It seems that the delta can vibrate the nuts loose and as such i dont use it.

NOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To reduce the noise of the delta 80CFM at 1.35A, i removed the propeler, shortened the stryts that support the prop by half (anti clock wise static blades) and the noise almost acceptable with the same CFM output. I wonder if Delta Elect. are aware of this?

Overall im still not too hapy, coming from a 35 C water cooled system. I think the system temp at 36C is the prob not the HSF. I only had a sys temp of 28 with the 1.2 versus 36 with the 1.4 @ 1.533 This makes sense because you are producing more heat. It is also an indicator that either your ambient temp is too warm or the heat is not being removed from the case well enough. Heat rises so a blowhole might help. Also a clear path for airflow. You don't want your air standing around. As the hsf wicks that heat off the processor its got to be removed; otherwise the fan sucks in that just vented air and blows it right back on the heatsink. It's a visious circle that tops out at whatever the airflow through the case allows. Thats why when the side is removed from a case that has poor cooling performance, there is a decrease in temp. The heat has somewhere to go. You've got cpu, ram, chipset, and video chip all producing heat in that small area and if it 's not whisked away as soon as possible that Hsfs gonna reuse it. Sorry to get so longwinded but this is the third thread I've seen today where case cooling (the cheapest thing to troubleshoot) is not emphasized.