My Newly Polished Alpha 8045

[DodgeViper]

After receiving my Alpha I was disappointed in the machine marks on the copper surface. So I began my lapping of this heat sink. With a piece of 3/8" thick glass and wet and dry paper beginning with 600 and finishing with 1500 grit I then had a very highly polished heat sink. I have provided a link of the finished job. The copper surface use to look like the aluminum on each side of the copper. Also in the photo is where I machined a space for the Northbridge fan mount.


http://teamajo.com/BMX_LINKS/FIREWALL/P0001067.jpg

http://teamajo.com/BMX_LINKS/FIREWALL/P0001073.jpg

http://teamajo.com/BMX_LINKS/FIREWALL/P0001075.jpg

http://teamajo.com/BMX_LINKS/FIREWALL/P0001077.jpg

[SickBoy]

Hey does that cooler fit on your Shuttle AK31 ok?

I bought one a while back (it's on my KT7A Raid right now) but I am looking to move the Shuttle/DDR to my good box soon and I was wondering.... right now my Shuttle has a SK6 mounted on it, and I also have a GlaciatorII sitting around... if the Alpha doesn't fit I guess I will just use one of those.

SB

[donny_paycheck]

Man, that thing's a frickin mirror! I've never polished a HS because mine have been smooth to the touch, although not shiny. A blorb I put on my vid card needed some smoothing, as did the HSs I put on the vid RAM. Maybe I should rip apart my comp and do this....do you notice any difference?

[DodgeViper]

Yes the Alpha is on an AK31. You do have to do a little heat sink modding to make it work. First as in the photo you need to notch the sink so it will not come in contact with the Northbridge fan screw mount. Also you will need to notch the sink for the green cap. You will also need to trim 2 of the nylon washers that came with the kit. I found that the washers came in contact with the traces from a nearby chip. Also one of the posts sits close to another chip, but after looking at the mobo under a magnifying glass it was not touching at all. I used a drill press with a carbine 1/4 inch metal cutter. If you have the use of a mill it would be better. I was able to place the sink flat and hold it with my hands as I pushed the sink towards the cutter. Really came out very nice.

The sink has not been put onto the MOBO as I am waiting for some Artic Silver to arrive.

[el]

man that is a very good job 1500 I think I used that too and doesn't look as good as yours. what is the secret?

[DodgeViper]

Here's some additional photos of the heat sink mounted on the AK31.


http://teamajo.com/BMX_LINKS/FIREWALL/P0001073.jpg

http://teamajo.com/BMX_LINKS/FIREWALL/P0001075.jpg

http://teamajo.com/BMX_LINKS/FIREWALL/P0001077.jpg

[Sonny]

Great Job!!!

http://teamajo.com/BMX_LINKS/FIREWALL/P0001067.jpg

http://teamajo.com/BMX_LINKS/FIREWALL/P0001073.jpg

http://teamajo.com/BMX_LINKS/FIREWALL/P0001075.jpg

http://teamajo.com/BMX_LINKS/FIREWALL/P0001077.jpg

[DodgeViper]

Sonny, thanks. I have yet taken the time to look where to post images so they well post here at O/C. By doing this will allow others to search the pages on this topic. Thanks again...

[Maximus Nickus]

How do you lap it??? I mean wouldn't using sandpaper make it rougher??? And what do u do to seal it when your finished? Im confused!! LOL

[Sonny]

Originally posted by DodgeViper
Sonny, thanks. I have yet taken the time to look where to post images so they well post here at O/C. By doing this will allow others to search the pages on this topic. Thanks again... Can't say I understand what you are trying to say there but if I messed up any future plans I apologize:eh?: It's very easy to confuse me:D LOL

[DodgeViper]

I copied and pasted this article by, Phil Weldon


Use a piece of flat glass as your work surface (it must be very flat, and supported well)
2. Use waterproof sandpaper (sometimes called wet or dry)

3. Use lots of water (several cc at a time, the water flushes the metal particles away, keeps the sandpaper clog free, and makes it stick to the glass)

4. Depending on how flat and smooth your heatsink is, expect to spend 30 minutes or more at this work (I do it on a glass coffee table top in front of the television - you don't even have to watch the work [of course, if the show is bad enough, you can watch the work, and finish faster])

5. Use a relatively light pressure on the workpiece and move it back and forth across the sandpaper; try to keep an even downward force on the workpiece and avoid digging in the edges or corners. Rotate the heatsink 90 degrees approximately (NOT exactly) every dozen or so strokes.

6. If your heat sink is relatively flat and smooth, then 400 grit is a good place to start. If after ten minutes of work you do not see much progress (there are many pits larger than the surface roughness left by the 400 grit sandpaper), drop to a lower number grit (320) or (260).

7. Using finer grit sandpaper will help improve heat transfer: 1500 is certainly fine enough, but since you need to get such fine grades at an automobile parts store (it is used for finishing automobile paintwork), you might as well get a sheet each of 600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000. The more coarse grits are easy to find at a paint or hardware store 40, 60, 80, 120, 180, 220, 280, 320, 400, 600. (Grit # 40 will take the portrait off a franc coin in a minute or so; the average heatsink with faint circular milling marks can probably be started at 320.)

8. The work can be completed in less time if you step up through each grade, removing all the pits left by the previous grade before moving to the next finer grit.

9. Each time you change to a finer grit, VERY carefully wash the work surface, your hands, the heatsink, and the sandpaper. Any larger grit left when you start with a finer grade will leave visible scratches.

10. The waterproof (or wet/dry) sandpaper will last a long time. After you are through with the work, wash the sandpaper and let it dry. You can reuse it many times as long as it is not torn.

11. As an example of how fine 2000 grit is, you could use it on Mercedes paintwork and almost not notice an effect other than the missing wax polish.

12. Do not use too much pressure when sanding the heatsink; you want a flat as well as a smooth surface, and too much pressure can cause one edge or corner to be ground down more quickly (that is one reason for occasionally rotating the heatsink a random amount.) Too much pressure may also cause a corner to tear the sandpaper. If you do not tear the sandpaper, one sheet of each grade should last through ten or more heatsinks.

13. Emery cloth is similar to sandpaper, except that the base is cloth, rather than paper. It is ok for the rougher grits, but I think that I will not give as flat a surface when you move to finer grits.

14. Crocus cloth. This is a polishing material similar to emery cloth, but it has jeweler's rouge on the surface rather than emery grit. THIS IS NOT waterproof. I tried it to get a final polish, and added water. All the jeweler's rouge washed off! For a final polish, a soft cloth and a solvent that will remove dirt and grease are about all you need.

15. The method of grinding the heatsink you and I have described is the way flat mirrors for astronomical use are made (except there are machines that do the work now.) A spherical section mirror can be ground in exactly the same way, except that the grinding surface is circular, and the same size as the mirror. (The only additional action used for the flat and spherical mirrors is that the person grinding the mirror, also, after six or eight strokes, walks partially around the work surface to grind from a new angle.) This is probably not necessary for a heatsink, since the method used on astronomical mirrors makes a surface that is smooth and correct to less than 100 nanometers! At that point, thermal compound would not be necessary, and in fact, would have a negative effect. Even just going in a careful manner to the 1500 grit will give you a surface that, when placed on an FC-PGA CPU, will lift the CPU when the heatsink is raised.

16. Penultimate warning: the older CPU's with a relatively large metal cap (about 20 mm X 20 mm) can be very uneven. Sometimes the metal cap may be concave to the extent of a millimeter or two in the center. For something this bad, you will want to start with 280 grit.

17. Final warning: the FC-PGA CPU's, and the SECC2 CPU's have a very small heat transfer surface, about 11 mm X 9 mm. This is the bottom of the silicon slice the CPU is built into. It is laser cut from a single crystal of silicon, and cannot be made any smoother or flatter. DO NOT grind or polish this surface. It will not help, and the CPU gates and channels are less than 1 mm below this surface. Also beware that this will void any warranty on whatever you choose to lap.

[DodgeViper]

Sonny, I was talking about posting the photos so they appear within your post. I had only provided links. Thanks

[Sonny]

Originally posted by DodgeViper
Sonny, I was talking about posting the photos so they appear within your post. I had only provided links. Thanks OK. I get it now:D LOL. After reading the article you posted I got 2 questions for you. Will you be using ASII or any other thermal paiste? What was the before & after temps? I'm goin for a new HSF & have not seen a real head to head with the new MCX462 & Alpha8045 with the same fans, 68CFM Delta 80mm.

[DodgeViper]

I will be using AS ll. I have yet to install the mobo as I am waiting for the AS ll. So I will not be able to compare the before or after as I have already polished the sink. But after getting this heat sink I can only believe the temps will be lower after the lapping. The heat sink had surface swirl marks from the machining process. By lapping it’s a smooth surface, which will aid in the contact with the chip.

My choice in choosing the Alpha over the Swiftech was very easy.

PERFORMANCE, WEIGHT, COST...

In PERFORMANCE the Alpha was within a few tenths of degrees of the Swiftech and the Alpha had a smaller CFM fan.

In WEIGHT, who wants to hang a 1.5-pound heat sink and fan from their motherboard?

In COST the Alpha beats the Swiftech hands down.

Overall the Alpha offers more bang for the buck. With the lapping of the sink it should out perform the Swift and using a quieter fan. Both use the same mounting system.

[Sonny]

Price is always a concern to me since shipping cost to my neck of the woods get crazy if you want it right away or wait 5-8 weeks for delivery. I hope I can get another sale or car job so I can have more spending money without having to save for it.

[Maximus Nickus]

Lots of trouble for a polished finish!!! Do u have to polish it after the lappin?

[DodgeViper]

After I had lapped the heat sink I used a product called SIMICHROME. This product is from Germany. With a very soft cloth you rub very lightly. This product can be used on any metal finish. I then whipped down the surface with acetone.

SIMICHROME is not much more than a cleaner. There are no compounds that are abrasive to the metal.

I am lapping another heat sink and will use paper this time down to 2000 grit before using SIMICHROME.

[Colin]

You don't want to use Simichrome or any other polish on your HS. Doing so will leave residue from the polish in the microscopic surface imperfections where the thermal grease needs to be for optimum thermal conductivity.

[DodgeViper]

This is why I use acetone to clean the surface to remove any polish left behind.

[Maximus Nickus]

Why bother to polish it if u take it off?!!

[DodgeViper]

Why bother to polish it if u take it off?!!

Ok let's back up... The Alpha's that I have ALL have surface MACHINE marks that you can feel if you take your fingernail and run across the copper surface. These marks are like ridges. What this means is only half of your heat sink surface area is touching the CPU chip. At this point you’re asking the thermal paste to fill the voids. This is not the best way to transfer the heat. I would much rather have a smooth surface and then apply thermal paste. After lapping each Alpha with 600, 800, 1000, 1500, I had a very smooth surface with very fine scratches. I then took Simichrome and very lightly rub the surface. By doing so I polished the heat sink to a mirror finish. I then used Acetone to remove ANY paste that may have been left BEHIND in the VERY small scratches. The Acetone DID not destroy the finish, I still have a very highly polished surface. I then placed a small amount of ASll on the center of the CPU and set the heat sink down onto the four small rubber pads surrounding the CPU chip. At this point I did not apply any pressure or even install the four mounting screws. What I did do is let the heat sink sit for about 30 minutes with only the weight of the heat sink.. I then removed the heat sink to have a look. What a surprise to see that the ASll had spread evenly across the heat sink and the CPU chip. This is why I took the time to lap and polish my heat sink. Had I not taken the time to lap, I would have had a heat sink touching only 50 percent of the chip.

[Sonny]

Originally posted by nick_cw
Why bother to polish it if u take it off?!! He was not removing the shine but the gunk that was left in those microscopic pores/scratches/valleys. You want a totally clean HSF when you apply the tiniest amount of thermal paiste to make sure it works properly. The makers of ASII even state that a thick or improper application of their product detracts from proper heat conductivity. That is why you bother:beer:

[Thelemac]

Hey Dodge Viper...you should check your PMs every once in a while.

[Maximus Nickus]

I didn't say that, I said why bother to POLISH it if you take thre POLISH off after with Acetone?

Obviously there is a reason, so can I use ordinary polish, if I can't where can I get that polish and acetone?

I live in the UK so no Radio Shack...what is Radio Shack by the way???

[Intraveinous]

Radio shack is a hobbyist's shop that got really popular in the early nineties selling Tandy Computers, though they've been around since long before that. They're a pretty large nationwide chain in the US. They're nice because they're just about everywhere, and they have things like: switches, wire, LEDs, heatshrink, breadboards, blah blah blah... Basically, they sell several components...
As for polish, I've used Brasso followed by acetone, though the brasso does include some abrasives that may harm the best of finishes... With Brasso, you rub it on, allow it to dry, then buff it off... Works pretty well for copper that has tarnished over time...
Peace
John

[Maximus Nickus]

Thanks we have a similar store called Maplins...

Anyway WHY do you polish it?
Does it do anything (improve performance) other than give it a shiny finish?

[Intraveinous]

Shiny finish is part of it, but the acetone wash is the important thing I think. Remove any small grits of sandpaper, soap, etc... I follow the acetone wash with a gloved hand rubbing arctic silver across the entire contact area, then wiping clean. This fills in any microscopic pits or grooves with the silver...
Peace
John

[DarkArctic]

Man, that lapping job brought a tear to my eye. It's beautiful!:rolleyes:

[DodgeViper]

SimiChrome is a product of Germany. It is imported by,

Competition Chemicals Inc.
Iowa Falls, Iowa 50126

http://competitionchemicals.com/

Simichrome is the world's finest all-metal polish. Any uncoated, non-ferrous metal surface–brass, gold, silver, aluminum, magnesium, pewter, chrome, sterling, copper, stainless steel–can be brought to a brilliant shine using Simichrome.
After polishing, Simichrome leaves a thin protective coating to help prevent tarnishing. Metalworking, plastics and other industries have discovered that Simichrome is the perfect product to polish tool and die molds, extrusion dies... anywhere an ultra fine final polishing is required. Available in convenient 50 gram tubes plus 250 and 1000 gram cans. For the name of your nearest dealer,
e-mail us from our home page or call (641) 648-5121 Dept. 555.

[nikhsub1]

I find that Flitz is better than Simichrome.

http://www.flitz.com/