Building a CPU Heatsink. [Help]

[Colton H]

I was thinking the otherday of building a CPU heatsink for my e2140. Just something simple that get the job done. Just wondering if anyone has ever built there own heatsink and would like to share some tips on how to build on such as what tools to use, what kind of metal to buy, how much it would all cost etc... I think it would be kind of fun to build my own heatsink. I am thinking of something maybe 6ish inches tall and maybe 4inches length + width. Don't really know what dimensions to do..

hardware if it matters..


mobo- ga-p35-ds3l
cpu- e2140

[benscoobert]

cheaper to buy one........

[EchoTheDolphin]

cheaper to buy one........

Agreed, the reason people don't build them is because the best heat conductive sinks are going to be single piece forged sinks. Or in the case of heatpipes, some kind of forged sealed pipe with fluid inside with an extremely secure fit.

Unless you're a metalworking maestro you're going to end up with something thats far less effective than stock or an off the shelf 20-30$ sink.

As for a fun project though? I wouldn't have the slightest idea where to start. I'm not trying to shoot you down (although I know that it definitely seems like it) I'd love to see what you put together and maybe you'll kindof invent a new form of alternative modding, heatsink creation.

[Colton H]

I know it is way more easier to just go and buy one but this would be more of a fun mod project. Oh well, I'll try and find something...

[reclaimer122]

One day after I win the lottery I'm gonna buy a few test systems and just strap things down to the CPU and see what common household item can work as a heatsink. :)

Sorry, I have NO IDEA where to start, I just had to post that. Do you plan on making a sophisticated HS with fins and such, or just a simple HS with lots of surface area? You could try taking 4 RAM sinks and putting them on the CPU, then make a massive tower with 10 layers. For even more fun, try to see what kind of designs you can make!

[Colton H]

One day after I win the lottery I'm gonna buy a few test systems and just strap things down to the CPU and see what common household item can work as a heatsink. :)

Sorry, I have NO IDEA where to start, I just had to post that. Do you plan on making a sophisticated HS with fins and such, or just a simple HS with lots of surface area? You could try taking 4 RAM sinks and putting them on the CPU, then make a massive tower with 10 layers. For even more fun, try to see what kind of designs you can make!


Haha :beer:

I was just planning on making a HS with a lot of surface area and put a few fans on it or something. I have a few designs sketched out right now

[Captain Slug]

Making one that performs anywhere near the cheapest available models with tools you can afford is pretty much impossible. Sorry.

[Neuromancer]

Buying a heatpipe cooler and dissaembling it and making your own mounting mechaism might work..

for instance bruying a couple of thos xigmatech heatpipe coolers that put the pipe right on the ihs.. and see how many heatpipes you can fit across a cpu.. although soldering fins to it would pretty much blow up the heatpipes i think....maybe a thermal epoxy might work for the mounting mechanism.

AS already stated... will not work as well as a purchased one, but just for fun sake...

[benscoobert]

I have a plan
you get a block of copper, cuboid shape a guess about 5x5x7 inches
cut slots into it down the length to create fins, then turn it 90 degrees and do the same again
you end up with 6 inch tall towers of copper giving lots of cooling surface area, strap on a couple akasa amber 12cm fans to match the copper block and give a quiet system

[reclaimer122]

I have a plan
you get a block of copper, cuboid shape a guess about 5x5x7 inches
cut slots into it down the length to create fins, then turn it 90 degrees and do the same again
you end up with 6 inch tall towers of copper giving lots of cooling surface area, strap on a couple akasa amber 12cm fans to match the copper block and give a quiet system

Lots of surface area, but don't forget it's a big block of copper. For one, it's probably expensive (I'm not up to date on my copper prices), and too much metal just starts to decay the cooling efficiency. You want minimum resistance in a heatsink while thick metal blocks will create more.

[Napoleon]

that would be insanely expensive; i bought 2 sq feet of copper a while ago to modify a heatsink into a waterblock and it was like 50-60 bucks, and that was 5 years ago.

Whatever you do i suggest silver soldering copper to a copper block( 1/4" or less)

Aluminum used to be cheap and then you could maybe do the big cuts into a block idea; however i believe it's expensive again.

Good luck though on your project; I'd just buy a cool looking one haha

[benscoobert]

Lots of surface area, but don't forget it's a big block of copper. For one, it's probably expensive (I'm not up to date on my copper prices), and too much metal just starts to decay the cooling efficiency. You want minimum resistance in a heatsink while thick metal blocks will create more.

I was thinking thin towers of metal, like 2-3mm thick

[reclaimer122]

Something like this, just big and copper? I thought you meant like thick pillars almost. This method would work, but be prepared for the cost :)

http://www.topmarket.co.il/products_pictures/image/p_542_big-thermaltake.jpg

[benscoobert]

yeah that kind of thing, I think design it so it takes a 12cm fan at each side
or for the fun of the ride 4 x 12cm fans all extracting of the hs so the air has to come from the top of the hs and line that up with a vent on the tower side panel

I wonder what the original poster thinks, he seems to have disappeared

[reclaimer122]

With powerful enough fans that just might work! :D

[benscoobert]

you know, im quite tempted myself now..............

[freakdiablo]

I have a plan
you get a block of copper, cuboid shape a guess about 5x5x7 inches
cut slots into it down the length to create fins, then turn it 90 degrees and do the same again
you end up with 6 inch tall towers of copper giving lots of cooling surface area, strap on a couple akasa amber 12cm fans to match the copper block and give a quiet system

Thats the only way I can see it happening. The only other way without a whole shop of tools is maybe soldering some copper sheets to a thick copper plate, but anytime theres a transition between objects like that it degrades performance.

From what I can tell, copper is around $4 a pound (http://www.kitcometals.com/charts/copper_historical.html) and since copper is very dense (several sites say almost 9000kg per m^3) that kind of block would be around $200, not a cheap project.

[benscoobert]

how much do you think it would weigh after cutting? 2-3kg?

[stool]

Sorry guys, but I already have one of those(the HS copper, I mean). I appreciate the thought, but cooling has gotten to actually be a real specialty these days. Only real exotic cooling is going to be a mostly variable option these days

[freakdiablo]

how much do you think it would weigh after cutting? 2-3kg?

Probably, but you would still have to drop $200 on the block then sell the shavings. It won't be easy, can say that much.

[Kasm]

I am senior mechanical engineering student and have taken a few classes in heat transfer. There is so much math that goes into the design of a simple pin/fin style heatsink it is ridiculous. If done wrong a heatsink will hurt more than it helps regardless of what it is made of. There is a whole section about pin efficecy and everything else. Also if you try to machine a heatsink with common household or shop tools you won't get good results. Heat transfers best from thin materials/high surface area, however using standard machining methods there is only so thin you can machine a fin before the cutting forces destroy the whole fin.

I love the idea but if you are going to make a custom heatsink you are better off going with making your own water cooling block. They can be alot more forgiving.

[Slayer2003]

You know, if this was a waterblock, you'd have a better chance. :p :beer:

Plus, since using water, the block requirements would be alot smaller, if not more than half of what would be needed for an air block.

Drillpress/hand-held electric drill+vice, tap/die set, and mounting brackets.

[Anubis_386]

Good luck if you are gunner attempt this .. I have often wondered how cool it'd be to build your own like perfect heatsink with like the best features/designs of all the top performing ones out there ..

[billb]

There is so much math that goes into the design of a simple pin/fin style heatsink it is ridiculous. I think that pretty much sums it up. Most successful HS/Water Block designs come from a series if design and testing steps. Without the knowing the math and the having the testing facilities there would be no way to accurately predict the effect of any design changes. So what would you do to improve on the first try if it wasn't as good as you needed it to be?

Without those facilities it's kind of like saying you're going to build a car to win the Indy 500, but only going to test it in your basement.

I'm not trying to discourage you from having some fun and doing some learning, just pointing out some of the pitfalls you'd have to overcome.

[EchoTheDolphin]

Buy a small copper cooking pot or pan, lap it, fill it with (ice)water, use several fans over the surface of the water. Instant win!

[Diddyu]

Im working on possibly building an oversized heatpipe heatsink, with a large radiator, such as a condenser used in phase change. Why, I dont know...

And echo, use salt with the ice in the pot, and mix the water with a pump ect. then post results :soda:

[Colton H]

Still debating weather or not to make one, the high cost of the metal is a bit of a turn off but I love DIY work haha.

[jmh547]

I have to agree with Kasm, the few thermo classes i had back in my college days (3 months ago) proved to me that more I thought i knew about head transfer the less i actually knew. I work with someone who worked for Thermacore. From what she tells me the process of R and D for heat pipes is insane. She said when the P3 came out it took them upwards of a year to develop a viable cooling solution to be used in laptops.

My advice would be to save the money and use it on something else.

[benscoobert]

I calculated the copper setup i was on about would be 15.3kg before cutting, imagine that on you mobo!!! Bit of flex!

[dealmaster]

Yeah this idea will only end horribly. Fins/pins have to be designed with as much surface area as possible but also maximizing airflow, while at the same time not being too heavy, and also they need to be corrosion resistant, oh and being cost-efficient is nice too.

Whoever is thinking about building their own heatsink for anything resembling a practical application is nuts. It will probably cool worse than a stock heatsink, weigh 5 times as much, cost $200, and take forever to build.

If you just want to do it to do it, that's fine, but don't expect good cooling. Be prepared for horrible results.

[juane414]

Buy a small copper cooking pot or pan, lap it, fill it with (ice)water, use several fans over the surface of the water. Instant win!

LOL! I want to see this happen! You could use a copper skillet and just fill it with ice cubes. That would be hilarious, but might work. Probably would need a thinner skillet though.