to shim or not to shim

[Rob Powell]

okay, going with the alpha pal 8045 with arctic silver 2.

2 questions.....


1. difference between delta and mechatronics...
53 CFM of Air @ 39 dba
68.51 cfm @ 48.5 dB-A


how much louder is 9dba and how much cooling difference is 15cfm?

2. I know the pal is weighty, should I shim it?

[Crappy]

If you take your time you can get away with out the shim. I've never had any luck with them always get higher temps with them.

[hunter00]

9dB is a LOT. the decibel scale is exponential.

[KFB]

i would say use a shim, just NOT a copper one. if temps are higher by a degree or 2, at least you didn't chip the core

[urbanski]

Originally posted by Kentucky Fried Bird
i would say use a shim, just NOT a copper one. if temps are higher by a degree or 2, at least you didn't chip the core Yeah, I had used a copper shim in the past. I tried it without, and got about a 3C drop in temps....so I vote to be careful and don't use one.

[Yodums]

Hmmm depends.

Try it with and without the shim experiment.

Without the shim will probably give you lower temperatures but the PAL 8045 are damn heavy and regardless of their size they might crush your fragile AMD core.

Personally I'd take the shim, probably add 2-3 degrees max just lap the thing and it'll act like if you weren't using the shim in the first place.

Its taking the risk of the core or losing 2-3 degrees.

[ButcherUK]

Shims are for girls :)
Just be careful fitting it.

[Sonny]

Forget the shim. The ALPHA PAL 8045 may be heavy but the pressure you need on the chip is around 20lbs - 25lbs to get proper heat transfer so its weight isnt really a factor. Since it mounts with the 4 holes on the MoBo you will have no problem fitting it like some other HSF were you kinda have to rock it a little to engage the clip. It would take a really clumsy person to chip the core with it.

[Yodums]

Well if you think shims are for girls, then I guess you really don't care about money at all.

Like I said try both ways if one works and is confortable with ya then use it.

[ButcherUK]

my homemade water block has 37 pounds of force on it, the chip is running fine - it would take a damn heavy heatsink to cause problems, that or a really weakass clip.

[plague]

Originally posted by hunter00
9dB is a LOT. the decibel scale is exponential.
Ya, I think I read somewhere on this site that something 10dB higher sounds twice as loud. You'll definitely notice that.

[RangerJoe]

i say use a shim, because id say a few degrees is worth it, if you save the $100 buying another chip....just dont get a copper shim, annodized are good and nonconductive. so, just think, would you rather have a chipped cpu core, or a $7 shim and 2-3c higher temps...which really doesnt make a difference..at all

[f155mph]

NO SHIM!!!!! They suck ass!!! They are evil!!! My Tbird is fried because of it. My shim was slighty bend and I didn't notice it. It lifted the hsf and boom my cpu is gone. SO NO SHIM!!!

As for the fans, I got both of them for my swiftech. I really can't tell the difference between the two. Yes the delta is a little louder, but not by much to me. Maybe cause I am a little deaf from the Delta 38 I use before. Go to Sidewindercomputers.com to hear the fans.

PS. NO SHIM!!!:mad:

[Yodums]

Originally posted by f155mph
NO SHIM!!!!! They suck ass!!! They are evil!!! My Tbird is fried because of it. My shim was slighty bend and I didn't notice it. It lifted the hsf and boom my cpu is gone. SO NO SHIM!!!

As for the fans, I got both of them for my swiftech. I really can't tell the difference between the two. Yes the delta is a little louder, but not by much to me. Maybe cause I am a little deaf from the Delta 38 I use before. Go to Sidewindercomputers.com to hear the fans.

PS. NO SHIM!!!:mad:

Sorry to hear about killing the CPU.

But you do realise your the first I heard having this situation I never heard that 1000 other shims being like this and if they were the news would be quite notorious.

[f155mph]

Try going to Procooling forum. They don't like shim there, and I don't think amdzone like it either. They laugh when I posted a thead stateing my Tbird was fried cause of it. The idea of using a shim is good, that why I paid $10 bucks for one when it first came out. But look at it this way, most places that sell them state use the shim at your own risk. If the shim is suppose to save your processor, they shouldn't need to say that. I really don't think anyone need one unless they plan to take the hsf on and off a lot. I think it will be better if they make those thing out of fiberglass or carbon fiber since they don't bend and not conductive. Heck if AMD is nice they should have the heat spreader on the chip like the *ntel chip.

[William]

get a shim made for you CPU from a reputable source and you should be fine. I have used them on Durons and Intels with no problems. Some heatsinks I won't use without them(Globalwin).

[The Overclocker]

i have a tweakmonster purple shim, it didn't do anything to my temps and fits all socket AMD processors, i think it was worth it

[ButcherUK]

The CPU - Athlon Thunder Bird 1.4Ghz @ 1.6Ghz @1.85Vcore. This CPU has been used with roughly 30 water blocks, 20 HSF's, and about 50+ remounting's of them. The core is flawless, I could clean it off and sell it as new. There is not as much as a slight nick or chip out of it. So... For those girls out there who say you need a Shim, No you don't, you just need a clue on how to mount a HSF/WB. I have mounted HSF's that people say cant be mounted with out breaking a core. Heck I even mounted that OCH Reactor!. Shims.. Ditch the training wheels, if you rely on them too much some day you wont know how to ride without them.

That's from Joe's waterblock roundup at procooling, I think it sums up shims quite well :D

[nil_esh]

I've read of one case where a reviewer found that a shim helped stabilize an SK-6 on the core and his temperatures improved. In my experience though, a shim added 1C to the temp for an SK-6.

Anyways, I just installed a MCX462 with and without a nonconductive shim (both temp readings done within the same 2 hours). I reinstalled without the shim because I thought it was hurting my temps, but... without the shim the temp was 1C higher! I waited 48 hours for the ASII to do its thing but no change. So I reinstalled the shim and the temp dropped 1C. I know this might be due to ambient temp changes and my differing applications of ASII (I redid it each time), but it sufficiently showed me the shim did not really hurt temps in this case.

[jisaak]

So... For those girls out there who say you need a Shim, No you don't, you just need a clue on how to mount a HSF/WB. I have mounted HSF's that people say cant be mounted with out breaking a core. Heck I even mounted that OCH Reactor!. Shims.. Ditch the training wheels, if you rely on them too much some day you wont know how to ride without them.

Well Joe may sum up shims well, but it sounds like Joe feels a need to assert his manhood.. "Me tough guy! Me no use wussy shim! *scratches self*"

*chuckles* :rolleyes:

Jeff