To Shim or not to Shim?

[Zeke009]

I will be ordering a XP1900 and be using a Thermalright SK-6 HSF on a Soyo Dragon Plus mobo. Just wondering if I should/need to buy a shim for it as well. If I did use a shim I would still apply AS II as I normally would without the shim correct?

Quick, Simple question I know... but I'm making the switch into the AMD world and want make it a good one... in short, I don't want to have to replace anything! :D

Thanks!

[flounder43]

I would not recommend using a shim. From what I have heard and read, they are of little value, and may even invite other problems. That SK-6 will work great without.

[Zeke009]

Thanks Flounder43! I had no idea if I should use a shim for it or not, that why this place rocks!! Where else can you get quick and easy to understand answers?!

btw: Think the Twins will be saved? :rolleyes: Dang that Pohlad guy!

[UnseenMenace]

The shim debate has gone on for a long time, and I have never seen any proof that a shim saves a CPU. Have a search of these forums for the previous threads about shims before making your choice..

[TranceBear]

Shim-less=happiness

[XxDonRamonxX]

i dont use a shim like the only way to crack a proessor is to put the hs on backwords and u gotta have an iq of 0 and should never be around computers :)!

[ElvishArcher]

i always thought sims were good, so I gues they blew the fragile core thing out of proportion?

[RangerJoe]

i have a shim, and my temps are lower with it on, and why not have $7 insurance for a $130 cpu? its not like they are hard to install, they dont cause any problems. if anyone does end up getting one, make sure you dont get a copper one, since it will conduct, get an anodized shim. non conductive goodness, i dont see why you all can let your egos down a little, because everyone messes up sometimes, so why not pay a little more, to save a cpu?

[judaspriest]

Shims=sucks! You don't need them. It's equivalent to putting heatsinks on ram. Wasted money. I've built approximately 250 AMD system over the past two years and have yet to crack a core!

[RangerJoe]

dude, they dont hurt your system, its called a precaution..for $7...its always a good idea to get something that will ENSURE you not breaking the core, so i say go with it, insurance is always a plus

[judaspriest]

Why waste the $7? What if you get a shim that hasn't been machined properly and causes the hsf not to actually touch the cpu. I've read about this happening several times to people. The bottom line for me anyhow, DON'T USE SHIMS!

[1Time]

Shim or sham? I was too cheap to get one. Nice to know they're not really needed. :)

[PaulWilliams5]

Er .... what is a shim?

[Ozzman]

well it really depends on ur heatsink.. if ur going with a pal8045 for 40 bucks like i did there really is no use to it as the hs mounts perfect and stays perfect BUT if ur going with a heavy heatsink with the clip its a maybe chance that it might have to much on one side and when ur system gets hit and the hs shifts it might put to much on one corner and chip it (i hear if u own a glactior 2 u MUST have a shim) now there are diff types of shims there are copper ones that people seem bot to like because if for some resson the shim touches a transister it can short something but this rarely happens and there is a cool looking blue one that cant move power... they are both the same to me... when it comes down to it its really all up to u.. if ur the carefull type and not in a rush and double check ur work and its a good clip and HS then u really dont need it BUT if u dont like to spend extra time making sure u put it on perfect and might think ur system will get hit or something go with the shim if anything it will make u feel better..


here is a site with SK6 cheap and copper shim cheap order them together and save on shiping..

sk6 with YS Tech 7000rpm

http://www.abilitywholesale.com/product.asp?0=231&1=232&3=193

sk6 with a Delta HUGE 60x38 8000rpm (make sure u find a way to mount a finger gaurd they also not really needed BUT MAN IF U EVER TOUCH THAT FAN WISH UR FINGER GOOD BYE)

http://www.abilitywholesale.com/product.asp?0=231&1=232&3=194

copper shim

http://www.abilitywholesale.com/product.asp?3=201

OR the hsf that im using and loving needs a special motherboard with 4 holes next to the cpu and a lot of room but its great for the 40 bucks.. (add the fan if i were u for 6 bucks)

http://www.svcompucycle.com/alpalheaton.html


i think this is all the info u need and more :D

[Ridex]

I use a shim with my water cooling, drops my temps 7 C!! I use one for the Athlon T-bird so you have to put some tape on over the bridges...

Temps 22-25 C :)

[Goku008]

Look here ppl first of all shims dont lower temps they are just like your insurance from cracking an expensive cpu. Sometimes u might just push to hard and crack your processor. I highly recomend getting a shim its only $4 and it will save your precious processor from being cracked, especially if u not a pro at installing heatsinks.


http://goku0080.tripod.com/mypc/id19.html

[UnseenMenace]

Originally posted by Ozzman
(i hear if u own a glactior 2 u MUST have a shim)

The Glaciator 2 has the best heatsink clip I have ever seen and although this is an exceptionally heavy heatsink, it fits very easily and most certainly does not require a shim and one is not reccomended for it by the makers. I remove my Glaciator 2 at least once a month when I transport my PC and have NO core damage even though I do not use a shim as a result of its excellent mounting clip.

[RangerJoe]

when i put a shim on, it lowered my temps 4 or 5 C

OZZMAN: yes, copper ones have the potential to short your chip since it does conduct
www.hardcorecooling.com has a blue annodized shim which does not conduct electricity, and its neat and blue looking...this is what i have

[Ozzman]

i said it is recommend if u own a Glaciator 2 because from what ive heard they are pretty heavy and if u bump into them the chance of them falling off or causeing damage is great.. and u might lose ur VID card but i think the shim might save ur CPU.. ALSO THE CHIM DOES! NOT lower ur temp that makes no sence the hotest part of the CPU is the core which the shim has no conntact with.... it might make the HSF make better contact thats a maybe BUT ONLY A MAYBE

[Bender]

I'm probably going to add a peltier and coldplate to my already heavy copper water block so I think a shim is a good idea. Even with a heatsink I think its a good thing to have. I'm not shure what to think of the the tests with shims since I have seen better temps and worse temps. My theory is that the shim helps cooling since you are cooling the core and the CPU casing. The CPU casing touches the core so you would think keeping it cool would help keep everything cool. Cooling just the core will cause heat to build up around the socket. I don't really know if any of this really matters but I still think its worth not chipping your core.

[Zeke009]

Ok, so a shim is not a bad idea to have...
Nor is it a must have when setting up my new rig...

I hope to have all the parts this Friday and plan to install once I get home! Now, with a ThermalRight Sk-6... it weighs 330G, is it a good idea to purchase one. But not a copper once since they have a chance to conduct as RangerJoe mentioned. I don't want to work anymore overtime to replace a cpu case I damaged mine with a HSF.

How about the clip, does the clip on the sk-6 work as well as that one as you mentioned UnseenMenace? Any idea?

[Tastyratz]

im definitely gonna get a shim when i switch motherboard/and or cooling setup. im building my own watercooling setup soon enough and i feel that the 1.50$ shim is well worth the protection. regardless of what people say if it lowering the temps i do believe it does help. it depends on your setup and what your cooling solution is. if you get a copper shim just get one with the bridges exposed with a hole. the reason we use heatsinks is to spread the heat and dissapate it. if the material to absorb is thicker it generally can hold more heat. the main problem is distributing it from the itty bitty core throughout the width of the cooling solution. air is a much lower convector of heat, if you replace air with copper then you have a better chance of radiating the heat outwards and increasing the efficiency of your heatsink/waterblock ect. the reason why alot of shims probabbly sit high might have something to do with the way you seal off your bridges in paranoia. if you use silicon glue tape ect, whatever melts your butter chances are you might have some sitting between the hsf and the cpu. i think a shim with all the L bridges and external components exposed should have a shim directly epoxied on. and why not spend 1.50$ on it? yes i said 1.50$ if you look around you wont need to pay as high as 7$ 1.50$ for a good ol copper protection plan. also depending on your method of attaching youd be surprised at how easy it probabbly is to crush a core. if the recommended pressure is like 40lbs on that itty bitty core then wouldnt you think putting it all onto one little corner most likely from a screw mount type attachment might be risky? not worth it to me. go for shim and shim forever.

[Ridex]

Originally posted by Ozzman
ALSO THE CHIM DOES! NOT lower ur temp that makes no sence the hotest part of the CPU is the core which the shim has no conntact with....

Yes the hotest part is the core, but in my case I transfer cooling around the core, and it lowers my temps ~7 C... When you are water cooling the shim DOES LOWER THE TEMSP!

Look at my temps now, without the shim I had full load temps ~30 C.

http://members01.chello.se/ridex/mbm.jpg

[Ozzman]

here is what all u want a coper shim that cant short it out how u say EASY it has 8 little stubs u can call them that wont allow the shim to move when the hs is attached simple yet great and u can get it from the great guys at svc its a win win... though i am not going to be buying it ;)

http://www.svcompucycle.com/copspacforso1.html

[PaulWilliams5]

Hey, guys, have pity on a newbie ...

WHAT IS A SHIM?????

[Zeke009]

Originally posted by PaulWilliams5
Hey, guys, have pity on a newbie ...
WHAT IS A SHIM?????

Hope this helps: :D
Shim Article @ RipNet-UK (http://www.ripnet-uk.com/reviews/anodised_shim/tweakmonster_shim.shtml)
Shim Article @ Maximum3D (http://www.maximum3d.com/reviews/purpleshim.htm)
Shim Article @ ExtremeMods (http://www.xtrememods.com/reviews/tmshim.shtml)
Search thread at Google for "CPU SHIM" (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22CPU+SHIM%22)

[Tastyratz]

heres the shim i told you about.
http://www.abilitywholesale.com/product.asp?3=201

1.99 i thought it was 1.50 but what the hell its a 50c difference. get it there

[Zeke009]

$1.99 for the shim and an additional $5.05 ($28.06 shipping if I want it Next Day :rolleyes: ) for shipping via FedEx Ground. Before I do that I will check around town... any Minnesota readers here who know of a place that sells shims? (heh, it's worth a shot!) I'm just south of the Twin Cities... please pm me. Thanks! :D

[flounder43]

Originally posted by Zeke009
$1.99 for the shim and an additional $5.05 ($28.06 shipping if I want it Next Day :rolleyes: ) for shipping via FedEx Ground. Before I do that I will check around town... any Minnesota readers here who know of a place that sells shims? (heh, it's worth a shot!) I'm just south of the Twin Cities... please pm me. Thanks! :D

Nobody in mpls that I know of...

[flounder43]

Thinking of using a shim? Read this first:

http://www.heatsink-guide.com/shim.htm
and
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=762

Just an alternative view.

flounder43

[PaulWilliams5]

Aaah! Thanks. Now I can reread this thread with a little understanding.