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Cut a hole underneath the CPU Socket?

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1Time

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2001
Location
U.S. East Coast
Would cutting a hole underneath the CPU socket help with cooling? Seems like it might. Thanks for any experience or thoughts on this.
 
Um yeah, it'll run at ambient. Well, it won't actually run but it'll be at ambient all the time. Removing the CPU will have a similar effect without voiding the warrantee.
 
Motherboards are made in 4-6 layers of traces upon pcb's. What you see on the surface is not necessarily all there is there.
If you could cut this hole, and if your temps were to lower, then I'd suspect that the airflow is throwing off the thermister reading as much as air assisting the cooling.

I've seen one brave soul try this once (on the web), his motherboard lived, but there was no drop in temp.
You might get more result in placing a fan on the back of the motherboard, as some heat is "sinked" through the traces leading to the chip's pins. Put some dabs of silicone on the solder points of the thermister's pins (backside of mobo), so that you know it's not just a case of cooling the thermister itself that's leading to lower readings.
 
Whoa, a hole in the mobo, never thought of that. Sounds like a new mobo design for better cooling. Wonder why they don't make 'em with a hole under the socket for better cooling.

Sorry for the confusion. I was thinking more of cutting a hole in the metal underneath the mobo, not actually on the mobo. Maybe stick a fan on the back side of the case. I kind of like the idea of a mobo being designed with a hole under the socket. Wonder why they never came up with one.
 
I have cut a hole in my tray beneeth the CPU, but not for better cooling. I cut the hole to give me access to the back of the mounting holes so that I could tighten/remove my waterblock mounting hardware, wihthought having to remove the mobo from the tray.

This probably wond result in any better cooling anyways. If you do it will mostlikely cool the temp sensor making you think you have better temps, but not really affect the cpu temps.
 
I had a feeling you where talking about the motherboard mounting plate, and not the motherboard its self. I've seen people do this many times too, but the reason is for mount HSF or waterblocks that use the four mounting holes. I guess someone with a infered gun needs to take a temp reading from the back of the motherboard to see if it is even worth it.
 
Probably not worth it. Just looking for ways to use my dremel on my new Chieftec for better cooling. Thanks for your responses.
 
1Time said:
Just looking for ways to use my dremel on my new Chieftec for better cooling. Thanks for your responses.

Have you caught a case of the moding bug :) ?????

You'd better take care of the problem quick. It has been known to cause empty bank accounts. Not to mention all the question you have to answer to your spouse (if you have one)
 
Ya, I haven't even gotten the Chieftec delivered yet for my new rig, and I'm already looking for ways to cut it up before I put everthing in it. I'll possibly put a blow-hole in the top and I'll probably need to adapt the front some for my 120mm Panaflo.
 
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