I read a bunch of reviews for the SLK-800 before buying. I thought I was getting the best HS out there. Well, maybe I did, but I have one big complaint. MY SLK-800 had a cr@ppy base. The review at overclockcafe.com said "no lapping needed", indeed the picture showed a real nice base. At modfactor.com they cited the "smooth and shiny base" and you can see from the picture that it was mirror smooth even showing a nice reflection of a coin.
Now what did I get? A base with a small spot that looked like some kind of corrosion and one that had rough, plainly visible machining lines-- not shiny, not mirrorlike at all; not even adequate. Just for hahas I mounted the sucker with AS3 on my xp1600 and got an idle of 40C (with a tt smart fan2). Not what I had expected with ambient temps around 60F.
Next I took it off and spent 45minutes lapping. First with 400 grit, then 600 grit, then 1500 grit resulting in a much improved surface and a somewhat mirrorlike sheen. Apply AS3 and pop it back in and now she idles at 31C.
So what just happened here? Did Thermalright have such a great design that their production ramped so much that they had to cut a few corners?
Or am I cynical enough to suggest that Thermalright sent out mirror polished bases to all the reviewers and decently polished bases to the first wave of consumers who spread the word and now they're selling them like hotcakes and can't be bothered to polish their bases. I don't know maybe it's just mine. Maybe if you're disappointed in the performance of your SLK-800 you should take a look at the base and perhaps lap it.
Now what did I get? A base with a small spot that looked like some kind of corrosion and one that had rough, plainly visible machining lines-- not shiny, not mirrorlike at all; not even adequate. Just for hahas I mounted the sucker with AS3 on my xp1600 and got an idle of 40C (with a tt smart fan2). Not what I had expected with ambient temps around 60F.
Next I took it off and spent 45minutes lapping. First with 400 grit, then 600 grit, then 1500 grit resulting in a much improved surface and a somewhat mirrorlike sheen. Apply AS3 and pop it back in and now she idles at 31C.
So what just happened here? Did Thermalright have such a great design that their production ramped so much that they had to cut a few corners?
Or am I cynical enough to suggest that Thermalright sent out mirror polished bases to all the reviewers and decently polished bases to the first wave of consumers who spread the word and now they're selling them like hotcakes and can't be bothered to polish their bases. I don't know maybe it's just mine. Maybe if you're disappointed in the performance of your SLK-800 you should take a look at the base and perhaps lap it.