Building a CPU Heatsink. [Help]

Colton H · Apr 2, 2008

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 · Apr 2, 2008

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

EchoTheDolphin · Apr 2, 2008

benscoobert said:
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 · Apr 2, 2008

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 · Apr 2, 2008

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 · Apr 2, 2008

reclaimer122 said:
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

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 · Apr 2, 2008

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

Neuromancer · Apr 2, 2008

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 · Apr 3, 2008

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 · Apr 3, 2008

benscoobert said:
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 · Apr 3, 2008

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 · Apr 3, 2008

reclaimer122 said:
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 · Apr 3, 2008

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

benscoobert · Apr 4, 2008

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 · Apr 4, 2008

With powerful enough fans that just might work!

benscoobert · Apr 4, 2008

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

freakdiablo · Apr 4, 2008

benscoobert said:
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 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 · Apr 4, 2008

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

stool · Apr 6, 2008

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 · Apr 6, 2008

benscoobert said:
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.

Building a CPU Heatsink. [Help]

Colton H

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EchoTheDolphin

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