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Useing a mouse pad for insulation

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MaddMutt

Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2015
I just got in a P5E (X38) 775 motherboard. I have a QX6850, E7400, and a E5700 to bench on it. I already have my KP Dark setup for AM3+ benching and don't want to order additional supplies (shipping time) from KPC. Can I use 2 X Mouse pads on the back of the board in place of the KP insulation???? If that is a yes, then I can use 2 X mouse pads around the CPU Socket :) I think I can get them at my local Staples for $3.99 generic.
I check Hope Depot and Lowes in my area and all they carry is 1" ~ 1 1/2" Water/A/C insulation tubing and no flat insulation :(

I talked to the Wife about me going to LN2. I tried to explain to her, that this was my next step up in Overclocking. She said that she was afraid that I would freeze one of our dogs (5~6 pounds max) or something else bad happening :(
 
I use Armacell foam tape or Frost King both can be found at homedepot. I prefer the Armacell because I find it's a bit easier to work with. If you're going to go Ln2 make sure you prep the board properly.
 
I use Armacell foam tape or Frost King both can be found at homedepot. I prefer the Armacell because I find it's a bit easier to work with. If you're going to go Ln2 make sure you prep the board properly.

I picked this up for My Tek-9 Fat that I plan to first use Dice to get a feel of the card before I waste LN2 on it.
Okay : As normal, use art eraser around socket. Second : Use the armacell on top of this to seal with KPC's armacell that is on the F1 Dark.... Correct??

If wrong, please include picture as this is how KPC recommends prepping your board for sub-ambient cooling
 
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I followed Woomack's and Witch's advice from last year. I never lost a board to cooling with DICE :thup: I didn't follow that advice for Water Cooling and borked 4 boards and I think 8 CPU's :(
The FX-8320 is now EOL @ AMD, they will send you a FX-8350 instead :(
The Sempron 145 is also EOL @ AMD, they will send you a Athlon II X2 265 instead :(
 
What I do:
Clear nail polish or liquid electrical tape around the socket to the top of the board, out to the ram slots, VRM and down to pice. I do the same on the back side of the board but extend it over the ram and pice.
I then cover the back of the mother board with the armacell down to about the 2nd pcie. I also put the armacell on the front around the socket. Then I put artist eraser around the socket. I do not use a lot of artist eraser. I fill the pcie and ram slots with Vaseline and on AMD the socket. I cut shop towels to fit around the socket area. Then put a 1/2 "thick piece of closed cell foam around the socket with a hole just big enough to fit the pot in it. I have both gpu and CPU pots wrapped in armacell and a sham wow. I also use a 1/4 " thick closed cell foam piece on the backside of the board that I have the mounting plate and screws pushed through.
 
What I do:
Clear nail polish or liquid electrical tape around the socket to the top of the board, out to the ram slots, VRM and down to pice. I do the same on the back side of the board but extend it over the ram and pice.
I then cover the back of the mother board with the armacell down to about the 2nd pcie. I also put the armacell on the front around the socket. Then I put artist eraser around the socket. I do not use a lot of artist eraser. I fill the pcie and ram slots with Vaseline and on AMD the socket. I cut shop towels to fit around the socket area. Then put a 1/2 "thick piece of closed cell foam around the socket with a hole just big enough to fit the pot in it. I have both gpu and CPU pots wrapped in armacell and a sham wow. I also use a 1/4 " thick closed cell foam piece on the backside of the board that I have the mounting plate and screws pushed through.

I agree with every thing you said BUT I can't find the 1/2 "thick piece of closed cell foam or the 1/4 " thick closed cell foam locally:( As I said, I went to lowes and Home Depot and all they had was roughly water pipe insulation. Home Depot had the Armacell thin 2" X 30' no where near the 1/4" or 1/2" thinkness :(
 
For the socket area on top of the towels I use this just lay it flat, slide it down the mounting screws and cut a hole just big enough to slide the pot though it. As far as the backside of the motherboard if you already have the thin Armacell tape back there and either nail polish or liquid electrical tape you really do not need anything more. I just use the 1/4 " closed cell foam because I have it, you could use your mouse pad idea in this application.

The only time I've had trouble with going cold was using Ln2 on at particularly humid day, when we were all at Whichdoctors house last year. I found that using too much artist eraser will not stop the cold from spreading. What happened was the condensation just creeps across it and eventually formed an ice damn, so to speak, over my 1st Ram slot on the AMD board I was on. I probably didn't have enough Vaseline in the slot either so I started having issues. I also find you will not usually have issues when the pot is sub ambient it's when it warms up and starts to drip when you'll have problems. What I will usually do is just bench my heart out and when I'm done. Shut it down, pull all the electric, wait for the pot to get back to ambient temps. Then tear it apart and let it dry for a day or two. Knock on wood, I gone cold at least a dozen times now, only once on Ln2 and have yet to lose any hard ware doing things this way.
 
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For the socket area on top of the towels I use this just lay it flat, slide it down the mounting screws and cut a hole just big enough to slide the pot though it. As far as the backside of the motherboard if you already have the thin Armacell tape back there and either nail polish or liquid electrical tape you really do not need anything more. I just use the 1/4 " closed cell foam because I have it, you could use your mouse pad idea in this application.

The only time I've had trouble with going cold was using Ln2 on at particularly humid day, when we were all at Whichdoctors house last year. I found that using too much artist eraser will not stop the cold from spreading. What happened was the condensation just creeps across it and eventually formed an ice damn, so to speak, over my 1st Ram slot on the AMD board I was on. I probably didn't have enough Vaseline in the slot either so I started having issues. I also find you will not usually have issues when the pot is sub ambient it's when it warms up and starts to drip when you'll have problems. What I will usually do is just bench my heart out and when I'm done. Shut it down, pull all the electric, wait for the pot to get back to ambient temps. Then tear it apart and let it dry for a day or two. Knock on wood, I gone cold at least a dozen times now, only once on Ln2 and have yet to lose any hard ware doing things this way.

The last part ^ I got from witchy also :)
I'll try the pipe insulation, once I get this &^%$ Asus P5E (X38 Chipset) to boot. I had been doing other things and forgot to buy a 775 HS. :thup:
 
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