WOW!! lapping works wonders

Hi, I just wanted to let you guys know that I just lapped my Volcano 9 plus added the duct mod, and now it performs like a champ.

After sanding with 600 grit and then 1500 grit (my hardware store didn't carry anything between 600-1500, weird), I attached the duct mod. I then loaded the heatsink/duct mod/fan onto the chip using some AS3.

As I type this, my idle temps are 25/28 witha fan speed of 3500 rpm. So far under a short load of 30mins P95 the temps didn't go above 34. That's a drop of 12 degrees over the stock V9. From what I’ve read on these forums and other sites, the duct mod usually drops temps by 2-4 degrees, meaning the lapping dropped the temps from 8-10 degrees. As the AS3 sets in over the next few days I’ll hopefully drop another couple of degrees. It just blows my mind.

I know that the V9 isn’t the best HS out there, but if you already have one and you can’t afford to get another HS then lapping is the answer. All you need is two sheets of sandpaper ($2) and some time. Honestly guys, is $2 a lot to ask for 8+ degree temp drop. I didn’t think so.

Just a small tip. The base of my V9 was absolutely horrible. Yes it was flat, but you could see and feel the machining marks. It’s like they didn’t do any work on the base at all. I would suggest that anyone lapping a V9 should start with 400 grit sandpaper and then move to 600 followed by whatever you’re willing to go to. The 400 grit would probably have saved me a good half hour of sanding if I had had it. For some good guides on lapping just click the search button, it's how I learned.

WOW, thats pretty good. I lapped the stock barton heatsink(on my 1700) and lost 8c. The bottom was little grooves evenly spaced along the bottom. May have had 10% contact area. Anywho, while lapping I discovered it was not an aluminum heatsink, but a copper one, coated with aluminum. I scratched one of the fins, and copper too! Why would they coat it in alu? And why the grooves?

I experienced similar results when I lapped my GlobalWIN FOP-38.
Isn't lapping wonderful .

Sink

I've never heard of a copper HS covered with aluminum. Maybe it's just silver paint they sprayed onto the copper. The evenly spaced grooves are probably the marks left behind due to the machining process. My base had spiral marks on the bottom. I'm guessing that my base was cut out with a lathe leaving the spiral marks and they just didn't smooth it out. Your grooves seem to be due to a band saw or something similar cutting the base off, and similarly, they didn't do a good job finishing the base.

Yuriman they usually have nickel plated copper heatsinks/ramsinks

good lapping job Duner

these are cpu die/core temps you're giving us?

The temps given are the system temp (case temp) and cpu temp as recorded by Easytune4. The program came with the mobo and it's the only software that I can get working to monitor temps.

very nice job, duner...got 3C drop when i lapped my V9 but i only spent about 20 min on it (using 400 & 600) and i have a Thermalright SK-7 coming in so i just wanted to see if i could do it....gonna lap the SK-7, too.

Great to hear it worked out for ya! My volcano 9 also came with a rather horrible base, machining marks clearly visible, and copper staining. I also lapped mine, but only to 800grit and I found that was good enough.

I would take results like that with a grain of salt, and suspect that some other factor (the most obvious being, better thermal material application) as having a hand in it too.

But regardless, it's also obvious that all factors combine to give you a much cooler running setup, which is sweet. Hooray! (I know, I'm a skeptic by nature, sue me. )

Another successful heatsink lapping, yay.

Nice job Duner,1 thing Ive noticed on my Volcano 9 is that if the processor core is seated just slightly below the center of the heatsink,my temps are about 4°C lower Looks like it time to make a trip to the hardware store

w0w....i have a volcano 9 too, witht he tt duct, and it keeps my barton 2500+ @ 2.09Ghz at 36 degrees idle, 40 degrees load. I noticed that the copper plate on the bottom of the heatsink looks really crappy, but I didnt bother to lap it, as I dont know how or have any knowledge how to do this. is it easy to lap? what are the possibilities of ruining a perfectly fine heatsink?

thx.

Jarhead7236!!

keep us posted buddy I got 3 sk-7s and if you have good results Im going to takem out and start lapping them!!

Hope it works Im getting kidna excited now haha


cheers

but I didnt bother to lap it, as I dont know how or have any knowledge how to do this. is it easy to lap? what are the possibilities of ruining a perfectly fine heatsink?

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This is the first time that I've lapped a heatsink and look at the results. It could be beginner's luck, but it's more likely that lapping just isn't that hard. The key is to go slow and apply EVEN pressure. Do a google search or a forum search for some guides as they will explain lapping better than I could.

The risk is that you will make the surface uneven thereby decreasing the heatsinks contact area. This can be caused by an uneven working surface (everyone suggests working on glass or a mirror), or by poor technique (uneven pressure). I worked on my glass coffee table so it was nice and flat. The copper base of the V9 is quite large and it's pretty easy to apply even pressure and keep it flat.

If your heatsink is good enough for you right now, then you may not want to take the risk (albeit a small one). Although my temps weren't horrible, I wanted more room to raise voltage and OC with so it was either lap the HS or buy a new one. The choice is up to you. BTW I'm up another 100Mhz 12hrs P95 stable now. Load temps 37.

Unfortunately, lapping seemed utterly useless for me. I spent about 3 hours removing the grooves from the bottom of my Arctic Cooling Super Silent 4 TC, and another hour on flattening my P4 IHS to the copper, using 600 grit sandpaper on a sheet of glass. The net gain for me was four hours of wasted time, blistering fingers, and EXACTLY the same temperatures as I had before, and yes, I tried two applications of ASIII. First the layer was a little thicker than was necessary so I wiped some off, then reseated the heatsink, but the temperatures still remained the same. About the only thing I gained from this experience is a slightly slicker looking P4. So much for the "benefits" of lapping.

attnet 600 grit is the highest you used?? i'd say you should go up to 1500 grit alteast....

login211 said:

attnet 600 grit is the highest you used?? i'd say you should go up to 1500 grit alteast....

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I have found no temp difference between a dull finish(600 grit) and a mirror finish(1500). As long as you take your time and work on a true flat surface like glass nothing more than 600~800 is needed. For best results your final sanding should be "wet" using waterproof wet/dry paper and a small quantity of kerosene.(Water also works fine).

Glad to hear of the better temps...lapping works miracles. Keep up the good work!

Lapping? What's that? Sanding the bottom of the heatsink so there's more contact area? I don't know if that's it, but if it is, its a great idea! I want to do it, but I've removed and installed my heatsink like a gajillion times in the last WEEK, so I'm not in the mood.

Yes, in a nutshell, lapping is sanding the bottom of the heatsink to increase your area of contact.