Lapping my XP-120 and X2 IHS: Pics inside

LoneWolf121188 · 08-02-05, 12:27 AM

OK, heres the deal: My X2 will not give me 2.7GHz, but sorry to tell ya little buddy, you have no choice: YOU WILL GIVE ME 2.7!!!

Anyway, I decided to lap my XP-120 and X2's IHS to shave off a few Cs. Sandpaper was 320, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit stuff bought from Autozone for $3.75. Its not done yet, but here are the pics:

The Tools: Sandpaper, graph paper, paper towel, poster frame (complete with poster

), XP-120, and duct tape (

). Missing are the X2 and sink.

Oops: Used a little too much AS5 on that one.

Pre-lapping Graph paper shot. You know, thats really not that bad...oh well, on to the lapping!

Exposing the copper.

After almost 3 hours: Will that nickel ever go away?!?

Ahh, thats more like it! And thats only after the 800 grit!

Graph paper shot! Again, after the 800. Don't ask what that blotch is...I think its left over nickel...argh!

Oh well, I think I'll just leave it how it is and keep going.

Post 1500 Grit. This looks a million times better in real life, you have no idea...lighting on these things is so hard, I'm not a professional photographer, and my camera sucks (>1MPixel

its actually a camcorder). And don't worry, most of those things that look like deep scratches are actually towel/TP/paper towel residue. Every time I try to brush em away, more come on.

Good shot of the scraches after the 1500...maybe a little more time with the 1500?

Sucky low-lighting graph paper shot. This pic is terrible, but at least you can see that all the lines are straight!

Post 2000 grit. I think the 1500 grit picture looked better, but belive me, it looks so much better now vs the 1500.

Cool shot of the scratches. Don't worry, it just looks like the scratches are rotating around the light...they're really not.

And of course: Graph paper. Now THATS what I'm talking about! The blotch you saw in the 1500 shot and below is actually still on the HSF, you just can't see it in this pic. However, it is considerably smaller and less pronounced.

LoneWolf121188 · 08-02-05, 12:30 AM

IHS Pics:

My Uber-Ghetto CPU Holder: Its the plastic case the CPU came in, with the foam stuff on the pins, but theres a piece of paper under the foam to lift the CPU out of the plastic so that only the CPU touches the sandpaper. It actually works pretty well!

Gettin started.

Post 220 Grit. Hey, wheres the reflection?

Post 320 Grit. Ah, there it is!

Post 800 Grit...I think... Well, somewhere in the middle. Almost there!

Post 2000 Grit.

Show off. If that isn't flat, IDK what is. That could be used as a telescope mirror or something!

Final Pics:

Hmm, that HSF looks a little smudged up...I'll have to clean that up a little.

Final IHS graph paper shot

Final HSF graph paper shot

Excuse me, but is there a camera in my IHS?

That is HOT! I'm serious, that pic is not photoshopped or otherwise altered. I should make that my avatar

.

Results start at post 77.

Nexus Realized · 08-02-05, 12:33 AM

Looks good so far Lone

Goodluck with it

AsusLover · 08-02-05, 12:52 AM

those edges look rounded or is it just he pics? Otherwise great job!

bohansen · 08-02-05, 12:53 AM

bah, lapping those xp-120's are a bitch, i had to go down to 220

Valk · 08-02-05, 12:59 AM

Im not getting a lot of good vibes from these newer thermalright sinks. so many people rave about how well they perform, and others, bish and moan about how uneven the base is ect.
It took me like.. 4 hours to get my IHS and slk947 to flatness and i used 220 grit to get rid of all the really big ridges before hand... still took like 4 hours on the IHS... so not flat.
I just ordered an XP 90, hopeing i dont have to go through all these troubles to get temps better tahn 50 <_<.

thats a very nice looking base though after your lapjobs. what is that smudge in the middle though. i have a similar discoloration on my IHS.

AsusLover · 08-02-05, 01:15 AM

I'm going to say that smudge in the middle is a spot where the nickel cladded further into the copper than it should have. As far as having to go thru the samething with the xp-90, you might. I had to lap my xp-90c....it just wasen't as flat as i would have liked it. I'm just starting to wonder if demand is driving quality control down some.

Valk · 08-02-05, 01:30 AM

my ihs has a similar discoloration as i have stated, same thing i guess? I just hope i dont get one of those xp 90's with a busted heatpipe =\ it would be my luck exactly though, which is why i baught mine with express rma!
Im gonna take the thermal prode from my server and make sure each of those pipes is the same... as for lapping, i should probably rearm myself i guess..

Lapping the ihs was actully really easy and nice. the pins are ok to press on if you use the foam that the chip comes in. it sinks into them and prevents them from bending. makes the lapping process so breezy.

Ven0m · 08-02-05, 02:05 AM

For removing anodized stuff or similiar, it may be good to use low-grit papers, to save time. Nice, flat finish. DOn't worry if it's not too flat at edges - they don't do much in whole cooling process.

Bad ConNecTioN · 08-02-05, 02:23 AM

Did you use a lubricant when you lapped your IHS? If so, could you shed some light on the process for me? I am just a little uneasy about lapping my processors heatspreader while its still attached to my chip

Ciffer · 08-02-05, 02:31 AM

just curious, what is the purpose of the nickle plating anyways? is it just for looks?

Blackmage · 08-02-05, 02:48 AM

Very nice, keep up the good work

Bad ConNecTioN · 08-02-05, 03:26 AM

Partly, as the XP series heat sinks are aluminum/copper construction. Corrosion may also have something to do with it. Nickle plating is also very durable.

Sentential · 08-02-05, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ciffer

just curious, what is the purpose of the nickle plating anyways? is it just for looks?

It keeps it from rusting.

Electron Chaser · 08-02-05, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sentential

It keeps it from rusting.

Copper doesn't rust since it doesn't have any Iron in it.

The nickel plating in addition to giving the heatsink some corrosion protection. It also acts as a glue in regards to the assembly of the HS. Since the fins on the XP-120 and XP-90 are made from stamped aluminum and then stacked and soldered at the base. The nickel plating helps hold it all together.

Vulcan · 08-02-05, 08:38 AM

Great work... Looks really good. Now I have to decide if I should get an XP-120 and use one of my San Aces on it or if I should wait for that new zalman. I might just run the stock cooler until the cnps9500 gets reviewed.

LoneWolf121188 · 08-02-05, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electron Chaser

Copper doesn't rust since it doesn't have any Iron in it.

The nickel plating in addition to giving the heatsink some corrosion protection. It also acts as a glue in regards to the assembly of the HS. Since the fins on the XP-120 and XP-90 are made from stamped aluminum and then stacked and soldered at the base. The nickel plating helps hold it all together.

Also, I belive that nickel has better thermal transfer properties than copper or aluminium, but has worse thermal dissapation properties, or something like that...

or am I thinking of copper?

Should I just leave that blemish be, or should I drop back down again to sand it off? I think it'll be fine how it is...idk, you guys have done it more than i have.

also, some questions: why do you use water? just to help the HSF slide over the paper better? and, what lube should I use for my IHS? water+$600 CPU =bad

. Or do I just need to do it really, really carefully?

CJ4 · 08-02-05, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad ConNecTioN

Did you use a lubricant when you lapped your IHS? If so, could you shed some light on the process for me? I am just a little uneasy about lapping my processors heatspreader while its still attached to my chip

You should use kerosene or water for the lubrication. Most prefer water for obvious reasons. Kerosene will keep the sand paper from curling. If you order a kit from easypckits.co, it comes with instructions:
http://www.easypckits.com/products/hslkwg/

CJ

Ven0m · 08-02-05, 10:14 AM

Nickel has realy bad thermal transfer compared to copper or aluminum - it's just something what overcloskers and silence freaks would like to avoid.

Small notice on instructions from easypckits - do not read them, and if its too late, just dont apply them, but manuals that you can find on ocforums.

CCUABIDExORxDIE · 08-02-05, 10:14 AM

thats a great job LoneWolf. i cant wait to see how warped that IHS is.

08-02-05, 12:27 AM	Thread Starter #1
LoneWolf121188 Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sheppard Air Force Base, TX	Lapping my XP-120 and X2 IHS: Pics inside OK, heres the deal: My X2 will not give me 2.7GHz, but sorry to tell ya little buddy, you have no choice: YOU WILL GIVE ME 2.7!!! Anyway, I decided to lap my XP-120 and X2's IHS to shave off a few Cs. Sandpaper was 320, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit stuff bought from Autozone for $3.75. Its not done yet, but here are the pics: The Tools: Sandpaper, graph paper, paper towel, poster frame (complete with poster ), XP-120, and duct tape ( ). Missing are the X2 and sink. Oops: Used a little too much AS5 on that one. Pre-lapping Graph paper shot. You know, thats really not that bad...oh well, on to the lapping! Exposing the copper. After almost 3 hours: Will that nickel ever go away?!? Ahh, thats more like it! And thats only after the 800 grit! Graph paper shot! Again, after the 800. Don't ask what that blotch is...I think its left over nickel...argh! Oh well, I think I'll just leave it how it is and keep going. Post 1500 Grit. This looks a million times better in real life, you have no idea...lighting on these things is so hard, I'm not a professional photographer, and my camera sucks (>1MPixel its actually a camcorder). And don't worry, most of those things that look like deep scratches are actually towel/TP/paper towel residue. Every time I try to brush em away, more come on. Good shot of the scraches after the 1500...maybe a little more time with the 1500? Sucky low-lighting graph paper shot. This pic is terrible, but at least you can see that all the lines are straight! Post 2000 grit. I think the 1500 grit picture looked better, but belive me, it looks so much better now vs the 1500. Cool shot of the scratches. Don't worry, it just looks like the scratches are rotating around the light...they're really not. And of course: Graph paper. Now THATS what I'm talking about! The blotch you saw in the 1500 shot and below is actually still on the HSF, you just can't see it in this pic. However, it is considerably smaller and less pronounced. __________________ mATX Desktop (Build Log Here): Core i7 3770K @ 4.9GHz 1.53V, 16GB DDR3-1600 RipjawX, EVGA GTX680 4GB, Intel 520 240GB, Seagate 2TB, EK CPU and GPU waterblocks, MCP35X, 120.1 and 180.1 radiators 15" MacBook Pro: 2.66GHz Core i7 620M, 8GB DDR3, OCZ Vertex 2 120GB, 500GB Seagate 7200.4, GeForce 330M 512MB, OS X 10.8.2, Windows 7 x64 Asus Eee Slate EP121: 1.33GHz Core i5 470UM, 4GB DDR3, Intel 320 80GB, Windows 8 x64 The Hardware Destruction Thread\|OCForums Musicians Club Member -12\|OCForums Metal Club Member -12 Well, if he opens the box and its dead, then it would be his fault because the state of the cat is determined by the observer. Then we could be all ‘n00b, you collapsed the wavefunction now! - RoadWarrior, on Schrödinger’s Cat Last edited by LoneWolf121188; 08-08-05 at 11:49 PM.
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 12:30 AM	Thread Starter #2
LoneWolf121188 Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sheppard Air Force Base, TX	IHS Pics: My Uber-Ghetto CPU Holder: Its the plastic case the CPU came in, with the foam stuff on the pins, but theres a piece of paper under the foam to lift the CPU out of the plastic so that only the CPU touches the sandpaper. It actually works pretty well! Gettin started. Post 220 Grit. Hey, wheres the reflection? Post 320 Grit. Ah, there it is! Post 800 Grit...I think... Well, somewhere in the middle. Almost there! Post 2000 Grit. Show off. If that isn't flat, IDK what is. That could be used as a telescope mirror or something! Final Pics: Hmm, that HSF looks a little smudged up...I'll have to clean that up a little. Final IHS graph paper shot Final HSF graph paper shot Excuse me, but is there a camera in my IHS? That is HOT! I'm serious, that pic is not photoshopped or otherwise altered. I should make that my avatar . Results start at post 77. __________________ mATX Desktop (Build Log Here): Core i7 3770K @ 4.9GHz 1.53V, 16GB DDR3-1600 RipjawX, EVGA GTX680 4GB, Intel 520 240GB, Seagate 2TB, EK CPU and GPU waterblocks, MCP35X, 120.1 and 180.1 radiators 15" MacBook Pro: 2.66GHz Core i7 620M, 8GB DDR3, OCZ Vertex 2 120GB, 500GB Seagate 7200.4, GeForce 330M 512MB, OS X 10.8.2, Windows 7 x64 Asus Eee Slate EP121: 1.33GHz Core i5 470UM, 4GB DDR3, Intel 320 80GB, Windows 8 x64 The Hardware Destruction Thread\|OCForums Musicians Club Member -12\|OCForums Metal Club Member -12 Well, if he opens the box and its dead, then it would be his fault because the state of the cat is determined by the observer. Then we could be all ‘n00b, you collapsed the wavefunction now! - RoadWarrior, on Schrödinger’s Cat Last edited by LoneWolf121188; 08-16-05 at 05:37 PM.
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 12:33 AM	#3
Nexus Realized Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: FL	Looks good so far Lone Goodluck with it
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 12:52 AM	#4
AsusLover Member Join Date: May 2005	those edges look rounded or is it just he pics? Otherwise great job!
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 12:53 AM	#5
bohansen Member Join Date: Dec 2004	bah, lapping those xp-120's are a bitch, i had to go down to 220
	QUOTE Thanks

Lapping my XP-120 and X2 IHS: Pics inside

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08-02-05, 12:59 AM	#6
Valk Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Chocobo Alley, Aht Urgan Whitegate	Im not getting a lot of good vibes from these newer thermalright sinks. so many people rave about how well they perform, and others, bish and moan about how uneven the base is ect. It took me like.. 4 hours to get my IHS and slk947 to flatness and i used 220 grit to get rid of all the really big ridges before hand... still took like 4 hours on the IHS... so not flat. I just ordered an XP 90, hopeing i dont have to go through all these troubles to get temps better tahn 50 <_<. thats a very nice looking base though after your lapjobs. what is that smudge in the middle though. i have a similar discoloration on my IHS. __________________ Fumika - HP2710p, My personal Tablet PC slave Intel C2D U7600@1.2ghz - 4GB Kingston HyperX pc5300 - Runcore Pro IV 32gb 1.8" ZIF SSD - 12" LED backlit with Wacom Digitizer - HP Slice Battery +6 hours - 3.1-4 lbs - Windows 7 Home Premium Other Stuff Heat - Watercooled Lian Li PC-V600 - HIME, Watercooled SFF -
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 01:15 AM	#7
AsusLover Member Join Date: May 2005	I'm going to say that smudge in the middle is a spot where the nickel cladded further into the copper than it should have. As far as having to go thru the samething with the xp-90, you might. I had to lap my xp-90c....it just wasen't as flat as i would have liked it. I'm just starting to wonder if demand is driving quality control down some.
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 01:30 AM	#8
Valk Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Chocobo Alley, Aht Urgan Whitegate	my ihs has a similar discoloration as i have stated, same thing i guess? I just hope i dont get one of those xp 90's with a busted heatpipe =\ it would be my luck exactly though, which is why i baught mine with express rma! Im gonna take the thermal prode from my server and make sure each of those pipes is the same... as for lapping, i should probably rearm myself i guess.. Lapping the ihs was actully really easy and nice. the pins are ok to press on if you use the foam that the chip comes in. it sinks into them and prevents them from bending. makes the lapping process so breezy. __________________ Fumika - HP2710p, My personal Tablet PC slave Intel C2D U7600@1.2ghz - 4GB Kingston HyperX pc5300 - Runcore Pro IV 32gb 1.8" ZIF SSD - 12" LED backlit with Wacom Digitizer - HP Slice Battery +6 hours - 3.1-4 lbs - Windows 7 Home Premium Other Stuff Heat - Watercooled Lian Li PC-V600 - HIME, Watercooled SFF -
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 02:05 AM	#9
Ven0m Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Warsaw, Poland	For removing anodized stuff or similiar, it may be good to use low-grit papers, to save time. Nice, flat finish. DOn't worry if it's not too flat at edges - they don't do much in whole cooling process.
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 02:23 AM	#10
Bad ConNecTioN Member Join Date: Sep 2004	Did you use a lubricant when you lapped your IHS? If so, could you shed some light on the process for me? I am just a little uneasy about lapping my processors heatspreader while its still attached to my chip
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 02:31 AM	#11
Ciffer Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: southeast MN	just curious, what is the purpose of the nickle plating anyways? is it just for looks?
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 02:48 AM	#12
Blackmage Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: London.Uk	Very nice, keep up the good work __________________ Intel Pentinum (E2180) 3.0Ghz (Cooling Freezer 7 pro) Abit IP35-E 4GB Super Talent DDR2 800MHz ATI HD 3450 LG GSA-4163B Black 16x16 ±R Dual Layer DVD Writer 200Gb Maxtor Diamondmax Plus 10/250 GB Samsung Spinpoint Coolerrmaster 310 580W HiperPower Type-R Modular Blue PSU Quiet Dbl Fan Creative Labs X-Fi Music
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 03:26 AM	#13
Bad ConNecTioN Member Join Date: Sep 2004	Partly, as the XP series heat sinks are aluminum/copper construction. Corrosion may also have something to do with it. Nickle plating is also very durable.
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 08:38 AM	#16
Vulcan Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Pa	Great work... Looks really good. Now I have to decide if I should get an XP-120 and use one of my San Aces on it or if I should wait for that new zalman. I might just run the stock cooler until the cnps9500 gets reviewed. __________________ Currently rocking a BlackBook
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 10:14 AM	#19
Ven0m Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Warsaw, Poland	Nickel has realy bad thermal transfer compared to copper or aluminum - it's just something what overcloskers and silence freaks would like to avoid. Small notice on instructions from easypckits - do not read them, and if its too late, just dont apply them, but manuals that you can find on ocforums.
	QUOTE Thanks

08-02-05, 10:14 AM	#20
CCUABIDExORxDIE Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Keystone Lightville, MA	thats a great job LoneWolf. i cant wait to see how warped that IHS is.
	QUOTE Thanks

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