Scratched heatsink = no good?? I screwed up bad...

[ironsheik]

So I got my new cooler last night and got all set to start overclocking by just penciling in the L1 bridges on my TB 1.13 chip. I put on the Arctic Silver and was all set but for some reason, the cooler wouldn't clip on easily (it's from quietpc.com for 1.33ghz Athlons) and it slipped a couple of times.

I finally got it on and set it all up again and the machine wouldn't boot. I pulled it all apart and noticed that the core was all chipped on two sides and I ended up scratching the base of the heatsink pretty good. I can feel the scratches with my fingernail. Is this going to seriously affect it? And the chip is toast if you damage the core in any way, right? Should I get a new cooler now too? I just ordered a new 1.33 chip so I need to figure out what to do when the replacement comes. Thanks for any help!
ironsheik

 

[WillysNut]

HSF clips seem to be a huge topic on these boards and all over the internet on cooling boards and general discussion. My first suggestion for properly mounting a cooler is to take your mobo out of your computer case if you don't have any workspace w/ the mobo mounted in the case.

It sounds as though you killed your T-Bird and your sink in one shot. However, your sink can probably be lapped to remove the scratches. Do you have any specific model info on your Heat Sink?

I usually mount the static side of the clip first (the side w/o any moving parts). Once that side is on. I be sure to hold the sink in place, and use a pair of needle nose pliers and my finger. I press down on the unattached side of the clip w/ my finger and use the needle nose pliers to guide the clip around and onto the lug on the socket.

Take your time...be careful w/ AMD processors...i hear about a new one cracking every day on this list. Good luck

 

[ironsheik]

Thanks for the tips! How do I lap the heatsink? It's basically the exact same HS as a Molex 371610002 but using a fan from quietpc. I really don't want to have to get a new cooler too.

 

[WillysNut]

I'm not the authority but there are guides all over the place. Just checked overclockers.com real quick but didn't come up w/ anything. I would go to www.google.com and search for "Heat Sink Lapping Guide". You should be able to pull up a lot of guides at various sites.

Read a bunch and decide what works best for you. Other list members are sure to chime up here also so keep checking back.

 

[ironsheik]

Thanks, I actually found a couple guides. I'll try it out cuz I think it will work. The scratches are not that deep. I'm just not sure if I should be laying the sandpaper on the table/glass and rubbing the HS on it or rubbing the sandpaper over the HS. I just don't know which would keep it flat. I imagine sliding the HS over the paper is what will work best. Thanks again! I got a 1.33 Athlon for $185 so it's not all so bad!

 

[William]

you may, and probably have killed your bird. Even with a scratched hsf, your comp would still boot. But with a cracked/chipped core, it is more than likely dead. And if you want to lap the heatsink, just use progressively finer grits of sandpaper to get a smooth surface.

 

[oc jason]

ya lapping will help-you shouldnt need a new cooler, but sounds like you need a new chip sorry bout that, sux man