Wow the silver arrow isn't flat!!!

Combat squirrel · 6 Jul 2011 at 23:30

As title after discovering recently that planned upgrdes to water-cooling wasn't going to happen iv decided to revisit my silver arrow on a phenom x6 1055t 95w, it's always hit high temps of 71load and been annoying me for ages.

Turns out my silver arrow is as bowed as a rainbow :mad:

while the CPU is razor blade flat, rubbish!! So the task tonight has begun of lapping the silver arrow, I'll add pics once my main pc is built again but 30mins lapping on 200grit and only 55% of its gone copper, it just shows how uneven it was, 2 more days I think working down to around 1200-1600 grit for a mirror shine and I'll reattach see what diffence is makes.

Tephnos · 6 Jul 2011 at 23:37

Nah, nothing will be perfectly flat. Just sounds like you got a pretty bad one though. Hope my one (when someplace finally gets more in stock again) won't require lapping.

Mr. May · 6 Jul 2011 at 23:37

i've lapped 2 waterblocks and 3 i7 chips and oh boy what a diffrence it makes

Good luck with the lapping hope you get a good temp drop

Combat squirrel · 6 Jul 2011 at 23:39

LC155 said:
Nah, nothing will be perfectly flat. Just sounds like you got a pretty bad one though. Hope my one (when someplace finally gets more in stock again) won't require lapping.

Really was I could just about fit a thumb fingernail under the gap on one side if I pressed the CPU on one side of the 'rainbow' , in heatsink terms that gap is interstellar in size.

as905 · 6 Jul 2011 at 23:44

as bowed as a rainbow & you've only just noticed it now! why didn't you send it back when you 1st got it ?

Combat squirrel · 6 Jul 2011 at 23:50

as905 said:
as bowed as a rainbow & you've only just noticed it now! why didn't you send it back when you 1st got it ?

Pc sits in loft I built it and wacked it in there, thats 71 in lynx and 68 prime so I just lived with it until now as obviously it doesnt get that high in normal use

Mr. May · 7 Jul 2011 at 11:28

how did the lapping go any pictures ?

Combat squirrel · 7 Jul 2011 at 11:42

Mr. May said:
how did the lapping go any pictures ?

So far so good, but I had to stop last night as it was getting late, and am at work now, going to grab abit more sand paper on the way home this evening then put a couple more hours work in, then im off to work again, so im hoping to finish it friday evening, so little free time ! lol, iv taken a few pics so far and will upload them all showing its progress !

bulldog147 · 7 Jul 2011 at 12:41

Noctua D14 are far the best almost very flat plate on the heatsink! My silver arrow was 9C/10C difference from Core 0 and Core 2, while my Noctua D14 was only 2C difference from Core 0 and Core 2. Very poor uneven plate from silver arrow.

Combat squirrel · 7 Jul 2011 at 12:58

bulldog147 said:
Noctua D14 are far the best almost very flat plate on the heatsink! My silver arrow was 9C/10C difference from Core 0 and Core 2, while my Noctua D14 was only 2C difference from Core 0 and Core 2. Very poor uneven plate from silver arrow.

Yeah your not wrong, hopefully the lapping will sort this out then can get a good apples to apples comparison

robin66 · 7 Jul 2011 at 13:59

I've not got a Silver Arrow to compare, but the build quality on the NH-D14 is exceptional. I guess maybe that's why you pay a little more for the NH-D14 over the Silver Arrow.

Combat squirrel · 7 Jul 2011 at 14:36

robin66 said:
I've not got a Silver Arrow to compare, but the build quality on the NH-D14 is exceptional. I guess maybe that's why you pay a little more for the NH-D14 over the Silver Arrow.

Yeah the silver arrow is exceptionally built, which is strange when you think they would get lazy on the most important part of the heatsink ! lol

Icm76 · 7 Jul 2011 at 14:39

Thermalright heatsinks are designed this way, some of their product listings have feature ponits saying:

Convex copper base design, to ensure the Highest thermal conducting thermal efficiency between the cpu and the heatsink.

Also check out reviews of Thermalright heatsinks e.g. scroll down to the photo of the ruler across the heatsink contact area on this page: this page http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/thermalright-silver-arrow_2.html#sect0

MooMoo444 · 7 Jul 2011 at 14:57

I shouldnt read threads like this..it makes me think mine needs lapping, even though temps are reasonable

Helios1234 · 7 Jul 2011 at 15:10

MooMoo444 said:
I shouldnt read threads like this..it makes me think mine needs lapping, even though temps are reasonable

It doesn't. As posted above, the coolers come designed this way. In fact, on my flat CPU, the convex shape does the incredible job of spreading thermal paste very evenly which even my Noctua can't do as well.

It's not that they totally ignored the base construction because you'll notice how it has a perfect mirror finish. Also, remember that all the reviews that already show the Thermalright to be on par with the Noctua haven't lapped the base of the Silver Arrow so I wouldn't worry about it. If you do lap it and you get better performance, then great.

On the Archon:

Combat squirrel · 7 Jul 2011 at 16:07

Yeah its similar to that but much more exaggerated; the lower half of the cpu wasnt it contact with it, the only firm contact was visible due to the pattern on the thermal goop, I hear they were made like that for the benefit of intel users where intel cpus are naturally more concave in the middle.

Helios1234 · 7 Jul 2011 at 16:17

That's a fair point. I didn't realise AMD CPUs were flatter.

bulldog147 · 7 Jul 2011 at 16:53

Helios1234 said:
That's a fair point. I didn't realise AMD CPUs were flatter.

Why is AMD chips are always more flatter than INTEL chips ?

Come on Intel, get your butt out and sort out the chips plate to be more flatter! Sound as Intel are very lazy and can't be bothered to get it flatter!

Icm76 · 7 Jul 2011 at 16:57

I don't think it really matters, TIM makes the contact and heat transfer more than efficient enough and at a very reasonable cost.

clone · 7 Jul 2011 at 17:02

Always lap my air coolers.