CPU cooler contact test kit

Finners · 15 Aug 2019 at 18:20

I've seen couple of reviews do this and I'm interested in trying it on my set-up as I'm not quite getting the temps I would like.

I cant see anything on OCUK so I'll link straight to the manufacturer. Does anybody know anywhere in the UK you can buy this or something similar.

IC contact test kit
https://www.innovationcooling.com/products/ic-contact-test-and-analysis-kit/

It's more out of curiosity then anything else

EsaT · 15 Aug 2019 at 18:38

Your CPU has Intel's bubblegum/toothpaste under heatspreader as first bottleneck for heat transfer.
And heatspreader itself is likely somewhat concave, because Intel just can't be bothered to make flat heatspreaders either.
You could use something straight to check it:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1366-page3.html

Finners · 15 Aug 2019 at 19:12

Thanks, Delidded at the weekend actually and getting about 80degrees at 5.0ghz with 1.32v that's with realbench stress test. Seems a little high nothing major that's with an 280mm AIO.

Like I said its just curiosity really, if I am getting bad contact I would probably go down the route of replacing the IHS instead of lapping

LuckyBenski · 16 Aug 2019 at 08:47

All depends whether it's the top or the inside of the IHS that's not flat really... Or even the die itself.

You can probably use carbon paper in a pinch. It's not really pressure sensitive but will show you where contact is. Plus it's available in A4 sheets.

Edit: if you're worried about the top of IHS or bottom of cooler, buy a decent straightedge and test with that first

The link above is a little underinformed regarding how the process works so it's worth taking time to learn more. Test flatness across several planes:

If you have a gap in the middle, and turn the chip 90° and still see a gap... That's a nice simple concave surface.

If you have a gap, then a raised middle, depending on which way you read, then you may have twist. Read the two diagonals to better analyse. In general, read several positions in each perpendicular plane and both diagonals.