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My 1st Lapping Attempt

{SAS}TB

{SAS}TB

{SAS}TB

Soldato
Joined
20 May 2007
Posts
12,734
Location
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I have had a Q6600 for a few weeks now and the temp increase from my E600 was quite a jump, so I swapped out my Arctic 7 Pro for a Thermalright ultra 120 Extreme paired with a S-flex 1600 fan.

I did get a "slight" decrease in temps, but nothing of any significance, I suspected that the CPU lid and / or the Heat Sink base werent as flat as they might have been, so I decided to bite the bullet and have a go at lapping the pair of them.

Photographed the whole thing and thought id share them with you :

I whipped the Thermalright out and cleaned the base and as you can see the base doesnt have a bad finish as standard:

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/751/dsc00009wo6.jpg

However by putting a new craft knife blade across the the base in both directions it was plain to see that it was nowhere near "flat".

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5710/dsc00019ak0.jpg

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3870/dsc00023qy2.jpg

So chip and Cooler cleaned and ready to go .........

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3677/dsc00028tc7.jpg

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/2130/dsc00027yk7.jpg

To protect the chip, i cut a piece of the foam packing from the Cooler to the size of the base and masking taped it on.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/2164/dsc00030nr8.jpg

So armed with 400, 600, 1200 and 1500 grit off i went

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/3875/dsc00031fp1.jpg

I decided to start with the cooler incase i cocked it up :P

After only a few strokes the plating started to come away

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/6545/dsc00033ix4.jpg

Initially from the edge and then it started to form a section in the middle, proving my "Not flat" theory

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3665/dsc00034et4.jpg

So after getting the plating off the cooler I decided to start on the CPU :S

Mr Grit, Meet Mr CPU

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/4999/dsc00035eb4.jpg

Again after a few minutes, the edges came away showing that the case wasnt flat.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/6801/dsc00036yn9.jpg

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/5605/dsc00037rz4.jpg

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/5715/dsc00039og3.jpg

So after the 400 grit, they were looking like this

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/5415/dsc00040ih7.jpg

Next into the 600, and things were getting a bit easier

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/7219/dsc00041jn1.jpg

Still along way from the desired finish

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/2697/dsc00042ie3.jpg

The 1200 felt a bit more like polishing than sanding and started to look a bit more like ....

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2442/dsc00045em4.jpg

The 1500 took a while, and after a quick final polish with some Brasso and then cleaned off with Nail Varnish remover the "Mirror" like finish was worth it

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8885/dsc00048ih1.jpg

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/8383/dsc00049kz4.jpg

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/6938/dsc00050ok4.jpg

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/3796/dsc00052de0.jpg

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/3822/dsc00053fw9.jpg

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/2060/dsc00054nx3.jpg

It took a good three hours, about 10 sheets of grit 1/2 roll of masking tape most of a bog roll and several cups of coffee

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/9018/dsc00055lv1.jpg

And finally back it its rightfull place

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/1311/dsc00057fq9.jpg

So after all that it appears to have worked the idle temps are down around 4 to 6 degrees per core (from 44 43 39 39 to 38 38 35 36) and the four cores are now within about 3 degrees of each other where they were 6 to 8 or so apart before.

All in all im pleased with it and will see later what the temp differences are when i OC it a bit

Cheers

TB
 
Plus thermal paste tends to take a while to reach optimum, mind find the temps drop a little more in a week. Overall though a very nice job, and especially good for your first attempt - looks like you put the effort in and I'm glad it worked out :)
 
~TB~ said:
I have had a Q6600 for a few weeks now and the temp increase from my E600 was quite a jump, so I swapped out my Arctic 7 Pro for a Thermalright ultra 120 Extreme paired with a S-flex 1600 fan.

I did get a "slight" decrease in temps, but nothing of any significance, I suspected that the CPU lid and / or the Heat Sink base werent as flat as they might have been, so I decided to bite the bullet and have a go at lapping the pair of them.

Photographed the whole thing and thought id share them with you :

I whipped the Thermalright out and cleaned the base and as you can see the base doesnt have a bad finish as standard:

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/751/dsc00009wo6.jpg

However by putting a new craft knife blade across the the base in both directions it was plain to see that it was nowhere near "flat".

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5710/dsc00019ak0.jpg

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3870/dsc00023qy2.jpg

So chip and Cooler cleaned and ready to go .........

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3677/dsc00028tc7.jpg

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/2130/dsc00027yk7.jpg

To protect the chip, i cut a piece of the foam packing from the Cooler to the size of the base and masking taped it on.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/2164/dsc00030nr8.jpg

So armed with 400, 600, 1200 and 1500 grit off i went

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/3875/dsc00031fp1.jpg

I decided to start with the cooler incase i cocked it up :P

After only a few strokes the plating started to come away

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/6545/dsc00033ix4.jpg

Initially from the edge and then it started to form a section in the middle, proving my "Not flat" theory

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3665/dsc00034et4.jpg

So after getting the plating off the cooler I decided to start on the CPU :S

Mr Grit, Meet Mr CPU

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/4999/dsc00035eb4.jpg

Again after a few minutes, the edges came away showing that the case wasnt flat.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/6801/dsc00036yn9.jpg

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/5605/dsc00037rz4.jpg

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/5715/dsc00039og3.jpg

So after the 400 grit, they were looking like this

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/5415/dsc00040ih7.jpg

Next into the 600, and things were getting a bit easier

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/7219/dsc00041jn1.jpg

Still along way from the desired finish

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/2697/dsc00042ie3.jpg

The 1200 felt a bit more like polishing than sanding and started to look a bit more like ....

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2442/dsc00045em4.jpg

The 1500 took a while, and after a quick final polish with some Brasso and then cleaned off with Nail Varnish remover the "Mirror" like finish was worth it

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8885/dsc00048ih1.jpg

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/8383/dsc00049kz4.jpg

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/6938/dsc00050ok4.jpg

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/3796/dsc00052de0.jpg

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/3822/dsc00053fw9.jpg

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/2060/dsc00054nx3.jpg

It took a good three hours, about 10 sheets of grit 1/2 roll of masking tape most of a bog roll and several cups of coffee

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/9018/dsc00055lv1.jpg

And finally back it its rightfull place

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/1311/dsc00057fq9.jpg

So after all that it appears to have worked the idle temps are down around 4 to 6 degrees per core (from 44 43 39 39 to 38 38 35 36) and the four cores are now within about 3 degrees of each other where they were 6 to 8 or so apart before.

All in all im pleased with it and will see later what the temp differences are when i OC it a bit

Cheers

TB
Click to expand...

Nice job mate. Just a couple of questions, what are your temps when under maximum load from running small ftt torture test with prime95?

Also what voltage are you putting through your processor?

Cheers dude.... looking nice, I might lap mine!
 
Cheers Guys

:D

spooks said:
Nice job mate. Just a couple of questions, what are your temps when under maximum load from running small ftt torture test with prime95?

Also what voltage are you putting through your processor?

Cheers dude.... looking nice, I might lap mine!
Click to expand...

On Prime it gets temps as below at Stock, which is much lower than before the lapping.

Im gonna give it a few days and get it back to 3.4 where it was before (not touched the volts all stock / auto - now or before @ 3.4)

tempsij8.png
 
Very well done. And thanks for sharing your experience with us. I am going to do likewise when I get my stuff in a few months.

Steve
 
Nice job but considering you are only running it at stock speed/volts, i'd say those load temps seem abit high.

I just lapped my Big Typhoon heatsink, and at stock speed/volts i was getting:

- idle 31 33 27 32
- load 48 49 45 47
 
I know its hot - that was really what lead me to Lap it in the first place - ive just put it up to 3 GHz and its running at 44 44 38 42 which isnt much hotter, and a LOT cooler than before the lap :s
 
Naj said:
Nice job but considering you are only running it at stock speed/volts, i'd say those load temps seem abit high.

I just lapped my Big Typhoon heatsink, and at stock speed/volts i was getting:

- idle 31 33 27 32
- load 48 49 45 47
Click to expand...
His quad is a B3 and yours isn't, what are you using to monitor temps also?
 
Impressive work.
The final image of the polished cpu is fantastic.

I would love to know if the lapping allows you to ultimately overclock the cpu further. Keep us posted.
 
n1 :) I was in homebase earlier today and thought about Lapping for the first time seriously, took a look and the best stuff they had was 600? or so sandpaper. Was hopin for a bit more, do the other major retailers do any better or do I have to go to some family owned shop some remote place.
*edit* checked the pics, saw halfords lol. N1 ;)
 
looking good!

Think I'll probably do this on the weekend, my temps always seem high :(

Have to change motherboards on weekend anyway so might as well do it while CPU and HSF is out.
 
Just back from Halfords and I managed to get a pack for £1.99.
Contains 240, 600, 800, 1200.

They didn't have any 400 though even on their own!

Should I use all 4 of them or just start with the 600 with a little bit more pressure?

Also, when cleaning off previous AS5 and clearning any dirt off after using the sandpaper, should I use ISOPROPANOL or can I just use nail varnish remover/meths?
 
Last edited:
I'm no expert in lapping, but I would start off with 240 grit. Light strokes. Its the lower grit values that are going to get the metal flat. The higher values will simply get rid of the scratches made by the lower value sand paper.

I remember lapping my heatsink a long time ago. I places the sandpaper on a mirror (flat surface). It took quite some time to do. Ive never done a cpu though.

I would use nail varnish remover. When you start to lap the cpu, any remains of as5 and nail varnish remover will be gone, as you will be using water to lubricate the sand paper.

Good luck man.
 
Thanks for the help!

Will try lapping my TT120 tomorrow when my PSu arrives, hopefully!
If all goes well then I'll try the CPU as well as I cba reseating the TT and putting mobo back in the case to take back out the next day!
 
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