Youview BT T1000 - Heatsink Replacement

[petertr2000]

Hi,
Has anyone ever tried to do this?

For some reason, they've fitted a pitiful heatsink on this thing, no fins, just a sheet of metal with a lip at the edge (both older and new models had much more).

And we've found that the rear fan was disabled by a firmware update a while back - which can't be fixed in software

So I'm planning to re-wire the exhaust fan to permanent 12V supply, but I suspect it might get loud. I'd like to replace the heatsink with something more useful

Anyone tried anything like this?

I'm a little bit concerned as the heatsink drops around the CPU itself, and I'm worried that its somehow bonded to the CPU packaging and/or the mother board - i.e. adhesive.

 

[petertr2000]

could you put another heatsink on top ie rasp pi size?

That's exactly what I've planned to do - I've bought a 9x9x12mm Ri style, self-adhesive heatsink that'll drop right onto that raised section (where the CPU is). Saw someone else had done it.

I guess that metal plate is at least fixed very hard with paste or perhaps even glued somehow - would rather "de lid" it though tbh, as the paste could be knackered?

Also planning to reconnect the exhaust fan by piggybacking another power source. Shouldn't be too hard.

 

[petertr2000]

So we spliced into the HDD 12V supply and now our fan is running flat out all the time
- Good: The box no longer gets hot - it was very hot before
- Bad: The fan is noisy. I think we'll stick a variable resister on it to turn it down

And then fitted a RPi style heatsink

The number of crashes has come down, but its still locking up from time to time. So I've ordered a heatsink that's about twice as big.
Am I better off using thermal tape for the adhesion here, or paste (I've got some AS5 leftover)

But agree with agw above, I think the CPU needs a fan directly on it as the rear exhaust fan doesn't really create airflow over the CPU - it seems to be more for the HDD and PSU

 

[petertr2000]

Thanks for the replies.

Switched from a 9x9mm heatsink to a 28x28mm one tonight. Its larger than the contact point of the CPU itself but does sit on it quite well. Just used the AS5 - its not like the box is going to be moved around.

As for the 7V idea - that sounds very handy actually. The fan only takes 0.5amp at 12V, so would be about 0.3amp at 7V - surely 0.3amps isn't going to cause any bother??

 

[petertr2000]

Peter, so you removed the stock heatsink? Did the old compound clean up easily, I'd imagine it to be some sort of epoxy.

Decided against, it was very well stuck on, and didn't want to knacker the whole thing. So I AS5'd a 28x28mm heatsink on it
The fan is still running flat out, slightly noisy.

Hasn't crashed in the last week or so since we did this.

However, he picked up a FreeSAT box today, so I think the Youview box will be retired soon.