Motherboard preperation and installation using a LN2/DI unit the clean and easy way

[Gautam]

In my most humble opinion, I believe that someone starting out should. Vince has more experience under LN2 than pretty much the rest of XS combined. On the other hand, if you accidentally manage to leave the slightest crack in your insulation when starting out, you can easily get some moisture around or in the socket area. If it trickles down, your CPU and mobo could easily be done for. I'm being sort of an alarmist here as the chances of this happening are very slim, but you wouldn't care about the odds if it happened to you.

It's definitely not necessary, and if you don't use it you'll probably be fine. It's just extra insurance in keeping your hardware safe. Takes only a second to apply so I always do it. Most of my board's sockets are full of grease consequently whether I'm on air, phase change or LN2.

[Fr3ak]

Applying it is not the problem ^ ^ removing is :/ I know some peeps putting their boards into a oven at 60C up-side-down to remove the stuff.

When I didn't remove it once, I had vaseline dripping onto the video card, when it got hot and that is something that makes me freak out. I hate messy stuff like that or thermal paste all over the place :P

Another thing: Do you put nail polish on mosfets too? I only use it for the lags and leave the top untouched. And how about capacitors? Some guys put glue with a hot glue gun on the downside of (non-solid) caps. I usually leave them basically untouched, but I can count my sub zero runs with one hand, so that aint worth much

Some guys put vaseline or another grease into the pci slots and the like as well when benching LN2. Dont you use anything like that at all Vince?

I guess it cant be wrong for beginners to use vaseline or something similar in the socket and slots. When you think you know what you are doing, you dont need to use it any longer I suppose. That way I will never stop using it lol.
But better safe than sorry.

Its interesting how people insulate their boards in a different way when you google about this topic.

[luihed]

How hard is it to remove nail polish? I hope its nothing like armaflex, had to give my commando a few acetone baths to get that crap out .....

[Stapler]

^Yeah I'm dreading ever having to completely remove the insulation from my DFI. The Frost King I got is incredibly sticky, and it's so thin that it tears immediately if you're not really particular about taking it off.

Nail polish shouldn't be bad though, just use some acetone, shouldn't be a problem.

I've never used vaseline or anything like that, and don't plan to, even when I move up to Ln2 (soon hopefully). Too much mess involved for me, and if I do kill the board despite vaseline, that's just one more thing to clean out before RMA.

[vampire338]

good guide.

[Monstru]

Here I found it under the name of K-Flex ( I am talking about that thick black neoprene we all use to wrap around the pot).

[Jass]

Haha same, I went around Home Depot... walked aroun 30 times around frost king section, and never found that same Frost King pipe wrap insulation. They had pipe insulation, but not the same type. I couldn't find the wide one, so I went to amazon and found this. http://www.amazon.com/Thermwell-SP41...370782-6711143

The best I found on amazon. 3'' wide is good enough to cover around the socket. If not, then I'll just use two pieces.

[Bigchrome]

I like to use armaflex tape around the socket as it avoids the need to cut around for caps etc. Your shop towels idea is seconded!! They saved my cpu in my last benching session (I'd imagine)

[dinos22]

KP great guide but the images are not loading well

some do and some don't

can you rehost it please

[k|ngp|n]

KP great guide but the images are not loading well

some do and some don't

can you rehost it please

Still problems guys?

[dinos22]

no more issues loading up fine now
maybe US><AUS connections were a bit funky that day donno

[chispy]

Great guide Vince , this guide answered all the questions i had about propper insulation method. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.


chispy.

[Nate P.]

Very nice! That is one awesome guide!

[dduckquack]

thank you for this nice guide. btw those round pipe insulation, are those made from polyethylene? dont those cause testicular cancer or something? i guess you dont chew or them or anything anyway :p

[ReverendMaynard]

This guide actually made it allot easier for me to come to the conclusion that ln2/DICE is my next step in overclocking. Thank KP, perfect guide, from a true legend.

Now I just have to find all of the hardware lol.

[Funky]

How effective is Vaseline jelly for use as insulation layer on motherboard surface instead of say nail polish which will be hard to get off?

[TheKarmakazi]

Great guide, by this summer I will be up and benching on LN2! (I can get it for free from my job - im a computer repair at a local college... they also have an extensive CNC dept, Im making nicenice with the dept head lol)

[TheKarmakazi]

One other question: Am I hallcianting or did you also put a layer of the heavy duty towels under the northbridge heatsink? (this is the 30th time Ive read the thread and just noticed that little bit of blue pokling out from under neath the NB)

[Maarten-NForce]

Ln2 @ NB probably?
That neophrene tape is called "Sticky Neophrene" in the Dutch I guess

[Gautam]

Frost king freaking owns. Obscurely placed at Lowe's in some stupid aisle next to duct tape, don't waste your time looking in the insulation section.

Home depot's equivalent is called "Reflectix"

[TheGoat Eater]

Frost king freaking owns. Obscurely placed at Lowe's in some stupid aisle next to duct tape, don't waste your time looking in the insulation section.

Home depot's equivalent is called "Reflectix"

Home Depot is where I got mine Frost King... indeed - The West Des Mones,Iowa store

Great stuff I think I over did it but I figure better safe than sorry

[ceemic]

I didn't want to make new thread, so I post my question here. Hope, it's OK...

What thermal compund You guys most use with LN2/DICE?
I was talking Jaan yesterday (some of You should know him), and he told, he always uses Liquid Metal Pro: between IHS-pot and for filling the sensor hole in the pot's base...
Also I would like to know: IC Diamond 7 Carat Thermal Compound vs Arctic Ceramique vs MX2 ?

I have used MX2 in my previous DICE/LN2 runs

Today I saw Ceramique in a local PC store. It is 22g tube and it costs 8$ - I bought it

[yiancar]

I always use Ceramique

[ceemic]

Does Ceramique stay "half-liquid" @subzero or it freezes and gets solid?

[yiancar]

I thing solid , because when i take the pot out , its like i painted the cpu white. And after 5-10 mins it becomes like normal again