Removing Heatspreader--Specific's, and Help Plz.

[NickS]

Hello.

I'd like to try and remove my heatspreader but I want to be 110% sure first, that I don't break it...and I know many ppl have done it here, so;

Anywho. I have a Thermalright XP-90 heatsink. If and when I remove the heatspreader, will I need to do any modifications to it, or will the lack of the heatpsreader hight work out by easing pressure off the naked cpu?

I have a 3000+ Newcastle, so the core is on the larger size (0.13 process)

Anything i really need to know/mod? Tips?

I've read a lot and basically, all you do is slice it off VERY carefully and clean the CPU. Then, apply some thermal paste to the core...and put the heatsink on.

Just wanna be totally sure. I really, really, really do not want to break this, as i really really really dont have any money to replace it with.

[Holst]

You can try increasing the pressure on the core by adding washers to the heatsink.

I probably would do this a bit (i did with my mobile) as you might not get much pressure. But you can allways test it to find out.

As for removing the heatspreader itself, use a sharp knife (you dont want to use loads of pressure and slip) and take your time.

Good luck.

[NickS]

How do you mean washers to the heatsink? The actual brakcet? That wld just raise the brakcet, and the heatsink mount's with clip-type things.

[xgman]

You use a double sided thin rasor that you get in any drugstore. Slice evenly along the black rubber base of the sink. This should be doen slowly and evenly. Start with the corners and work your way around. Go all the way around several times till you are sure that there is no more seal along the edges. keep in mind that there is a small area on one of the sides that has no seal. Also PROTECT THE PINS. Do NOT touch them as you are slicing. They bend easily.

After you are SURE that the silicon is free and do NOT cuts too far in or you may hit a capacitor. (LOOK AT THE CORE PICS ON THE WEB TO SEE WHERE THE CAPS ARE LOCATED), then the top will still be stuck down by the contact with the thermal epoxy material on the core. To free that you must take an exacto tip or similar and ever so gently pry each coner a tiny beit and then move to the next corner. You end up doing this round several times or more until you feel one corner give way, then go to the next. Sooner or later you will be able to grab the corner and pop the seal of the core area and then your down. Clean with alcohol or goof off and you don't need to remove the black silicon left behind on the edges. Good luck.

[ImportantAwareness89]

You use a double sided thin rasor that you get in any drugstore. Slice evenly along the black rubber base of the sink. This should be doen slowly and evenly. Start with the corners and work your way around. Go all the way around several times till you are sure that there is no more seal along the edges. keep in mind that there is a small area on one of the sides that has no seal. Also PROTECT THE PINS. Do NOT touch them as you are slicing. They bend easily.

After you are SURE that the silicon is free and do NOT cuts too far in or you may hit a capacitor. (LOOK AT THE CORE PICS ON THE WEB TO SEE WHERE THE CAPS ARE LOCATED), then the top will still be stuck down by the contact with the thermal epoxy material on the core. To free that you must take an exacto tip or similar and ever so gently pry each coner a tiny beit and then move to the next corner. You end up doing this round several times or more until you feel one corner give way, then go to the next. Sooner or later you will be able to grab the corner and pop the seal of the core area and then your down. Clean with alcohol or goof off and you don't need to remove the black silicon left behind on the edges. Good luck.

Dropped my old Athlon from a height of like 6 inches on the pins once. Bent 2 whole damn rows. Took me about 10 min to straighten them out =(, but the cpu worked well still.

You might also want to try using the rubber feet from the old Athlons XPs or T-Birds. They work well =). Without them cores used to be crushed.

[NickS]

Thank's Man. Now I know how to get the actual heatspreader off, but what about mounting the heatsink?

BTW, I don't have any little rubber thingy's. Anything else could use to substitute them and take some load off the core?

I'm just thinkin, if my heatspreader is taken off, there will be less hight = less load on teh CPU core, so I shld juts be able to keep it that way, right? I get less load on CPU core, and it shld all work out. I just want to be 100% sure, I don't wanna get the IHS off and not be able to remount my heatsink.

Anyone else here try with a Xp-90?

[Holst]

Im not sure on how the Xp90C mounts.

With my SLK900 I put washers under the springs to increase tension.

On my previous thermaltake heatsink, I put some aluminium sheet between the heatsink and the heatsink clip (directly over the core) to increase pressure.

[NickS]

dont gots an aluminium sheet readily available rofl

heres how it mounts



btw the heatsink is less than 500g. its actually around 400g w/fan

[Holst]

Thats easy.

Put a washer between the chip and the heatsink, this will lift the clip up, increasing tension.

I think a 1mm washer (on each side) will be plenty.

Make sure the washers are exactly the same thickness.

[Holst]

You may also have to cut some bits from the inside of the heatsink/motherboard cage as they might foul the heatsink when it is sitting lower.

I had to do this on my system. There are quite a few mounding nubs you need to put away. Nothing big just a few round bits that stick out a bit too far.

Best way to test this is to take the CPU out and make sure you can drop the heatsink down till it touches the socket. Then you know 100% that it wont foul anything.
If your not sure if its down, put a bit of bluetack on the bottom.

EDIT - looking at your heatsink you probably wont need to do this, but check anyway.

[NickS]

these shld be fine? They're metal.

[NickS]

alrighty. as soon as i have the confirmation that these washers are fine, ill begin! its just such a freeking pain cuz i have to remove my PSU so i can get to my heatsink clips

btw heres some pix of razor blades i found

ill prolly be using the square stanley one, not the craftsman one

i like the way the blade is small so i wont hit any things on the cpu pcb

also one more question

if i got the ihs off and i could NOT in any way get the XP-90 to mount right, how would i go about getting the ihs back on? Just apply thermalpaste? i do have some arctic silver adhesive.

[NickS]

help anyone?

[Ref]

Don't use adhesive ! Your core would come off with IHS next time while getting your heatsink off.

[NickS]

Sooo..what wld I use? Just kinda set the IHS there with some thermalpaste, lol.

[goodcooper]

indeed it would, and putting a aluminum plate on there would defeat the whole purpose of taking the IHS off in the first place...

why not try something less drastic, i.e. lap the IHS

[NickS]

mm, naww.

i want this bee-otch off.

[xgman]

?

BTW, I don't have any little rubber thingy's. Anything else could use to substitute them and take some load off the core?


Thermalright stocks them. you have to call.



Anyone else here try with a Xp-90?

Don't.

[NickS]

?? So your saying I shldn't do this?

[xgman]

Don't put metal washers on the area around the die. You may short it out. next be warned the XP90 has a HIGH chance of clipping a corner either in mounting or removal because of the need to attach one clip at a time. It's a BAD idea. You need to mount the sink with even gentle pressure a little on one side and then the other till it's relatively tight. With a clip on type it is just a matter of time till a corner of the die will chip. I have removed at least 8 and I feel very confident in my warnings about this.

[goodcooper]

the increase you will get on aircooling will be negligible if anything

[NickS]

Oh, alrighty. I guess this is a bad idea.

Thanks for everyones help .

It just, rrr.

I got my XP-90 and there was barely a temp change between this and my stock, thats why I think my IHS is like, lacking the thermal paste or mounted badly. A lot of X2's experience this, the one core o/cing better than the other, I read on DFI Street that one guy removed the IHS on his X2 and both cores OC/ed about the same. So, the IHS didnt have well contact with the other core.

[xgman]

?? So your saying I shldn't do this?

As I said above, with a heavy XP90/120 type of sink that clips on, you run a very high risk of chipping the corners at least at some piint in the mount or dismount. better choice would be sometjing like this:

mcx6400V which screws down evenly. No pressure needed.

http://www.swiftnets.com/

[NickS]

Or the stock heastink. See, I mount my XP-90 even now, by placing it on my chip and pressing down firmly on the fan with my hand. this simulates the pressure evenly, so i can mount the clips without having uneven pressure. but..:\

and if i do break it, i have to save up for some sempy. bleh.

[xgman]

exactly.