How to lap your Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme (*WARNING-in depth video)

[Fallen608]

Ah fantastic just what I was looking for. My Q6600+TRUE may be getting along in years but being able to coax some more out of it will see me to Ivybridge.

Now I feel comfortable lapping my TRUE. Cheers mate.

[jpavs6989]

@Fencefeet when I was removing the thermal pad off my heatsink, I think the microfibre cloth I was using may have scratched it, but very minor scratches, maybe 5-6. Is it really necessary to lap it?

[KeithWasHere1]

try silicone or gluing your paper to the glass evenly..will prevent paper buckle alot. I use a similar method to dead flat sand wood pieces.

[KeithWasHere1]

after 2 weeks do you have any finger prints left on that hand?

[KeithWasHere1]

you dont get any damage to the CPU from heat? vibration or ESD?

[okeefe58]

nice video dude - probably the best lapping tutorial I've seen - your ability to keep it level through out is pretty amazing. good job

[Fencefeet]

@okeefe58

Thank you! Appreciate the feedback. Hopefully it helped.

[x33mmm]

@Fencefeet what actually did you do in this video axaxax very stupid :)

[TheStinkyHindu]

Just to let you know, you could apply a filter to your video to remove that annoying sound your mic is picking up. There is pro and some easy to use which you'll proubly want as its a few clicks process then. Head over to Acoustica and look at their Spin it Again program. Try the demo out, its usually used to remove the hiss or popping sounds from vinyl records but it will work exactly the same for your video. Try it and leave a comment on how well it works.

[captainHACK]

sir, what temps do you get after lapping?

kindly post the before and after temps you have?

thanks.

(also, kindly add me to Yahoo messenger, i have several questions about lapping)

rm_recto@yahoo.com

Thanks much

[Bellincion]

What was the total lapping time? How many cycles per grit did you do?

[Rapagangsta]

TRUE = ThermalRight Ultra Extreme?

Did I get it right?

[Fencefeet]

@Rapagangsta

Haha sure did.

[fuzonacid]

The camera noise may be due to the AGC (automatic gain control). When it's a quiet environment the camera automatically turns up thegain and ends up recording the motor noise. One work around is record that noise and then in a audio edito make a nose reduction profile. Or if you can turn the gain down somehow or disable it? Some cameras have that feature. If you have audio input just use an off camera mic that will fit in your flash shoe.

[fuzonacid]

Excellent tutorial. Is using wet sandpaper easier or better?

[sweetaznate]

@fuzonacid ..... as a custom automotive body and paint technician you can do wet or dry at any stage of lapping depending upon the material of your cooler base. I have personally made it my preference to start out with 220, 320, 400, and then 800 dry using 3M wet/dry automotive grade sandpaper. I then switch to 1000, 1200, 1500, and finally 2000. using these grades of paper and steps leaves you with a 100% mirror smooth finish on copper and aluminum surfaces.

[KeithWasHere1]

@sweetaznate where do you get the 2000 grit SP or higher....not something i can find at the local auto parts store.

[sweetaznate]

@KeithWasHere1 you should be able to find it at either autozone or checker. If not then find your local automotive paint supply store. Sometimes you can find it at walmart too.

[KeithWasHere1]

Just a quick automotive question ,,,will Krylon for plastics (hardware store paint) work well for a Urethane bumper for a 3rd gen camaro?...i used Appliances epoxy bought at walmart then over coated that with Duplicolor clear coat from advanced auto for the fenders and doors and it came out phenomenal..no yellowing ,even coverage ,most of my friends dont believe it came out of a can ..now im set to paint the hood and bumpers and was wondering if the Krylong for plastics would suffice or-

[KeithWasHere1]

is there some specialty spray paint made specifically for painting plastics such as fiberglass and urethane peices.? i used Krylong for plastics on my dash(which is ABS plastic) to go from black to like a "coffee with creamer" light grayish/ brown with just a hint of Satin and it came out beautiful.

[sweetaznate]

@KeithWasHere1 there are a ton of spray paints made for fiberglass and plastics applications, but very few that don't need an actual uv protective clear coat. One of my absolute favorites is SEM spray paints. They make just about every kind of stock trim color in all kinds of finishes. Pretty much any kind of flat base spray paint can be used if correctly... meaning light coats as to not get solvent trap which cause wrinkling and solvent pop. Afterwards just select one of SEM brand top coats.

[KeithWasHere1]

@sweetaznate cool cool,im gonna have to look those up,thanks man i appreciate the input =)

[sweetaznate]

@KeithWasHere1 no problem at all. I'm sure you'll love SEM coats. They go on smooth as butter and leave an extremely professional finish. The best part is they're made to cure quickly. Good luck.

[fuzonacid]

Excellent tutorial. Is using wet sandpaper easier or better?

[sweetaznate]

@fuzonacid ..... as a custom automotive body and paint technician you can do wet or dry at any stage of lapping depending upon the material of your cooler base. I have personally made it my preference to start out with 220, 320, 400, and then 800 dry using 3M wet/dry automotive grade sandpaper. I then switch to 1000, 1200, 1500, and finally 2000. using these grades of paper and steps leaves you with a 100% mirror smooth finish on copper and aluminum surfaces.

[sweetaznate]

@fuzonacid ..... as a custom automotive body and paint technician you can do wet or dry at any stage of lapping depending upon the material of your cooler base. I have personally made it my preference to start out with 220, 320, 400, and then 800 dry using 3M wet/dry automotive grade sandpaper. I then switch to 1000, 1200, 1500, and finally 2000. using these grades of paper and steps leaves you with a 100% mirror smooth finish on copper and aluminum surfaces.

[thevlad1985]

is it necesary to lap both units (cpu & heatsink ) to get improvements, or can i just lap my heatsink and still get some extra performances? i'd like to keep my cpu warranty :P

[FightforFreedom567]

@thevlad1985 well if you read the description, which i can't blame you for not doing.. it's long, you would see that you do not have to lap the CPU as they tend to be very flat to start with. kind of a OCD thing i guess. gotta be perfect haha =D.. SHORT ANSWER: No you can just do the heatsink

[Fencefeet]

@FightforFreedom567

I do apologize for lengthy-ness and wordy-ness of the description (and video for that matter). I'm just trying to inform my audience as much as possible :/

If by popular demand you think that I should in fact shorten it, I will do my best.

[FightforFreedom567]

@Fencefeet i myself have no problem reading because if i'm putting time into looking up how to do it i will read and try to find out what i must do exactly to do it right. i'd keep it that length it really help me =D

[Fencefeet]

@thevlad1985

You can absolutely just lap the heatsink and see improvement (anywhere from 3-10 degrees C depending on how good of a job you do)--totally up to you how far you want to go. The general rule of thumb I like to tell people when it comes to lapping is: if you aren't 100% comfortable with it, DON'T DO IT. So no worries.

[xliengen]

why arent you wet-sanding?

[LemonAndYoghurt]

Please please it's hard to read through all the long fighting comments. i found this video very easy to understand and also very entertaining! This and another video gave me renewed confidence to go buy a 'true black' HS. And if i wanted, to lap it.

Now I'm from Holland and my question is where do i get this special sanding paper. And what does "rubbing alcohol" mean anyways. Can I use alchol that's used to clean wounds too?

Whatever my stupid noob remarks, Great video.

[Fencefeet]

@LemonAndYoghurt

High grit sand paper can be found at most any hardware store. I'm not sure what they have in Holland, but any equivalent to the American Home Depot should have it.

Also any isopropyl or 90 percent + alcohol will do just fine. And yes that alcohol is the same used to treat wounds ;]

[Alwyn1000]

you dont need to lap, thermalright heatsinks have a bump on the middle for better thermal conductivity

[LemonAndYoghurt]

@Alwyn1000

I did some research and the FAQ at thermalright says something like: the concave contact area is to better accomodate the concave IHS from intel CPU's (which is uneven as well). That said this Heatsink was probably made especially for Intel cpu's. So if you want to use it with AMD's you should lap it.

[Fencefeet]

I believe that all oxus was originally intending to do was give a very VERY simple explanation of what lapping enables you to do.

What he meant by saying that a cool CPU=more speed is simply that having a CPU's load temperature be lower under more stress (which is what lapping can do) gives it the ability to become faster due to the fact that it can then be overclocked to a higher speed (which, in doing so, increases the CPU temp).

[Fencefeet]

^^(sorry ran out of room :O)

So, if overclocking increases CPU temp, and lapping a heatsink decreases it, then technically speaking a cooler CPU can indirectly lead to it having the potential to be faster.

Also, in order to truly understand that all, one has to obviously understand that the hotter a CPU is, the more unstable it is. An unstable CPU means blue screens--which are bad :[

This also all explains why CPU's OC'ed to >5GHz are cooled by liquid nitrogen :]

[bm13245]

Yes, that is quite obvious. My point is that the difference in temperatures from lapping are not great enough to provide people with a faster overclock. I have seen no evidence to suggest that a CPU at 50 degrees is more likely to undergo a BSOD than a CPU at 47 degrees.

Lapping is for the compulsive enthusiasts. It doesn't provide any real world performance enhancement, but it is fun to do, and seeing our temps drop by two or so degrees is nice. I have lapped mine, but I know that it did not-

[bm13245]

-improve performance in any way whatsoever. It is just nice to know it is receiving better contact with the CPU. But that is all it is. Our visual perception of what is happening. If we didn't have grossly inaccurate readings from our motherboards we would not notice a difference.

[Fencefeet]

Well that is to say that you lapped it as correctly as possible (not saying you didn't, just presenting the argument is all :]).

With both my CPU and heatsink lapped I received a very noticeable 12 degree centigrade drop in load temperature, which in fact did allow me to push my CPU a whole 250 MHz further (@ 3.85 GHz currently) before overheating to the point of BSOD's. I do understand though that in real world that extra speed isn't greatly noticeable just surfing around within the OS, but-

[Fencefeet]

-it is in certain games where every little bit of speed counts, and certainly in benchmarking applications (which are important especially for someone like me who builds custom computers for clients--my builds have to be optimally tuned to beat my competitors' offerings).

Again though, I do understand that it really is to each his own. It's no different being a computer enthusiast than a car one really. Why supercharge a Ferrari? Well, one would have to be a car enthusiast to understand :] haha

[Fencefeet]

Woah woah woah guys chill--not lookin to start any fights here with the video :/

[Fencefeet]

^^ Read my above posts and hopefully that will clarify things/settle the argument :/

[Hungerth]

I personally recommend the use of "Low Smell" Kerosene as a cutting agent/lubricant. I prefer it over water or liquid detergent that some people recommend, purely because it doesn't affect the sandpaper and cause it to "curl up" as it dries. The kerosene also makes work MUCH easier and faster. The heatsink/block will glide better over the paper and is far less prone to sticking or catching on the paper causing the paper to tear.

[Fencefeet]

Sure. Just as long as you make sure not to light it on fire by accident :P

No but seriously I actually would agree with this very much so. Any kind of lubricant always makes this process much easier.

[ozi2nvozipride]

wtf is this haha sorry can someone let me know?

[oxus72]

@ozi2, it's about taking a thingy that cools a computer processor really well, and making it cool the processor even better. Then the computer can run faster.

[bm13245]

Please explain how a cooler processor is a faster processor? That makes no sense whatsoever. A CPU with a non-lapped TRUE should be cool enough to not have its overclock limited by temps. Lapping a TRUE is for lower temps ONLY. Not better performance.

[oxus72]

@bm, I realize now my statement was both grossly misleading as well as an irresponsible violation of the intellectual code of pinpoint accuracy, so thoroughly stressed by the distinguished original post: "wtf is this haha sorry ... ?"

I'm resigning all my honors at the Intl Support the TRUEs' Committee (ISTC) as per today. Please forward the urgent corrections to ozi2nvozipride ASAP. The consequences, should he unwittingly act on my flawed info, are simply too dire to contemplate.

[bm13245]

Snore.

[oxus72]

@bm, not to be rude or anything, but you're not that much fun yourself. My first post was a super-simple expl to a guy who was totally clueless. You tuned in there with your sturm und drang hostility and minute details. Spare me ok...

Taking your point at face value however that out of the box TRUEs are sufficient for every possible overclock config - what IYO is the sum of other benefits gained from further enhanced cooling?

[bm13245]

Have you admitted that a CPU that is cool is no faster than a CPU that is warm?

[oxus72]

Technically, the way to know what I have already admitted is to read my posts, not ask me to restate them. Pressing for a new admission begins with "Do you" "Will you" etc, get the drill?

U hold the wrong assumption I've claimed a CPU WILL run faster cool that hot. But I spoke about what a computer CAN do with effective cooling. If you don't understand the difference between the two, try telling overclockers that temp management has no impact on what their CPU CAN do -

[oxus72]

- and hence they can remove every cooling device without affecting performance. They might disagree.

BTW, suppose for the argument I made the crime off sloppily saying WILL instead of CAN? Who really gives a rat's ass? The whole discussion was about giving a clueless guy a clue, not making an essay in heat-pipe placement and planting flags on this or that narrow subject. What does the word misplaced mean to you?

[bm13245]

Wow. You think speaking such nonsense will somehow blind me to what you said? Regardless of this "can" vs "will" load of BS you have come up with, you have still said that a lapped TRUE will/can result in a faster CPU than a non-lapped TRUE. Where is your evidence?

Now please, don't waffle on this time. You made the ridiculous claim. If you can't justify it, then stop making yourself look so stupid. Why on earth you needed two comments to say a load of nothing I don't know.

[oxus72]

@bm "Blind" you to my words? "Justify" my claim? Well, I'm impressed; you clearly know many strong expressions. What Three Musketeers sequel did you go astray from?

On the comment amount, the 500 char limit gives little room for that tiny degree of complexity that causes you such obvious confusion. Also, for a guy who's started out wasting three posts in a row saying very little, you make a lot of noise about me saying a lot more in 2.

[bm13245]

Aren't simpletons entertaining? No relevant content whatsoever, yet you're still so proud of what you have written. Just brilliant.

Now please stop this asinine rambling, and acting as if my reading comprehension is at fault. If you are unhappy with what you originally claimed, admit that you were wrong. Strawman arguments, and rephrasing your original post into a form that does not resemble it's previous stupidity, is simply a waste of both our time.

[oxus72]

@bm as you possibly understand but ignore in order to make more angry pug style charges, the can/will "bs" didn't directly address the TRUE, it responded to your specific request for my "admission" (you supreme cheese ball) of the absent absolute correlation between temp and performance. Since your demand is pointless without the dense idea that I've challenged this, I highlighted that I've never remotely done so. But forgive me for addressing your arguments one by one, the nerve right?

[oxus72]

@bm I'll give I'm no expert on the TRUE specs. My post was not based on any in-depth research, and contained info that hadn't been thoroughly verified. A reasonable imperfection in the given context. Or - translated for your massive capacity for nuance - it was a ridiculous unjustifiable claim that makes me look stupid.

On the evidence side though, if you read Fencefeet's last post, he's making ridiculous unjustifiable stupid claims about measurable performance gains from his lapping. Attack!

[bm13245]

Is that it?

His results are from lapping his CPU and heatsink, thus are completely irrelevant to this discussion. Making both surfaces completely flat and have exposed copper will obviously reduce temps more than just lapping the heatsink. However, not many people are as willing to lap their CPU as they are their heatsink. Not to mention the fact that lapping some surfaces often result in a loss of performance, e.g., the Heatkiller 3.0.

And didn't I ask you not to waffle on with that codswallop?

[bm13245]

Since we are discussing lapping a TRUE, and only a TRUE, Fencefeet's results are void. He has lapped both his TRUE and CPU. Not many are willing to lap there CPU's, so this isn't even a worthwhile comparison, even if it was relevant.

[bm13245]

Not to mention the fact that the contact before lapping is fine since the die is in the centre of the CPU. It doesn't need to cover the entire IHS.

[bm13245]

Most of the improvement in temps can be attributed to the exposed copper, rather than the nickel the was originally there. The CPU is closer to the heatpipes too.

[acefilms2008]

@bm13245 the smoothness of the surface has noting to do with the improvement... its wat bm13245 said that improves it.. thermal paste takes care of uneveness

[MrSeniledementia]

hey

nice vid dude...

I purchased this heatsink 2 days ago and I realized that it doesn't fit in my antec P193 'cause the left side fan and I can't close it. So I am wondering if lapping the heatsink is a possible solution...

Thx in advance

[TheBlitz1]

you would have to lap it so far dude, just remove the fan

[Madblaster89]

no, sorry.

[ludog014]

what kind of temperature changes did you get from lapping, nice vi btw.

[JulzFTW]

Wax on wax off... UP! DOWN!

[LatinoLokaso]

Does the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme include a 120mm fan or do you have to buy it seperately ?

[hootis8]

seperat

[bizilux]

hi, i have a question, ill buy that heatsing in 3 days, from a guy so it wont be from shop...50% cheaper tho...

i want to know which sanding papers you used

you said something about 400 and then i heard you said 1500 when you were showing demo

so im like huge noob for those sanding pappers i dont know anything about them basically

will it be good if i go in store and say give me the finest, second finest and third finest sanding paper?

or im doing that wrong? tnx for info

[2dumb2care]

most people do 400 800 1000 1500 2000 for really fine lapping.

[bizilux]

yeah tnx i figured it out, just dont know if ill buy it, bought razer tarantula and lachesis and destructor so i spent 200€ there :D money isnt such a big problem to me but, if ill want to upgrade me 2.7ghz dual core to 4ghz, ill need

thermalright ultra 120 extreme -50€

4ghz 1066 mhz ram - 60€

new antec 902 case - 110€

3x 14cm blue led silent fans -30€

so im 250€ down again :) ill think about it, 250 aka 300$ thats not so little :)

[dipakmistry94]

wat size fans can you put on the cooler?

[Fencefeet]

just 120mm ones

[racer7xx]

So how much did that cost you in total to lap both? I'm talking the cost of the sandpaper.

I'm wondering if it would be more cost-effective to lap my current setup or just get a better heatsink.

[HAWX9]

Please also mention the items required (esp. the sandpaper specific grit, etc.) in the video description as well. Thanks

[rai900]

Hi, after last set would you use a polish metal??... you´ll finally get a complete flat mirror surface, don´t know, maybe it could achieve better results on FULL, don´t you think?...

Thanks for the vid :-)

[Fencefeet]

sorry for the late response but no you never want to use any kind of polisher on a lapped surface unless it is some sort of thermal grease/polisher combo. the reason is because polisher leaves a thin layer of residue and would create a thermal insulator between the cpu and heatsink. hope that helps and hope you havent done that already :] haha

[pspic04]

do you got the true or the true black i don't know witch 1 is better

[Fencefeet]

neither is better than the other. one (the black) is just supposed to look cooler (so thermalright hopes it does haha)

[SierraHawkProduction]

im pretty new at lapping, this might seems like a trivial question, but do you still need thermal pastes after lapping?

[Quantumjitter]

You do.

[Fencefeet]

Absolutely. Always apply thermal paste to any type of surface requiring a thermal dissipator (heatsink).

[SierraHawkProduction]

if so, whats the point of lapping, doesn't the paste already give full contact between the 2 surfaces?

[Fencefeet]

Simply put, the surfaces of some heatsinks and cpus sometimes come crowned, and if you think about it 2 crowned surfaces can never touch in a flat or flush manner.

Now, thermal paste is intended to be used in the smallest and THINNEST amounts possible because it is only meant to conduct a cpu's heat to the heatsink. Too much actually makes it a heat resistor.

So, for ex if the heatsink surface is uneven it needs more paste to fill in gaps -lapping allows you to use the thinnest layer possible.

[corbono35]

yes

[LordNikonPL]

hey i have same problem. i figured out when i oc my e6750 to 3.6 and the temp was like 62. shoudl i give it back on the warranty or lap it like u ? maybe its gona be better when i lap it cause its gona be better than new one am i right ?

[Fencefeet]

Absolutely. Lapping it would do you a world of good. But before that you might want to see if your heatsink is holding you back. What kind do you have? If it is the stock one that came with your e6750 then upgrade that first.

Just get back to me on what heatsink you have first and I'll give you my advice :]

[LordNikonPL]

i have Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme too. :) even now he makes my e6750 colled.

[Fencefeet]

Alright good good. The cpu has already been burned in so getting a new one won't do much. So in other words yup I say if you want to achieve the best results possible then go right on ahead and lap it :]

[ojomow]

can you recommend me the best config of fans for this cooler?

is it

sycthe->hsf->noctua p12?

[Fencefeet]

honestly you actually only need one pushing fan for the heatsink (aka the fan pointing to the front of your case). I have seen little to no difference (about 1 degree C) when using a pushing fan along with a pulling fan (aka the one pointing to the back of your case). hope that answers your question.

[STRIKER520]

To get it flat as you can use a mirror they have no flaws otherwise the image will be fucked up unlike glass that is almost perfect but hard to tell.

[Febbre46OnlyForRossi]

Remove the cage retention

[Fencefeet]

haha are you commenting me or someone else?

[Febbre46OnlyForRossi]

you!

[Febbre46OnlyForRossi]

Remove the cage retention of the cpu on the motherboard!!

[Fencefeet]

Why should I do that? What does that have to do with lapping?

Hahah did I miss something?

[Febbre46OnlyForRossi]

retention of the cage tends to crush the cpu! Council will remove so that the CPU is perfectly flat!

[Fencefeet]

Haha well that all depends on how much you tighten it :] Plus you want some amount of pressure to be applied to the cpu's IHS because it helps it become even more flush with the heatsink. Also it would take quite a bit of pressure for it to cause damage. I know because I have specifically looked into it haha.

Besides if I did remove it then there would be no way of attaching my TRUE so its a moot point. I appreciate the concern though :]

[Febbre46OnlyForRossi]

u not understand... :P read the pm!

[Fencefeet]

Hahaha youre right I don't I'm sorry. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean by retention cage......??? haha sorry man

[C4b3z0nLsc]

I'm planning getting a TRUE. Can't the process of lapping the heatsink be done in an incorrect way and make a damage forever?.

Anyway, you do it starting from 320? 320 3 times, then 400 3 times, then 600 3 times, etc?,. So 320-400-600-1500?

After 1 time (north, east, south, west), you clean with alcohol?

I'm not sure about doing it to the CPU anyway :P.

[uut0]

you can make a dome shape or a slope but you can correct that

[ArmyofSeaturtles]

for cpu you should start with 600-800-1000-1500-2000

[m0n3y1992]

seems like u havent had a comment in a month, so i thought i should come up with a question.. that is would this Thermalright Ultra-120 fit in my pc??

Hp pavlilion Media Center m8407c

[method526]

probably not.  i wouldnt take the chance.

[m0n3y1992]

thanks

[DrIce926]

Nice, I found this video very useful. I'll be modding my ultra 120 extreme black to fit properly with my AM2 motherboard (using "doglips s-clip mod"), and while it's out, I've decided I may as well lap the heatsink. I'll definitely be referring back to this video a few times.

Lapping your CPU voids your warranty, though, right? And...the etched datecodes, etc. on the processor are erased, right? I was just wondering. I'm still probably going to end up doing both. Thanks again!

[Fencefeet]

Hey no problem, glad to have helped. Yeah unfortunately it does, but that's a small price to pay for the overclocks that you might be able to achieve with a good lap. At least that's how I see it :] and yes all of those little etching get sanded away in the process, so technically if you lap an old e6750 775 socket cpu you could sell it to somebody and tell em its a qx9770.....then run :D haha jk definitely don't do that obviously. Good luck!

[DrIce926]

:( I didn't end up lapping it. My temps were already amazing and I found out the overclocking greatly diminishes any power savings...and since I pay for electricity I'll never OC anyways. I am lame, I know. haha

[DarkAnimeDistortion]

ooo nice ^-^, planning to use that heatsink (know where to get that) for my pelter so i can try to reach -20 f* :)

[Fencefeet]

hahahaha nice. well i suppose if you live in alaska during the winter it may be possible...

[baronofcheese]

what kind of sandpaper did you use? silicone carbide or something else?

[Fencefeet]

oh dang you know i don't remember for sure.....sorry dude. all i know is that it was the absolute only thing that ace hardware had, I just grabbed the highest grits that they had in stock and bought em. the only types of "different" mid-high grit sandpapers i have seen are just dry, wet, or both. haha ive never noted the actual material used in them. sorry again man wish i could be more helpful.

[baronofcheese]

alright, so the important thing to remember is to let heatsink's weight provide the pressure, right?

[Fencefeet]

definitely. its mainly more important for cpu lapping (since they are obviously much more delicate than any hsf) but it applies to heatsinks as well. also just be sure to start with a relatively low grit (something like 220) for just a few sets, it will save you SOO much time.

[h0norebel]

must you lap both cpu and heatsink? now im not too concerned with maximum results because for me its not worth touching my cpu... but if i can get away with just lapping my TRUE then id be more then happy...id heat to have any exposed cores on my chipset....

[Fencefeet]

its all up to you. lapping your heatsink will definitely bring big improvements in heat dissipation (especially with the TRUE), but lapping your cpu will just finish the job.

you would be really hard pressed to screw up lapping your cpu so bad as to expose the die though. you would have to be very VERY incompetent. it would literally require grinding your cpu's ihs against the sandpaper with an obviously absurd amount of pressure to do so. like i said its entirely up to you though :)

[slyslus]

what is the point of this? i know of people doing this..but does it really improve anything?

[hxnncht]

doing it with the TRUE you get 2-5 degrees less on hot quad cores

[Fencefeet]

absolutely. just look up the results on the internet that some people get. i've heard improvements of up to 10 degrees C and more on load temperatures after this mod.

or better yet, give it a shot :D

hah

[baronofcheese]

it might not be worth the time if you're just going to run it at stock speeds, but if your an overclocker or temp freak, then you just have to do this. it's when you overclock though that lapping really shines. I think I hsould say though that not speaking from experience *puts on noobhat*

[Fencefeet]

well said. haha everyone's a noob sometime. at least you know what youre talking about.......

because some people...........oh man.

[baronofcheese]

"how do I connect my headphones to the CPU?" someone actually asked that on yahoo answers

[Fencefeet]

case and point. haha

[777lucky]

Oh god, that take balls of steel!

[Fencefeet]

hahaha nah its not too bad. you just have to kinda get over the hurdle of being confident that putting sandpaper to your precious hardware is only stressful for the first few sets. once you get past that its bad at all. As long as you are careful, follow the wide base of advice everywhere on the internet on how to do it, and just aren't plain blockheaded, you're fine :)

[90102noob]

what kinds of sand paper will i need? If you lapp the heatsink..will you need to lap the CPU also? Wish someone could lapp for me..

[Fencefeet]

you'll need any assortment of about 4 different sandpaper types. The best combination for just about anyone would be 220, 400, 800, 1000-in that order. That's good enough for a great lap job, while also giving you a decent mirror finish too.

haha well if you live near san jose, california then i suppose i could lap it for you because i have my own small computer building/modding business but..yeah i doubt you are haha. its not too bad don't worry. just follow the steps and you'll be good to go.

[Fencefeet]

btw sorry for the late responses everyone, I've been having some major issues with my internet connection lately so bare with me. Thanks!

[baronofcheese]

"bare" with you? so what do, you run a streaking club or something? =P

[Fencefeet]

haha you are on to me

[sanderd]

I've recently assembled my new i7 pc, with an i7 920 and the Ultra120Extreme (with a 1366 mounting kit)

After a few weeks of testing, I've noticed two things:

1)I can still twist the 120 around a bit

2)There's a noticeable difference in the 4 core temperatures (under load).

The 1st problem can be solved by adding a washer between mounting bracket & base of the TRUE.

I was wondering if lapping it could fix the second problem, + if it's necessary to lap my cpu as well (I'd rather not)

SanderD

[Fencefeet]

hey to answer your question, yes lapping could defnitely fix that problem. the way that the i7's dies are made is such that if the IHS is just a little concave in one area it could be an entire core that is being neglected from touching the heatsink. if its really a problem then i would have to recommend lapping the cpu too. either one of them could be crowned.

usually the TRUE tends to be very crowned in the center but your cpu could very well be just as bad. lap you TRUE first though.

[Ipodtouchftwz]

Couldn't you solve this by adding more thermalpaste in the crowned area instead of lapping?

[Fencefeet]

NOOOO

haha absolutely not. if you put more than a paper thin layer of thermal paste on ANY part of the cpu hen it will have the opposite effect on heat transfer. if there is too much of the stuff it will actually insulate the heat produced by a cpu instead of dissipate and conduct it.

so in other words if you "fill in" the low areas then you will be giving yourself an even bigger problem than if you just left it alone.

with any and every good thermal paste lesser is always more.

[IxAMxUNKNOWN]

You don't use like those anti-static wrist bands... I was wondering, is it needed?

Because allot of places that mod computers say to use it, but in their tutorials they never use it.

I'm not sure if it's for profit or what..

[Fencefeet]

haha no no you really should, but in my case i usually just forget. bad habit of mine. in this particular case it doesn't really matter a whole lot since its just basically a big chunk of metal that im handling, but in my other vids of me dealing with my motherboard, cpu, etc. yeah i proably should have.

just a good precaution is all.

[IxAMxUNKNOWN]

Okay..I never do it.. always thought they were just making 8 bucks on bracelets.. which they are... :P

Anyway, I'll use it next time I upgrade my GPU.

THanks ;)

[dogdevil94life]

Hi,

i was wondering if you need to put a bit of water onto the sandpaper (wet and dry)before you start lapping. thanks

[Fencefeet]

it doesn't really matter. personal preference really. i personally prefer not to because i feel like it makes it take way too long, and yet it does nothing a whole lot better than it would if the paper was simply dry.

however, if you did decide to do it wet then instead of using just water, take some dish washer soap and mix just a little bit of it in water to make the sanding action a little more smooth.

[DCDUO]

Great video! You count strange, though xD

[Fencefeet]

hahaha yeah i know. i space out pretty easily when i film these videos. there were a couple of times when i forgot what i was even doing because i was on autopilot. eh i was tired what can i say haha.

thanks

[DCDUO]

Hehe, autopilot.

Merry Christmas :)

[Fencefeet]

thanks, same to you. happy holidays.

[navyseal86em]

nice vid man

[nogood510]

great vid man, im really considering this cooler (just needa make sure it fits on my xfx 680i lt) and everyone on the forums always talk about lapping it. never knew exactly what they meant till now. Quick question: so how many levels of grits do you have to work with from low to high?

[Fencefeet]

hey thanks dude, I appreciate it. To answer your question you can use anywhere from 3 to 7 depending on what you are trying to accomplish. But personally I find that anything above 4 isn't really too necessary. I usually go 220(very few sets), 400, 600 or 800, then 1000 or 1500(depending on how shiny I want it). Anything above 800 is for the mirror finish mostly, it gives basically no extra performance. It's all personal preference. Hope that helped.

[Fencefeet]

Oh yeah and I almost forgot, the TRUE should fit fine on your mobo. Only thing that might get in your way is the nb fan.

As for the TRUE itself though, i can't recommend it enough. If it fits by all means buy it. You won't regret it.

[nogood510]

sounds great man, thanks for the advice!

[jsid7]

coffee filter work nice for cleaning... no lint... nice video

[Fencefeet]

haha very true that would work also.

Thanks.

[Fencefeet]

Hey thanks again. Yeah I saw it on your profile, if it was out when I bought my TRUE I would have grabbed one, but oh well haha. Pretty sweet heatsink.

[RickArter]

Great vid check out my lapped true120 black its so nice keep the vids coming. 5/5