Good tutorial but definitely wrong about the wax. The only things that should ever go on the heatsink are isopropyl alcohol (or similar cleaner) and thermal paste. I lapped my processor to a perfect mirror finish without wax. The secret really is to use high grate sand paper. Start low at 220-400 and work the whole way to at least 1500 grit, preferably 2000 grit for a perfect mirror finish. Happy lapping :)
i sanded mine in circles n i used a sheet of glass with sand paper on to get mine flat, its nice and flat but my temps got worst, i aparently overlapped it :S
i only used 1500 paper, im going to try again using only a forward motion and with 2000,2500 grit sand paper if it works il try it on my heat killer rev3 :D
You will need to lap your CPU as well. Is what happens is that the CPU isn't perfectly flat either, that's why the heat sink is made rounded on purpose, that way they will match up more evenly. So lap both heatsink and CPU for best results.
If you notice, most CPU's are actually rounded in the opposite way that the heatsink is... or more techinically, in the same way. both are bulging, or crowned, so there's a significant gap either way. But yeah, for best results you need to lap both the heatsink AND the CPU, but I'm not sure I would use this particular video's method for doing the CPU.
Actually if you look through the cpu lapping videos you will notice the edges sand off first. I have noticed on my newer cpus that they have been rounding the edges down.
I also forgot to mention that you only need around 500-800 grit sandpaper max. I have read tons of lapping articles over the years and all bench testers have shown they get no better results. I go 250Gritt, 500, then 600. I also have a small piece of glass so I can put it under the faucet to help keep the sandpaper cleaner.
neither of them such. they were pretty much neck and neck in the tests, sometimes the noctua came out ahead (like in anadtech's tests) and sometimes the thermalright came out ahead. neither of them suck. in fact Id even go as far as to say that they both represent the current pinnacle of air cooling (just one part of it of course, but what a part they make....)
oh yes...Ive seen the pics of it. concave nickel ridged base.....an overclocker's nightmare. then again any overclocker who knows head from his ass will lap a heatsink.
I'm not understanding your logic for sanding at a low grit in one direction until all the scratches are in one direction. I know that you are getting rid of the unevenness of the base but couldn't it then be possible that one side of the heatsink gets more/less sanding due to inconsistencies in either the sandpaper or whatever you're lapping on top of?
Uhh, yes. Apparently you're ignorant on this topic. For maximum cooling, you should lap both the heatsink base and the processor. In fact, if you knew anything, you'd know you are lapping the processor's HEATSPREADER, not the processor itself. The heatspreader, in case you didn't know which I am assuming of course you don't, is the copper nickel-plated piece of metal directly on top of the cores.
it's not necessary, but some people still do. But unlike what ryanfox said, you can do it and a lot of people do. If you do, it won't change your temps by a lot, but it will get your the lowest temps if u are willing to do the work
Most enthusiasts do lap the processor but some of the biggest issues with it is that you most likely will void your warranty and have to be much more careful when lapping a processor compared to the heatsink.
on another video some guy said he got 3.9ghz on AIR COOLING with his q6600, which at default is 2.4ghz. sounds very good if done correctly. i'll be trying it when i buy my new parts!
I'd usually grind down with 200 till it's as flat as something I know that is 100% flat (to get out Concaves/Covexes). Then I'd take 400 to smooth out, then 600 to finish off before getting up to like 2000 and some alcohol or wax...
Using a polishing compound is a big no-no! Sure you'll get a nice finish that "looks purty" but the point of heatsink lapping is to make the surface flat so your processor transmits more heat to the heatsink. Rubbing Compound will just stay in the pores of the metal you sanded & cause less heat to be conducted. DO NOT do this step. I personally lapped my 120 Extreme with 80->200->400->800->1200->1500->2000 grit sandpaper, washed it with some rubbing alcohol & called it a day.
using turtle wax or any other polishing compound defeats the purpose of lapping the heatsink. it makes the thermal interface worse, because the extra polishing compound is "absorbed" into the microscopic pores of the heatsink. you don't want that.
Your tips really helped a lot. I was just getting ready to do it for the 1st time when I found this. The sanding in one direction and turn 90 degree method is great. I started with 220 grit like you suggested. It made it much easer to get it flat. I spent over an hour getting that part right. Then I went up in grit. It turns out saw only like 1 degree improvement or zero? But my hsf was pretty flat to start with. Still, the video made sure I did it right. Thanks again :-)
U have 2 use isopropyl alcohol or lighter fluid afterwards 2 clean up the base. U don't have 2 use turtle wax. Its just an example of polishing compound.
turtle wax polishes because you leave it on... as in on a car to protect the paint... It may polish ya cpu but only if you leave it on which wouldn't be any good...
if you want 5-7 degrees cooler and a tighter fit, then yeah. Thermal compound can only go so far. Besides, this heatsink is nickle plated on the bottom so the copper is not revealed, which means less conduction and less heat transfer away from the CPU. I lapped mine and I run an e2160 dual core at 18 C stock
Wet and dry papers will go as fine as 4000 grit now. But I think if you use 1200grit, then 2500 grit as a final, then use some 3 micron Diamond compound ( not turtlewax )on a Chemotextile cloth or a woven silk cloth with PSA, stuck to your lapping plate, you will end up with a finish that is mirror.
Use " Wet and Dry" Silicon carbide papers, some call them carborundum sheets. Use water on the paper to keep it lubricated and it stops the paper loading up also.Glass is generally not that flat. Better if you have a Cast Iron Lapping plate that has been lapped on a Lapping Machine. But how flat do you need these things? We lap our Mechanical seals to 2 Helium light bands. ( 1LB = 0.000293mm )Also, we were always taught figure of eight motion also.
If you lap it on a machine then doing a figure 8 is fine because the machine can do it evenly. But if you're doing it by hand you're going to cause it sand more on one side because you put more pressure pulling in and pushing out than side to side. Also doing it one direction at a time is so that you can see how flat the surface is.
A figure 8 is not a good way to lap your heatsink. It's because if you do this figure 8 motion there's no guarantee that you're doing it evenly across the surface.
i have lapped b4 but tried this hs unlapped with a qq6600 and got good results .. 3.2ghz oc 23 deg idle... so might be worth a try altho i still thinking about lapping....
I wouldn't call a 1 mm bulge, which is often the case on these Thermalright 120 Extremes, microscopic.
Anyway, cheers for the tutorial, I really need to lap mines as well it wobbles when I put it on a glass plate :/ Pity it doesn't come perfectly flat for such a prize.
been wanting to know how to lap heatsinks since I got my volcano 7+ :D
and knowing how much of a heatsink guru you are, you can probably guess the year since I've been looking for a PROPER EXPLANATION of the lapping process....
P.S. I couldn't care for mirror finish any less xD
Yea lapping an IHS is pretty much the same. For the IHS you wanna use some WEAK tape to cover the pads at the bottom if its a core2. U have to be extremely careful if its a CPU with pins. Don't try to push too hard or u might accidentally bend the pins. For the CPU u really just have to keep lapping till until you reveal all copper on the top surface.
Yea I probably should've mentioned it earlier. Yes you do void your warranty if you lap your hsf or cpu. The likelihood of either breaking is low but its a risk.
thx gr8t help, will lapp my today :D
ExitPro 7 months ago
military grade cotton oil will keep the copper from tarnishing.
KeithWasHere1 8 months ago
man u need food and some money for a real computer ! mod freak
jimVblogg 1 year ago
Terrible how-to
zomgwtfbbqbagel 1 year ago
just go in 8
RenegadeFury 1 year ago
400 grit wet and dry in a circular motion takes about 5mins thats how i do all mine and always have and works great
VCcommy 1 year ago
Good tutorial but definitely wrong about the wax. The only things that should ever go on the heatsink are isopropyl alcohol (or similar cleaner) and thermal paste. I lapped my processor to a perfect mirror finish without wax. The secret really is to use high grate sand paper. Start low at 220-400 and work the whole way to at least 1500 grit, preferably 2000 grit for a perfect mirror finish. Happy lapping :)
nzpc2005 1 year ago
i lapped mine a long time ago and it ended up making things worse :(
too impatient and the thing is too topheavy. my bad lol
Jordankewl 1 year ago
just buy a zalman 9900 it comes with a perfectly polished mirror base
GoodDay2YouSir 1 year ago
i used to use my ex girlfriend's chest to lap, you need a flat surface right?
tucsondog 1 year ago 16
a good tip, is draw on the bottom with a black marker. When all the marker is gone you know youre just about done.
NANAKISONOFSETO 2 years ago
hmmm one question....if i lap the heatsink is it necesary to lap the procesor to or?....or can i just lap the heatsink and that's it...?:D
kalfreak3 2 years ago
It would definitely help.
MisterBaz1 2 years ago
so if you lapp the heat sink do you lap the processor?
oldmanwhithers 2 years ago
It wouldn't hurt to.
MisterBaz1 2 years ago
A mirror finish isn't necessary unless you're not using TIM.
importsXsuck 2 years ago
you dont need to polish it,its pointless but lapping does help alot
solidsnake123 2 years ago 2
I learned something with your video, Thanks buddy. :-)
zastechluvr 2 years ago
i sanded mine in circles n i used a sheet of glass with sand paper on to get mine flat, its nice and flat but my temps got worst, i aparently overlapped it :S
devourment8800 2 years ago
check if it is wobbly, if it is, look up the washer mod,
denyag 2 years ago
overlapped? You will love the pennymod then =]
NoobsAreUsh 2 years ago
i only used 1500 paper, im going to try again using only a forward motion and with 2000,2500 grit sand paper if it works il try it on my heat killer rev3 :D
devourment8800 2 years ago
that must have taken a while lol
importsXsuck 2 years ago
You will need to lap your CPU as well. Is what happens is that the CPU isn't perfectly flat either, that's why the heat sink is made rounded on purpose, that way they will match up more evenly. So lap both heatsink and CPU for best results.
rmjohnson144 2 years ago 2
If you notice, most CPU's are actually rounded in the opposite way that the heatsink is... or more techinically, in the same way. both are bulging, or crowned, so there's a significant gap either way. But yeah, for best results you need to lap both the heatsink AND the CPU, but I'm not sure I would use this particular video's method for doing the CPU.
xerophinity 2 years ago 2
Actually if you look through the cpu lapping videos you will notice the edges sand off first. I have noticed on my newer cpus that they have been rounding the edges down.
I also forgot to mention that you only need around 500-800 grit sandpaper max. I have read tons of lapping articles over the years and all bench testers have shown they get no better results. I go 250Gritt, 500, then 600. I also have a small piece of glass so I can put it under the faucet to help keep the sandpaper cleaner.
rmjohnson144 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme- more like ThermalWRONG!
Noctua NH-U12P rules, TRUE sucks. if you disagree then you can suck my dick
dunlrock 3 years ago
I'll be happy to cut it off for you.
MGlBlaze 2 years ago
i disagree, but i chose not to suck your dick although you offered.
n11lc 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
TRUE sucks
Noctua NH-U12P rules
dunlrock 3 years ago
neither of them such. they were pretty much neck and neck in the tests, sometimes the noctua came out ahead (like in anadtech's tests) and sometimes the thermalright came out ahead. neither of them suck. in fact Id even go as far as to say that they both represent the current pinnacle of air cooling (just one part of it of course, but what a part they make....)
baronofcheese 3 years ago
do u no how bad the TRUE's base is?
dunlrock 3 years ago
oh yes...Ive seen the pics of it. concave nickel ridged base.....an overclocker's nightmare. then again any overclocker who knows head from his ass will lap a heatsink.
baronofcheese 3 years ago 4
I'm not understanding your logic for sanding at a low grit in one direction until all the scratches are in one direction. I know that you are getting rid of the unevenness of the base but couldn't it then be possible that one side of the heatsink gets more/less sanding due to inconsistencies in either the sandpaper or whatever you're lapping on top of?
Bioquakee 3 years ago
what kind of stuff do i need to buy? what kinds of sand paper am i going to need?
90102noob 3 years ago
wet and dry, 400 grit will do
teepeeformybunghole 3 years ago
I made a lapping vid if you'd like to see, I used up to 2k grit
Xezmer 3 years ago
if you lapp a heat sink.. do you have to lapp the procesor to?
90102noob 3 years ago
uhh, no. it sounds kinda stupid to take SANDPAPER to a PROCESSOR
ryanfox0276 3 years ago
Uhh, yes. Apparently you're ignorant on this topic. For maximum cooling, you should lap both the heatsink base and the processor. In fact, if you knew anything, you'd know you are lapping the processor's HEATSPREADER, not the processor itself. The heatspreader, in case you didn't know which I am assuming of course you don't, is the copper nickel-plated piece of metal directly on top of the cores.
JoffyMusic 3 years ago
it's not necessary, but some people still do. But unlike what ryanfox said, you can do it and a lot of people do. If you do, it won't change your temps by a lot, but it will get your the lowest temps if u are willing to do the work
ericeng91 3 years ago
@OP
Most enthusiasts do lap the processor but some of the biggest issues with it is that you most likely will void your warranty and have to be much more careful when lapping a processor compared to the heatsink.
Bioquakee 3 years ago
...until... all ur base are belong to us...
maxsoderstrom 3 years ago
nono hee is soo right, i didnt think about it.
thymen121 3 years ago
One shouldn't put any weight on the cooler, right, pressing down and so on? Just let it use it's own weight?
msaloen 3 years ago
how much effience i gett from lapping a cpu cooler?
soddycool 3 years ago
on another video some guy said he got 3.9ghz on AIR COOLING with his q6600, which at default is 2.4ghz. sounds very good if done correctly. i'll be trying it when i buy my new parts!
KOkun 3 years ago
it depends on the HS
if u lap the HS u would get about 3-5 c
but if u lap the cpu u would get 3-10 c
CRAKIZGOOD 3 years ago
sweet, nice job
calsonicSTi 3 years ago
oh I just use a nail file.
haha just kidding
tbolshevik 3 years ago 3
Someone on youtube did though :o search for My Lapped Intel Quad QX9650... he = epic failure :) oh and nice tutorial.
surefirefan 3 years ago
I'd usually grind down with 200 till it's as flat as something I know that is 100% flat (to get out Concaves/Covexes). Then I'd take 400 to smooth out, then 600 to finish off before getting up to like 2000 and some alcohol or wax...
MasterFire84 3 years ago
if you start off with 400 and sand the shit out of it, u will get the same result as 200 right??
SeikoPsycho 3 years ago 3
Using a polishing compound is a big no-no! Sure you'll get a nice finish that "looks purty" but the point of heatsink lapping is to make the surface flat so your processor transmits more heat to the heatsink. Rubbing Compound will just stay in the pores of the metal you sanded & cause less heat to be conducted. DO NOT do this step. I personally lapped my 120 Extreme with 80->200->400->800->1200->1500->2000 grit sandpaper, washed it with some rubbing alcohol & called it a day.
groharlem6 3 years ago
what do you mean by these numbers: 80->200->400->800->1200->1500->2000
im new to lapping and i wanna learn how to lap my AMD heatsink.
yotufreaka 3 years ago
those are the grits like 400 grit sandpaper
bbrookstuntmen 3 years ago
using turtle wax or any other polishing compound defeats the purpose of lapping the heatsink. it makes the thermal interface worse, because the extra polishing compound is "absorbed" into the microscopic pores of the heatsink. you don't want that.
fightinfilipino 3 years ago
If you use soap on the sandpaper, it actually makes the heatsink GLIDE, i lapped mine by just twisting the heatsink in circles. Worked very well.
bumthology 3 years ago
Your tips really helped a lot. I was just getting ready to do it for the 1st time when I found this. The sanding in one direction and turn 90 degree method is great. I started with 220 grit like you suggested. It made it much easer to get it flat. I spent over an hour getting that part right. Then I went up in grit. It turns out saw only like 1 degree improvement or zero? But my hsf was pretty flat to start with. Still, the video made sure I did it right. Thanks again :-)
jz33040 3 years ago
turtle wax? sure thats a good idea? how do you get the wax back off?
moomar1 3 years ago
U have 2 use isopropyl alcohol or lighter fluid afterwards 2 clean up the base. U don't have 2 use turtle wax. Its just an example of polishing compound.
ineedaname4 3 years ago
turtle wax polishes because you leave it on... as in on a car to protect the paint... It may polish ya cpu but only if you leave it on which wouldn't be any good...
moomar1 3 years ago
you're thinking of the WAX not the polishing compound.
ineedaname4 3 years ago
lol 3:49...
thanks didnt know you had to rotate it gradually. I was gonna go right away and do it straight.
adrienspawn 3 years ago
is lapping really necessary?
greekpanther1 4 years ago
if you want 5-7 degrees cooler and a tighter fit, then yeah. Thermal compound can only go so far. Besides, this heatsink is nickle plated on the bottom so the copper is not revealed, which means less conduction and less heat transfer away from the CPU. I lapped mine and I run an e2160 dual core at 18 C stock
ClosetMonster3 3 years ago
Wet and dry papers will go as fine as 4000 grit now. But I think if you use 1200grit, then 2500 grit as a final, then use some 3 micron Diamond compound ( not turtlewax )on a Chemotextile cloth or a woven silk cloth with PSA, stuck to your lapping plate, you will end up with a finish that is mirror.
nudenuts 4 years ago
Use " Wet and Dry" Silicon carbide papers, some call them carborundum sheets. Use water on the paper to keep it lubricated and it stops the paper loading up also.Glass is generally not that flat. Better if you have a Cast Iron Lapping plate that has been lapped on a Lapping Machine. But how flat do you need these things? We lap our Mechanical seals to 2 Helium light bands. ( 1LB = 0.000293mm )Also, we were always taught figure of eight motion also.
nudenuts 4 years ago
If you lap it on a machine then doing a figure 8 is fine because the machine can do it evenly. But if you're doing it by hand you're going to cause it sand more on one side because you put more pressure pulling in and pushing out than side to side. Also doing it one direction at a time is so that you can see how flat the surface is.
ineedaname4 4 years ago
@nudenuts 2 helium light bands?
KeithWasHere1 8 months ago
and u dont have to lap it in same direction I use a pattern of 8
RenegadeFury 4 years ago
A figure 8 is not a good way to lap your heatsink. It's because if you do this figure 8 motion there's no guarantee that you're doing it evenly across the surface.
ineedaname4 4 years ago
When u move to 400 do u also have to go 360 with the heatsink? Like u showed with the 200?
supratje 4 years ago
Thanks ineedaname4!
PureVisionAZ 4 years ago
i have lapped b4 but tried this hs unlapped with a qq6600 and got good results .. 3.2ghz oc 23 deg idle... so might be worth a try altho i still thinking about lapping....
yakont 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I rather not lap, I rather cover the microscophic holes using the thermal grease by rubbing it in heatsink and then wiping off any excess grease.
ish718 4 years ago
I wouldn't call a 1 mm bulge, which is often the case on these Thermalright 120 Extremes, microscopic.
Anyway, cheers for the tutorial, I really need to lap mines as well it wobbles when I put it on a glass plate :/ Pity it doesn't come perfectly flat for such a prize.
Druskq 4 years ago
doesn't it comes flat ?!?!?! ...
gafrancisco 4 years ago
been wanting to know how to lap heatsinks since I got my volcano 7+ :D
and knowing how much of a heatsink guru you are, you can probably guess the year since I've been looking for a PROPER EXPLANATION of the lapping process....
P.S. I couldn't care for mirror finish any less xD
P.P.S. is lapping IHS the same way?
saberj2x 4 years ago
Yea lapping an IHS is pretty much the same. For the IHS you wanna use some WEAK tape to cover the pads at the bottom if its a core2. U have to be extremely careful if its a CPU with pins. Don't try to push too hard or u might accidentally bend the pins. For the CPU u really just have to keep lapping till until you reveal all copper on the top surface.
ineedaname4 4 years ago
Sorry if this is a dumb question but does this really void your warranty lapping both the hsf and the cpu?
auzzy121 4 years ago
Yea I probably should've mentioned it earlier. Yes you do void your warranty if you lap your hsf or cpu. The likelihood of either breaking is low but its a risk.
ineedaname4 4 years ago
Yea the process for the cpu is the same though I would suggest using some weak tape like scotch tape to cover the base.
Ur right that polish can add resistance to the base but that's only if you don't properly clean it afterwards.
ineedaname4 4 years ago
You should not use the tape, you can use a hand, holding the sand paper on the glass
and the other hand is to push the heatsink in one direction.
Nail Polish acts as a acid, eating the metal dusts that was scraped off the sandpaper. It is very helpful as cleaning agent.
ESCOMMODORE64 4 years ago
Polish adds to the resitrance not a good idea
RenegadeFury 4 years ago
It is good idea.
Supposely if you don't have the resistance, then you don't lap it properly.
ESCOMMODORE64 4 years ago
This is really helpful vid m8,tnx for hosting this.
I'll lap my heatsink and Q6600.
The process for the CPU is the same right ?
dfsdfdggfgg445fd 4 years ago
That is correct.
ESCOMMODORE64 4 years ago