Lapping, RESULTS as promissed :)

°

°TheMadDutchDude°

Banned
Hey guys, as you know I said I was going to be lapping my CPU. Well.. the kit came today so I gave it a go.

Short taster.. temperatures down by 4 - 8C on max loads ;) expecting 10C due to me having the idle test done this morning with obviously lower ambients, will do it at the same time tomorrow morning to get a better comparison.

I will update as soon as I get home after school! Sorry, just getting this thread up, I will post all of it tomorrow as I got quite a few pictures to upload and I am at my sisters at the moment. Just putting this thread in and will continue to update it as I go along. I currently have it all on my computer so I got to get home and type it up, get pictures done and get some graphs made!

If anyone could please post the link for uploading images to OC3D, thanks :)
 
Thanks for the replies guys, though I am sorry to announce that this is going to take a bit longer than expected.. due to my coursework etc. I expect to get it uploaded later tonight (depends how long I go out for) or tomorrow!

Note on the temperatures: it also dropped 5°C on Core 1 an 6°C on Core 2 :) on idle
 
Sorry guys.. I cannot edit my posts and I know there has been some problems so I am just going to post it here and will edit it out later!

“CPU lapping”. What is it and is it as good as they say?

*NOTE!* CPU lapping INSTANTLY VOIDS your warranty, so do this at your own risk.

First of all, what is “CPU lapping”? CPU lapping is a process which many overclocker’s and gamers alike use. The aim is to get your CPU and your cooler perfectly flat so that it creates a vacuum between the two surfaces. Not many people know about this process, so I am going to do a demonstration to show you how easy it is to “lap” your CPU and get lower temperatures.

As you know, air is an insulator so you won’t be getting the best possible thermal conduction from your cooler. The other bonus from doing this is that you get closer to the CPU core. The CPU is covered in nickel plating. There is a copper heat spreader underneath that which is where you’re aiming to get too.

All CPUs are raised up in different places, some will be more towards the middle where the cores are and some will be more towards the edges which means you’re not getting your entire CPU touching the heat sink giving poorer performance. I will show you what I mean with my CPU during the process.

Required:

• A LOT of time to get a perfect finish

• A CPU/heat sink lapping kit.

• Patience!

I forgot to take a picture of what my CPU looks like, but it is the same as any other Intel LGA775 package, so here is it before I begun to take the layers off:



The first run, as you can see this has taken off a bit of the nickel and now it is starting to reveal where the CPU has been built up in layers compared to the rest of it:



After 400 grit you can see that a lot of the copper has come through and it was built up around the core, as the core is still covered in nickel. This shows that the core was getting the worst cooling which is where it is really needed:



After 800 grit, you can see that the dot has become a lot smaller and it has become flatter because it is reflecting light a lot more which is a good sign:



After 1000 grit, the dot has completely been removed and it is 100% perfectly flat, and once all the scratches are out of the CPU heat spreader it is just like a mirror:



Akasa TIM remover reflected on the CPU.



The bottom end of my AC Freezer 7 Pro reflected in the CPU.



The results!



As you can see, this has had a dramatic effect on the temperatures of the CPU. I did lap both the CPU and the cooler, though I didn’t take pictures of the way that the cooler had developed because it is identical to the CPU, go slow and take your time is the only advice I can give to someone who is looking to do this.

 

The Pros:

• Effectively cools your CPU.

• Easy to do.

• Cheap to buy the kit.

• Good results.

The Mediocre:

• Results can vary from CPU to CPU.

The Cons:

• Time consuming.

• VOIDS your warranty instantly.

By: °TheMadDutchDude°

Thank you for reading, I will update some time soon with a guide on how to do it as well! :)
 
Very nicely done there sir and some very good results to boot.

All in all a very worthwhile lapping in your instance!

I will see what the temps are like on my rig once the blasted GPU's turn up.

ED
 
Thank you :) I did try LOL I got it to boot and complete a 3DMark06 test at 3.5GHz but not sure if I can go higher.. the CPU refuses to boot at 1.6v.

Yeah lapping is well worth it IMO if you're not scared of loosing your warranty!

What GPUs do you have on order?
 
hmm something going from old memories here, but did u finally go over it with something like Brasso ?

Seem to remember it being good as a finer grit polish.

Might be wrong.
 
Nice job, but I would like to point out a couple of things.

1). You are not seeking to create a vaccum, the best insulator known to man (much better than polystyrene etc.) you are trying to make sure there is the maximum surface to surface contact on the heatsink to heat spreader

2). Running brasso over it at the end brings a great shine and gets it beautifully smooth, just be sure to use something to remove the filings and other nasties left over

Not meant as criticism, because you've done a really nice job and a good little review.

Wouldn't think of doing it to my £900 QX9770...
 
I wouldn't think of doing that either but to be honest.. why do you need too? :D they run so cool as it is any way!

I don't know if this is against the rules or anything but I would love to offer a lapping service for people who won't mind loosing their warranty. Can anyone shine some light on that subject?
 
I wouldn't offer such a service to be honest mate. Having people send you £100+ CPU's and then having the possibility of them being damaged accidently... well, i just wouldn't go there :rolleyes:
 
LOL okay fair enough, I do see your point but I wouldn't screw it up, just because their CPU is better. I would want to offer a genuine service but I think that most people would rather have their warranty, don't you?
 
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