CM Hyper 212+, TIM application and lapping?

[Tristor]

So, usually for small overclocking builds I rely on the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro, this time around though I went with the CM Hyper 212+. The interesting thing about this particular heatsink is that it has a direct-contact heatpipe design. This means that both of my usual methods of applying thermal paste would probably be inappropriate or could cause significant mess. Additionally, I'm afraid that in order to get a significant enough lap to completely flatten the bottom and reduce the gapping between the nickel bottom plate and the heatpipes it may cause thinning in the walls of the heatpipes or other damage.

So my questions are this:

1) Is it safe to lap a direct-contact heatpipe style heatsink, and if so, what are the indicators I should look for to find out if I'm cutting it close on the heatpipe walls?

2) What is the best method of TIM application for this particular heatsink.

For reference, my standard TIM is Masscool Shin-Etsu G751.

 

[Tristor]

Bumping this, as I am planning on starting the lapping tonight (I received the CPU and mobo today). If it's a bad idea to lap this cooler, I don't want to lap the CPU and use an unlapped cooler, so I really need to know what's up.

If all else fails, I guess I can swing by the local computer parts store and see if they have something up to snuff and toss out the Hyper 212. I was hoping to try it out though since I had seen several people say it beat out the Freezer 7 Pro, and it was actually $3 less when I bought it.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

There is a method for applying thermal paste on hdt coolers. Look on benchmarkreviews.com for the process. I wouldn't lap the heatsink personally. Applying the thermal paste correctly dropped my temps 10c. It's a decent little cooler but if you're looking for 4.0ghz on an i7 you'll be disappointed.

 

[Tristor]

There is a method for applying thermal paste on hdt coolers. Look on benchmarkreviews.com for the process. I wouldn't lap the heatsink personally. Applying the thermal paste correctly dropped my temps 10c. It's a decent little cooler but if you're looking for 4.0ghz on an i7 you'll be disappointed.

Do you really think so? I've done 4.0 on an i5 with a Freezer 7 Pro lapped with 2x Panaflo 92mm in push/pull. The Hyper 212+ is supposedly better than the Freezer 7 Pro. If all else fails, I'll swap it for the HSF off my old box and get new brackets (I have a hand-lapped and washer modded TRUE120 with 2x SFF21Fs in push/pull on a Q6600 @ 3.4 in my old box ).

 

[MadScientist]

No lapping needed.
This thread should help:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2059765

 

[Tristor]

I've done some further reading, and now I think I am going to lap this sucker. I'm going to braze the channels between the aluminum fin base and the heatpipes on the bottom using some 6% silver-bearing solder between the channels, then I'm going to lap to 1200. I think if I do this and use the two-lines method of TIM application, that it should have a good result.

Thoughts? I'd really like to at least try this cooler out on the i5, worst case scenario I stick it on my Q6600, clock down to 3.0GHz on it (old box is mainly going to be for storage from here on out) and put my lapped/washered TRUE120 on the i5 instead.

Either way, I feel like I should be lapping this cooler based on my examination of the base surface, and the gaps between the base and the heat pipes concerns me as to its transfer effectiveness.

 

[Homer Simpson]

great thread. i had the same concerns a couple weeks ago when i got this heatsink and couldnt find any info in my googling. so i went with the tried and true single line on the cpu. ran a bit toasty with linX but in normal use wasnt too bad. today, after reading http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.p...ask=view&id=170&Itemid=1&limit=1&limitstart=5 this (linked in the above thread link) i took my HS off and the AS5 didnt spread at all. only the center of my i7 had any goop. the rest filled in the gaps by the pipes. so i cleaned it up and did like the article and filled the gaps up with AS5, then used two strips and put it all back together. cores run about 10-12 degrees cooler with linX. idles about 10 degrees lower too.

 

[RallyMaster]

Three thin lines of TIM on the metal parts in between the heatpipes. Mount the heatsink. Yes, I own one. I've tried numerous application methods and this is what worked best for me. I use dual Yate Loon D12SL-12s.

EDIT: Lapping is a waste of time and money on a $30 heatsink. You'll end up spending $20 for sandpaper and a few hours lapping it down for minimal temperature drop.

 

[Tristor]

Since I already have the sandpaper, and I find the process enjoyable, lapping is never a waste That said, I'm reevaluating my brazing of the gap. I'm concerned even if I apply hot stop to the heatpipes before brazing that I may cause damage to the heatpipes or the fluid inside. In either regard, I think my best course of action may be to do a light lap and apply using the BR method for the TIM, then use this for my Q6600 and use the TRUE on my i5.

I just don't feel confident at this point that the Hyper 212+ will cut it for the i5, where I felt like it would before.