Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Tiger-Heli on July 12, 2003, 06:51:37 am
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Here's the deal: I have a 16M TNT2 AGP card with a dead fan that should be sufficient for how I use the computer. I have a northbridge heatsink from a dead mobo that will cover the chip. I have Arctic Silver Paste to use between the chip and the heatsink.
Question: How do I hold the heatsink to the chip? There are no good places for drilling holes and using plastic clips. I know there's Arctic Silver Adhesive, and/or Frag Tape, but I can't find it locally. I could order it for about $10/15 (with shipping), but considering a refurb Radeon 64M is $20-$25 from www.newegg.com, this is not a cost-effective option.
It looks like I can glop some glue outside the corners of the chip and hold it on. (good places on the PCB for this).
I am considering the following options:
Wellbond wood glue from Home Depot, should work, but is pretty much a permanent attachment, if that matters???
DAP adhesive caulk (like holds bathroom sinks in), should work.
My wife's hot glue gun and glue - if I can find it and get it to work without dripping glue through the arctic silver, never used one before.
Clear Silicone Adhesive - should work, but I would have to buy this ($4)
Any recommendations on which way to go, other options???
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Dont' use anything not ment to be used.
it will do one of the following.
1) not stick under heat.
2) not transfer the heat well... (really)
3) be conductive and blow your chip
4) eat away at the chip.
Instead... try and find another way...
If there is a heat sync on it, try pressing some of the metal 'fingers' of the heat sync together, and screw the fan into these. this is what I did and it worked great!
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Dont' use anything not ment to be used.
it will do one of the following.
1) not stick under heat.
2) not transfer the heat well... (really)
3) be conductive and blow your chip
4) eat away at the chip.
Instead... try and find another way...
If there is a heat sync on it, try pressing some of the metal 'fingers' of the heat sync together, and screw the fan into these. this is what I did and it worked great!
There is not fan, it's a passive aluminum heatsink. And TNT's don't get extrememely hot. The heatsink will overlap the chip and the glue will not go on the chip but outside the corners of it between the PCB and the sink, so . .
1) Kinda a concern, but the silicone at least should be high temp stuff.
2) Doesn't matter, the artic silver transfers the heat, the glue just holds the sink in place.
3) I don't think the items I mentioned are conductive and it won't be directly on the chip, but otherwise, that could be bad.
4) That could be bad also :-(
So . . .
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a drop of super glue in opposing corners
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I wouldn't do that if I were you...
I know Arctic Silver. It's supposed to be applied in a razor thin layer, and then the heatsink is supposed to be held to the chip surface tightly using springs. If you spread the Silver compound on the chip, and then apply superglue to hold it on, you'll probably end up with a small gap between the compound and the heatsink. (and you won't be able to easily try again.)
If you apply the Silver compound thickly, I don't think it will transfer heat as well. But I haven't tried it that way.
If the chip had a graphics card heatsink with a fan on it before and the fan blew out, I don't recommend using a chipset heatsink with no fan. You should just get a new fan, they're usually pretty standard, and screw in to the heatsink fins just like Lilwolf said.
Or you can just aim a fan at it from somewhere on the case.
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I wouldn't do that if I were you...
I know Arctic Silver. It's supposed to be applied in a razor thin layer, and then the heatsink is supposed to be held to the chip surface tightly using springs. If you spread the Silver compound on the chip, and then apply superglue to hold it on, you'll probably end up with a small gap between the compound and the heatsink. (and you won't be able to easily try again.)
If you apply the Silver compound thickly, I don't think it will transfer heat as well. But I haven't tried it that way.
I have heard exactly what you are saying, however, my experience has been the opposite. I have used Arctic Silver twice now (both times on processors). The first time I applied the AS very thinly as they recommend, and the processor ran hotter than I expected. I took the heatsink off, spread a medium thick (about the thickness of a credit card) layer of AS and the temp dropped about 15 degrees F. I did the same thing (credit card layer) with my processor and saw normal temps (about 15 degrees above case temp, which is about 15 degrees above room temp, i.e. 115-120*F in a 85* room (102 systemp)
I realize this is not their recommended procedure.
If the chip had a graphics card heatsink with a fan on it before and the fan blew out, I don't recommend using a chipset heatsink with no fan. You should just get a new fan, they're usually pretty standard, and screw in to the heatsink fins just like Lilwolf said.
Or you can just aim a fan at it from somewhere on the case.
I don't think it's that critical. In the first place, the card did not have a graphics card heatsink with a fan on it initially. The card had a steel plate holding the fan that blocked almost all airflow to the chip, and that was held on with Frag Tape (or it could have been just carpet mounting tape) that I've long since destroyed. I've been told that these cards don't really even need a fan, but I dont want to chance that. For that matter, the northbridge heatsink only had a little bit of white thermal paste in the center of the chip and the board died from leaky caps, not an overheated northbridge (KT133A board).
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a drop of super glue in opposing corners
I agree. You're not talking alot of heat here. A small dab of superglue in each corner (or maybe just 2 corners) would allow you to "pop" it off if you don't like it.
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you can get Arctic Silver epoxy compound...same heat transfer specs as original Arctic Silver, but it'll stick the heatsink to the chip
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tnt2's don't get that hot... even with a failed fan/heatsink combo on it... maybe you could just attach an 80mm case fan so that the air flow blows either directly or over the dead fan/heatsink....
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you can get Arctic Silver epoxy compound...same heat transfer specs as original Arctic Silver, but it'll stick the heatsink to the chip
I know, but not locally, as I said initially, if I'm going to spend over $10 with shipping for a product, I'd be better buying a refurbed card for about $25 from www.newegg.com
I'm liking the superglue option.
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I used Superglue + Arctic Silver On a GeForce 256 in the very way you are describing. Worked great and has been holding for 2+ years now.
But there's always Duct Tape! ;D