Lapping kit?

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aLdaRiS

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May 4, 2007
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hi guys, i got an e4300 ( i think i got a good cpu it goes up 2 400fsb could go higher but i havent really tried it, but im really thinking into lapping my cpu, i was gonna buy the lapping kit they sell @ frozencpu, but i dont really feel like waiting a week to get that... since theres a home depot really close to my house i figured id go there, now what i wanna know is what do i need... lol like what kind of sandpaper 🙁 are there any classes? how do i ask for it? and most important how do i lap? do i lap my cpu only? or my heatsink also (zalman 9700nt) how many sandpapers do i buy? what kind of sandpaper? I'd really appreciate your help guys, since i have no clue about lapping 😛 i wanna push this chip as far as i can... :) thank you for your help in advance 😀
 
Here's 2 lapping guides I found:

Lapping Guide #1
Lapping Guide #2

Now, there are some discussions on 1 of those guides as to how far you should go when lapping. Some say that it's best not to go for a 'shiny' finish (2000 grade for example) and just lap up to 600-800 grade. The important thing is to get the surface flat . However, I don't want to get involved in that discussion as I am not an expert in this area.

The most important thing is to have a flat surface to work on. Glass is the preferred surface, but a marble work surface should be just as good.

Another suggestion I saw was to only lap in 1 direction (so push away, then lift and replace, then repeat) rather than pushing and pulling. Of course it's still necessary to rotate 90 degrees at regular intervals.

I personally bought the glass paper separately (I would imagine this would be cheaper than a 'lapping kit'). The grades I found were 320, 500, 800 and 1200 (probably won't go further than 800 though). Recommended is 400, 600, 800, then if desired 1000, 1500 and 2000. Glass paper has a black surface (don't get sandpaper - that's for wood 😛 ). The grades should be printed on the back of each sheet. The only other thing you need is washing up liquid (and time - and a drink).

I haven't got round to actually lapping yet, as I am waiting for some additional components before stripping down the pc. However, I intend to lap both the heatsink and the IHS (cpu) after checking first for flatness (drop of water on a glass surface, place the object on the water and check the other side of the glass).

Let me know how you get on as I'm interested in your results. I'll post mine also once I'm done.
 
well i'm probably gonna try this today or tomorrow weekend the latest lol, :) i got a question though, since ive seen sum guides that say you should wet the paper, and others sayin that dry paper is fine, imma have to get my hands on some glass 2 lol 😱, im going to get the sandpaper or glasspaper lol w/e is calld 2day for sure, ... so by washing up liquid u mean? like shampoo? or sumthin like that? im really excited 😀
 
Well, I would personally wet the paper. The main reason for me would be to make sure that the paper sticks to the surface you're working on (ensuring it's flat), although it should also help reducing the friction when moving the hs/ihs (together with the washing up liquid).

And yes - washing up liquid is the stuff you use to wash dishes the old fashioned way (if you don't have a dishwasher) :) . I'm sure most soap-based products would do as it's only intended to reduce the friction so that you can move the object easily across the glass paper.
 
I just used this instead of sandpaper
DIAMOND LAPPING COMPOUND
It's pricier than sandpaper but works damn well.
I did use a piece of glass but I also used a figure "8" pattern and got my heatsinks real flat, and mirror polsihed smooth. No pitting at all.

-ouch1
 
so i was lookin for that "glass paper" in home depot for a good half hour, and i didnt find it, most of the ppl didnt kno what that was... i basically broke it down for them i told them it was like sand paper, and its used to lap metal but they didnt kno 🙁 im going to wal mart later, and if id ont fidn it there ill go to an autobody detail store ;p
 
Exactly right, wet and dry sandpaper usually comes from the auto paint supply store. They have grits all the way to 3000 here.I found the 1500 or 2000 is the best final lapping, depends on the pits and scores which need to be removed. Arctic Ice recommends a glossy surface with no scratches or blemishes anywhere. My subjective experience says 2-3 degrees cooler with the proper thin coat of Arctic Ice, but it takes 100 hrs of operation to get the full benefit.
 
When you find out where to get it would you mind letting me know? I haven't been able to find it anywhere around here. Home Depot looked at me like I was a nutter...
I've reeeaallyy been wanting to lap my waterblocks and stuff and I don't want to have to drop 15-20 bucks on the frozencpu kit.
 
Since you are located on my sandwich, I would need a GPS to help :lol:
But I have another tip, since you only need about 1 4x5 inch piece for the whole job, try stopping by local body shops and buy or beg one piece of 1200 or 1500, they all have lots of it.
 
yeah if they look at you blankly maybe just ask for wet and dry sand paper its not actually sand but well anyway its black instead of brown you'll know it when you see it.
 
wet/dry sandpaper from an auto parts store like autozone or advanced auto and etc.... they have it for fairly cheap. A piece of glass for the flat surface, pexi-glass will do. or laminate counter top might do. An old spray bottle "windex" or something. plain water works well, but keep the paper very wet so the heat-sink will slide easy. Start with low grit and work up. say 800 - 2000. the way I did my heat-sink and proc is a circular motion at first until i got to 1200 grit, and then back and forth strokes. is this the correct way :?: who knows but it worked very well for me. heat sink has a mirror finish and super flat. to find out if you have a flat surface when finished lapping is to hold the heat-sink up and look into it like a mirror and find a straight line; such as a "over head power line, porch rail, road sign post" and etc...if those items look wavey or jagged in the reflection, then the HS surface is not flat. Keep a bucket of clean water beside you to wash the filings off of the paper. Just take it nice and slow, it takes time. and O-yea, apply even pressure when lapping, and dont press to hard! Good luck! Hope this helps at least just alittle 😀
 
Just ran out to Ace Hardware and picked up some 600 1000 and 1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper. $2.50 for the whole project!

Now for some beer and alone time with my water blocks....
 
so i bought one 320 one 600 and one 800... so okay... i have to wet the paper right?, then instead of washin up liquid can i use soap or shampoo?... lol =) im not going for a mirror like finish but im going for a flat finish :)
 
I sent to Auto Zone and got a pack of 4 grits, 400,600,800,1200 or something like that I cant really remember, it was $4 and I used my glass coffee table to lapt it on. Those kits are a waste. I lapped mine for $4 + tax. You don't have to lap it to a mirrow finish, just so it is flat and relatively smooth. The thermal compound will fill in any tiny flaws.

Some people like to make a mirror finish for some reason.. Like they are going to do their makeup in IHS of their CPU.
 
I sent to Auto Zone and got a pack of 4 grits, 400,600,800,1200 or something like that I cant really remember, it was $4 and I used my glass coffee table to lapt it on. Those kits are a waste. I lapped mine for $4 + tax. You don't have to lap it to a mirrow finish, just so it is flat and relatively smooth. The thermal compound will fill in any tiny flaws.

Some people like to make a mirror finish for some reason.. Like they are going to do their makeup in IHS of their CPU.
Click to expand...

how did it work out for u?, did u only do the cpu or also the HSF?, and what bnout my question 😀 could i use like shampoo or sumthin like that instead of washing up liquid?, as far as i kno u only need that to decrease teh friction right?
 
Wet or Dry Sand paper, sold at auto parts store, home depot, ace hardware...., it is everywhere. Recommend glass, thicker is better. Only smooth glass. Marble, you must assume or hope it is ground true.

U should use distilled water as wetting agent to minimize any unwanted mineral residuals left behind.

I would use denatured alcohol as a cleaning agent. You do not want any residue, minerals or oil left on the die, wear surgeons gloves. You want nothing to interfere with or insulate the union of the heat transfer surfaces

As a former machinist, the most effective method of lapping (as one person noted) is to lap in a figure 8. The main thing is, keep it flat and in full contact at all times, Frequently flush it with new water to wash off the debris.

As you lap, if you are holding the die flat, the high spots will be effected first, when all areas appear to have been smoothed, it is done, Go to finishing grade paper. I personally would not over due lapping, only enough to tru the surface. Some write ups will talk about thinning the die for more effective heat transfer. However, thin too much and loose the surface and you have what for a heat transfer surface.

As a machinist, when removing material from a surface, you always knew the thickness of the material and how much of a margin you have. Are your measuring the material you are removing? Right, your not. How do you know how much you have removed? Just a thought.

My two cents worth on the subject
 
Well, I finally got round to lapping my cpu and hs, so thought I would give some feedback.

Firstly, I would just like to say that it was no where near as much fun as I thought it would be 😛

OK, with that out of the way...

During the lapping process, I was able to confirm that both my hs and cpu were convex (cpu about a central point, hs along the same axis as the heatpipes).

With the pc back together, I am not noticing any drop in idle temps (they were very good to start, so wasn't really expecting anything here), but the load temps seem to be a tad lower (3-5C).

One thing I have noticed, however, is that the retaining mechanism for the cpu is now pulling the edges of the cpu ihs down at 2 points along 2 sides:

[code:1:b452046a70] _________
| X |
| |
| |
| |
|____X____|

[/code:1:b452046a70]

I noticed this when replacing the hs and I noticed the pattern left by the tim (like a figure 8 shape). Note that I did put very little tim on the contact surfaces.

Now, this may be due either to a weakening of the ihs due to the lapping process or excessive pressure by the retaining mechanism (or maybe a bit of both).

Personally, I'm not too concerned with this as the retaining mechanism can easily be removed if necessary, but it is worth bearing in mind for others that are considering lapping the cpu.

Overall, it was an interesting experience, and not at all difficult. I managed to survive the experience with minimal injuries (it's not a good idea to lap your thumb). However, I would probably think twice before considering doing it again.
 
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