ABIT Doesn't like heat-transfer grease...

[Brian R.]

I don't know if this is normal for ABIT MBs, but both of my ABIT boards (BE6 and BE6-2) have no heat-transfer paste between the 82443BX chip and its heatsink (the green one between the processor and the memory.

I haven't checked to see how hot the chip normally gets, but if it needs a heatsink, in my opinion, it needs grease.

Anyone have an opinion?

[Greebe]

Brian, this is normal... ie just another easy way of reducing cost by reducing a step or three in manufacturing. Just add a dab of HS compound to it and let'r rip!

FYI most MB don't have any... but at least on the Athlon side of things I've found that MSI is the only one to actually use HS compound on the AMD 751 chip.

Also if you want to improve cooling (heat dissipation) use a black permanent marker and color it... and yes that works. Anodizing aluminium is done for several reasons...

1. to harden the surface
2. make it resistant to enviromental oxidation/corrosion
3. improve the "black body effect"
4. cosmetics (colors other than black)

P.S. a light coat of flat black spray paint works well too (just don't apply it thick)

[Brian R.]

I'll bet you're right. It seems ludicrous to place a heatsink without a thermally-conducting interface. I'll bet the chip runs hotter with the heatsink than without (if you don't use thermal grease).

By the way, do you (or anyone else) add heat-conducting paste to this heatsink? Does this chip get hot (440BX or otherwise)?

[This message has been edited by Brian R. (edited 20 March 2000).]

[DuRaNgO[MU]]

The only times you'll see the chip run hot is if you're at 133fsb or higher, I've installed a Lasagna BGA cooler which fits nicely under the cpu heatsink and has pins that pop right in the existing holes, now I just need my MC-1000 to show up!
jim

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Abit BE6 with P3 500 @ 5*124=620
14.6 gb Maxtor ata66 and 128mb ram
G400 vanilla 32mb @ 168/210
Sblive with Altec Lansing speaker combo
384k DSL and Realtek nic
Windows 98se with DX7a
3dMark2000 = 2956
Worn out reset button :O)

[Plmr]

I rip them off and grease em before I install the board ,have done for a couple years.I think it helps .I know the first board I did it to was stable at a higher fsb thab it had been when dry..Smoke them babies till the wheels come off..
Matt

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Abit BF6, P3 600E AT 882,vantec 5030 cooler,256 megs Micron 7.5ns pc133 ram, G400 32meg Dh ,Promise fasttrack striping 2 Quantum ka 18gig's + 2 10gig IBM's ,Sb-live platinum ,Cambridge Fps2000 speakers ,Onstream 30gig tape ,Sony cdrw ,toshiba dvd, Lotsa fans,cables ,noise....

[Greebe]

I always add it... + there is no shortage HS compound over here (I have like 10/1oz tubes of Thermalcote).
Heatsinks do act like heatshields if you don't (especially if there is an air gap).

Durango, I used Loctite "Output" (type 315) thermal conductive adhesive to bond the Athlon heatplate to my "Monster HS".