How To Lap Your CPU/Processor
"Lapping" a CPU involves removing the nickel plating on the IHS (integrated heat sink) from the processor.
Due to manufacturing variations, the IHS on processors may be slightly concave or convex. This results in an uneven contact with the heat sink which degrades cooling by a moderate margin.
If you're an enthusiast who loves to overclock, lapping your processor is a very good idea.
Not only is it the cheapest cooling upgrade you can perform, it is also the most beneficial when looking at the price/performance ratio. The extra cooling may even allow you to overclock your processor further because of the increased cooling.
In this guide, I lapped an Intel Q6600 G0.
Before lapping, I was only able to overclock the processor to 3.2Ghz maximum temperature under load was 70°C for Core 0 and 69°C for Core 1.
Ideally, you want to keep the CPU temperature below 70°C. After lapping, the maximum temperature under load dropped to 62°C for Core 0 and 57°C for Core 1, a maximum decrease of 12°C - quite a large difference!
Because the temperature had dropped so much, I was able to bump the CPU voltage up even more and further overclock the CPU to 3.4Ghz.
The first picture shows temperatures before lapping and the second picture temperatures after lapping the processor.
Instructions
Lapping your processor is very easy and requires very little skill.
All you need is some 600 and 1000 grit sandpaper, commonly
found at your local auto parts or ACE hardware store.
IMPORTANT:
Make sure you discharge yourself of static electricity
before touching any computer component, especially the CPU.
Static electricity can permanently damage computer parts.
To discharge yourself, touch something metal, such as your
PC case, or use an anti-static grounding bracelet.
Remove the CPU
First, remove the CPU from your system. Clean off any thermal
paste from the processor. I like to use rubbing alcohol and Q-tips.
Then you will want to protect the underside of the processor from
dust and debris. To keep things simple, you can simply use a
piece of paper cut into the shape of the processor.
Tape the piece of paper to the underside of the processor using
electrical or masking tape. In the picture I used a cotton cleaning
cloth, but paper is more abundant and will work just fine.
Lay the 600 grit sandpaper across a completely flat surface.
A wood table would not be the best surface to use because of
the pits and valleys in the wood itself. Instead, use a mirror or glass table top.
Turn the processor upside down and start sanding off the nickel
plating from the integrated heat sink using a side-to-side motion
Do not sand using a circular motion, as this may cause the
surface of the heat sink to be uneven. After about 10-20 swipes
back and forth across the sandpaper, turn the processor 90° and
sand an additional 10-20 times.
Repeat this until you have almost completely removed nickel
plating (as shown in picture).
Once you get to this point, switch your sandpaper to 1000 grit
and use the same sanding process to remove the rest of the
nickel plating.
You're finished when the nickel plating is completely gone and
nothing but copper is exposed. At this point, the lapping process is done.
If you want, you can use higher grit sandpaper, such as 2000 grit, to
finish the copper on the CPU to an almost mirror-like appearance.
However, that step is completely uneccessary and provides no
performance gain; it is only for cosmetic purposes.
The picture above shows the CPU after it has been lapped with 1000 grit
sandpaper (excuse the dust).
Install your CPU and apply thermal paste as normal. If you wish,
you can also lap your heat sink using the same process.
This probably will not help cooling as much as lapping your
CPU, but there probably will be a gain nonetheless.
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