HSF condition

[Duke{CLR}]

I just noticed that the bottom of my Zalman has some scratches. Are these a big deal? If so, what can i do to remove them? Here is a pic.

[Trooper110]

I don't *believe* they should be an issue. Just make sure you get your thermal compound fully in to them, probably easiest to use a rag or paper towel and rub over them a few times. Then of course put your standard layer over that. And you can always monitor temperatures afterwards.

[WalkinTarget]

You could go over the surface with light sandpaper and then an emery cloth to clean it, but the benefits of 'lapping' a heatsink and/or top of a CPU are minimal, but they are tangible for the monster overclock crowd.

You don't just toss a chip in a board and shoot for 4.2ghz without a TON of preparation. Lapping each surface, increasing the cooling capacity and effectiveness, voltage tweaks, voltmods ... its all part of the game to achieving that OC.

Duke, I'm not sure you are comfy sanding the heatsink, so here's the quick and dirty method .. best way is to wetsand it by making the sandpaper wet and then lying it on a hard surface, then rubbing the heatsink on the damp paper, with the heatsink in hand. Rub it in a circular pattern for around 20-30 minutes.

[-IRC-MIKE]

I wouldn't sand it at all but that's just me. The proper thermal compound has microscopic metallic (usually silver) particles in it that will fill these minute scratches as if they weren't there. Sanding it significantly may cause more problems unless you have sandpaper that is measured in 'microns' instead of 'grit'. I don't see those as being too much of an issue.

[Duke{CLR}]

I remember lapping valve seats in a recip engines class I took. There was a large metal plate which we laid the emery cloth on then we would begin the lapping process. I will do all that when I get the new CPU for now I think I will just throw it on there and see what happens.