Recommended FAN/HS for broken socket 7?

[SvenskChef]

Help! I was working on my PC when one of the lips that the heatsink is clipped to broke off the socket. Does anyone have any recommendations on a heatsink or fan that attaches directly to the CPU? Is there another option? If you know where I can order one, that would be of help too! -Tim

[CMonster]

There are some OEM fan/heatsink combinations that have a plastic retainer that slips over the CPU, I have one that came on a K6 -166, but I have never seen one in the sotres. It was a bare minimum, worthless, heatsink anyway.

Sometimes you can solder (melt=plastic weld) the broken piece back on and reinforce it if you are carful and really good with plastics. Usually that method doesn't work long because thermo plastics loose some integrity once reheated.

Another, more radical solution, is to go out and buy the BEST heatsink/fan combo you can find and use a good quality epoxy (not the clear 5 minute stuff -- there is actually an epoxy made for this but any marine quality epoxy will work). BUT YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE HEATSINK.

To do this you should gently clean the CPU and heatsink removing all traces of old heat transfer compound, and buff the mating surfaces with steel wool or very fine abrasive cloth, then apply a thin coating of the epoxy to the heatsink and afix it to the CPU..the epoxy itself will serve as a heat transfer compound. Note: YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE HEATSINK.

ONE MORE THING - MAKE **** SURE THE HEATSINK IS CENTERED ON THE CPU EXACTLY AS YOU NEED IT TO SIT WHILE ON THE MOTHERBOARD.

[This message has been edited by CMonster (edited 02-23-99).]

[Eli]

Wouldn't most 2 part epoxiess resist heat transfer? They usually dry into a rubbery plastic. JB Weld is a different type, sort of like a metal-filled epoxy, but I don't know how well it transfers heat either. Standard epoxies would probably be able to peel off, but JB Weld would pretty much be forever.

[JROBERTS]

Computernerd has some epoxy that has copper powder for better heat transfer. I haven't heard very nice things about ordering from them though. Heres a link. www.computernerd.com/chemspec.htm#XA1HTC

[SvenskChef]

I see that Computernerd also has adhesive pads. Anyone have experience with those? Is it okay to clean the CPU and heatsink with alcohol? If not, what should be used.

[CMonster]

You can use an alcohol miostened cloth to clean the CPU, just don't be soaking it in anything.

A good quality epoxy is very dense and usually includes mineral or metalic fillers, they transfer heat fairly well if the film is applied thinly. You can improve the heat transfer by mixing in about 20% volume of aluminum powder (Alum-a-Seal dry powdered radiator stop leak)or titanium dioxide (available at a ceramic supply). Perhaps JROBERTS has the best idea - the copper epoxy.

good luck

[This message has been edited by CMonster (edited 02-23-99).]

[JROBERTS]

I just remembered another place that has thermal epoxies. Heres the link. www.melcor.com/tepoxy.htm

[MrLuigi]

What CPU are you using?
I have one of those fan/heatsinks that attaches to the cpu. There is a plastic retainer "square ring" and the heatsink & fan attaches to it. right now it is sitting on an AMD 5x86 DX5-133 (around the same size as a cyrx or most other socket 7's. My retainer clips is still intact so I can replace this one with anything available out there. Let me know if I can help. I think this will solve your problems because the fan/heatsink does not rely on the side clips to hold together.

[Avedis]

You could put a dab of heat sink compound in center, not too much, and a little tiny dab of super glue on one corner to hold the heatsink in place.

I've done that w/ my AGP card, and Mainboard chipset. works well

~Avedis

[fishboy]

Tiger direct sells a screw on model item# c183-1000 for 5 bucks. 1-800-335-4055. The same thing happened to me with a cheap microstar MB but this was before I found this fan. I wound up getting a new board.