Hey man, put this howto somewhere on the net. :) From Dave Gregory to 'suse-linux-e@suse.com' about [SLE] [OT] Athlon Processor:

haha.. this is the second email I have recieved so far and I am actually able to help!!!

As you can tell, I am new to this mail list, and I am also new to running linux... BUT!! I am not new to cooling AMD processors. I would be willing to bet money that your problem is not the processor and it is not the fan either... It is the way they are seated to each other. Yes.. that is what I said... two good products that are MADE to fit.. but they do not.

Personally.. I used the stock AMD processor for a month before I added my ThermalTake because I was afriad that the "better" HSF (heatsink/fan unit) would overheat the processor because it would not seat to the HSF correctly. I had to Lap the fan and the CPU (just dont tell anyone I lapped my cpu.. I dont want my family to know.. heheh)

Here is what you will need to do. 1. Firstly... remove the cpu and the HSF.

2. Do my special trailer trash CPU test by putting the two back together in your hand.... now look at the gap between them, pointing the cpu/HSF to a light source. What you are doing, is seating the cpu and HSF just like they will be when on the mobo. do you see any light gleaming through the cpu and the HSF? Now turn the unit 90 degrees and do the same.

The purpose in this, is to find out if the cpu and the HSF are touching 100% or not. Typically they are not... (mine was way off... glad I never put that HSF on until I lapped it.)

3. Get 350 grit and 600 grit wet sandpaper and some thermal paste. (can be found at Home Depot in the paint section) (the thermal paste will be at your local Radio Shack.. cost ya a buck to two)

4. Find a STRAIGHT surface to put the sandpaper on. Typically, the best surface is a glass table, but I used my desk.

5. Wet sand the HSF. You will prolly want to tape the cpu clamps up, so they don't get in the way of the sanding. Use the 350 sandpaper, lay it on the table/glass and put a bit of water on it. Start sanding the bottom of the HSF in a circular motion.

First thing you will notice after sanding for about two minutes, you will see EXACTLY where the HSF surface is beveled. keep sanding until you have a flat surface on the HSF. then finish off with 600 grit. (same process as the 350 grit) This process will probably take about 1/2 hour. When done, clean off that bad boy and admire your reflection in it... hehe. (not really.. you will get a reflection with 1000 grit but that is just wasted time IMHO)

6. do the Trailer trash test again. remember to turn the hsf/cpu 90 degrees together and check again.

7. If the two are not seating correctly still, then you are in for a big decision. You can try and add some thermal paste and see if it will compensate for the gap between the cpu and HSF, OR you can sand the cpu like I did. (keep in mind, this is a uncalculated risk) I did it with my 850 athalon that cost me 90 bucks... That is a somewhat expensive risk, that I was willing to take. If you find that you want to sand the cpu, I suggest doing it with 600 grit on the same section you sanded the HSF with... (the sandpaper will be alot less gritty there) and use lots of water. DISCLAIMER: this is not for the faint hearted... This process can render your 1.XX gigahurtz cpu into an expensive keychain trinket.

Hopefully you wont sand the cpu and you will do just fine by sanding the HSF and you will get the results mine did. (using the default HSF, it was barely touchable because it was sooo hot, and once I had the lapped ThermalTake I was feeling like the computer was not even on anymore, that is how cool it kept the CPU... I was amazed)

Anyhow... good luck and let me know if you need any other information or pictures or what not.. davidg@theparlor.com

Thanks dave

-----Original Message----- From: Curtis Rey [mailto:crrey@home.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 11:16 AM To: Guy Van Sanden; suse-linux-e@suse.com Subject: Re: [SLE] [OT] Athlon Processor

Steven is right about being very careful about applying the fan to the CPU. Make sure that the fan is specifically for the Athlon chip you have. I've heard too many stories about either putting on generic cpu fans and/or using

a little too much force when mounting/setting the fan and then cpu into the board. Athlons are notorious for cracking the cpu in these instances - they

can be a bit fragile. You can do it as long as your mindful and cover all your bases.

HTH. Cheers. Curtis

On Wednesday 30 May 2001 08:14 am, Guy Van Sanden wrote:

...

Hello

I know this is off topic, but I just bought a new PC (for Linux), but I suspect that the guy who sold it to me isn't completely honest. So, I need some help, and I've always found friends here. The thing is, my wife has been saving for a long time to give me a decent Linux machine (for my birthday, cause my old one was getting real slow for what I use it for), and I really don't want it to break down in a couple of years.

My system is an Athlon 1.333 GHZ with a ThermalTake Volcano cooler. (- Abit motherboard, to be replaced with an Asus which was out of stock - VIA chipset - Award bios) It should cool the CPU down to about 30�-40�C (specially when idle), but my CPU is constantly running at 56�C - 60�C... Even when idle (same on full load). I thought the kapmd-idle thread would keep it cool? But that guy claims that isn't so for an Athlon (only Intel). He also claims that this temperature can do no harm to my CPU, but I doubt that. Searching the internet indicates that temperatures like that shorten the life of an Athlon (most of my systems run up to 10 years, about 4-5 years with me, and than past on to family members), and on many sites, the ThermalTake volcano is rated very good (should cool to 30-35� when idle).

He claims I might be able to get my CPU cooler by running (once) a windows utility that can set a register on the chipset to make it run idle when not loaded? Does anyone know if this is true?

I also fear that the CPU might be a lower type (1-1.2, overclocked to 1.333), is there any way to check this?

I'm sorry about posting this topic, but I really need help.

Thanks for any ideas!

Guy

-- To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq and the archives at http://lists.suse.com

-- dieter

OK, I know I can easily find out the temperature of my (Athlon 850) processor by shutting down Linux and going to the bios setup screen. But is there a way to check the temperature from a running [Suse 7.1] Linux system? Paul

Thanks Dave

But I'm somewhat afraid to mess with it myself.  I just bought the 
machine, with one year warranty...
I'm afraid that I loose my warranty by doing what you describe, and 
not in the least of breaking something (I haven't done anything like 
that before)...

Thanks very mutch for your reply, and it would be great to see that on 
a website... ;-)

Kind regards

Guy

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

On 30/05/2001, 20:40:19, Dave Gregory 
 wrote regarding [SLE] [OT] Athlon 
Processor:


> haha..  this is the second email I have recieved so far and I am 
actually
> able to help!!!

> As you can tell, I am new to this mail list, and I am also new to 
running
> linux... BUT!!
> I am not new to cooling AMD processors.
> I would be willing to bet money that your problem is not the processor 
and
> it is not the fan either...    It is the way they are seated to each 
other.
> Yes.. that is what I said...   two good products that are MADE to 
fit.. but
> they do not.

> Personally.. I used the stock AMD processor for a month before I added 
my
> ThermalTake because I was afriad that the "better" HSF (heatsink/fan 
unit)
> would overheat the processor because it would not seat to the HSF 
correctly.
> I had to Lap the fan and the CPU (just dont tell anyone I lapped my 
cpu..  I
> dont want my family to know.. heheh)

> Here is what you will need to do.
> 1. Firstly... remove the cpu and the HSF.

> 2. Do my special trailer trash CPU test by putting the two back 
together in
> your hand....  now look at the gap between them, pointing the cpu/HSF 
to a
> light source.  What you are doing, is seating the cpu and HSF just 
like they
> will be when on the mobo.  do you see any light gleaming through the 
cpu and
> the HSF?  Now turn the unit 90 degrees and do the same.

> The purpose in this, is to find out if the cpu and the HSF are 
touching 100%
> or not.   Typically they are not... (mine was way off... glad I never 
put
> that HSF on until I lapped it.)

> 3.  Get 350 grit and 600 grit wet sandpaper and some thermal paste.   
(can
> be found at Home Depot in the paint section) (the thermal paste will 
be at
> your local Radio Shack.. cost ya a buck to two)

> 4.  Find a STRAIGHT surface to put the sandpaper on.  Typically, the 
best
> surface is a glass table, but I used my desk.

> 5.  Wet sand the HSF.
> You will prolly want to tape the cpu clamps up, so they don't get in 
the way
> of the sanding.  Use the 350 sandpaper, lay it on the table/glass and 
put a
> bit of water on it.  Start sanding the bottom of the HSF in a circular
> motion.

> First thing you will notice after sanding for about two minutes, you 
will
> see EXACTLY where the HSF surface is beveled.  keep sanding until you 
have a
> flat surface on the HSF.  then finish off with 600 grit. (same process 
as
> the 350 grit)  This process will probably take about 1/2 hour.  When 
done,
> clean off that bad boy and admire your reflection in it...  hehe.  
(not
> really..  you will get a reflection with 1000 grit but that is just 
wasted
> time IMHO)

> 6.  do the Trailer trash test again.  remember to turn the hsf/cpu 90
> degrees together and check again.

> 7.   If the two are not seating correctly still, then you are in for a 
big
> decision.   You can try and add some thermal paste and see if it will
> compensate for the gap between the cpu and HSF,
> OR
> you can sand the cpu like I did.  (keep in mind, this is a 
uncalculated
> risk)  I did it with my 850 athalon that cost me 90 bucks...  That is 
a
> somewhat expensive risk, that I was willing to take.  If you find that 
you
> want to sand the cpu, I suggest doing it with 600 grit on the same 
section
> you sanded the HSF with...  (the sandpaper will be alot less gritty 
there)
> and use lots of water.
> DISCLAIMER:  this is not for the faint hearted...   This process can 
render
> your 1.XX gigahurtz cpu into an expensive keychain trinket.

> Hopefully you wont sand the cpu and you will do just fine by sanding 
the HSF
> and you will get the results mine did.  (using the default HSF, it was
> barely touchable because it was sooo hot, and once I had the lapped
> ThermalTake I was feeling like the computer was not even on anymore, 
that is
> how cool it kept the CPU...   I was amazed)

> Anyhow... good luck and let me know if you need any other information 
or
> pictures or what not..   davidg@theparlor.com

> Thanks
> dave

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Curtis Rey [mailto:crrey@home.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 11:16 AM
> To: Guy Van Sanden; suse-linux-e@suse.com
> Subject: Re: [SLE] [OT] Athlon Processor


> Steven is right about being very careful about applying the fan to the 
CPU.
> Make sure that the fan is specifically for the Athlon chip you have.  
I've
> heard too many stories about either putting on generic cpu fans and/or 
using

> a little too much force when mounting/setting the fan and then cpu 
into the
> board.  Athlons are notorious for cracking the cpu in these instances 
- they

> can be a bit fragile.  You can do it as long as your mindful and cover 
all
> your bases.

> HTH.  Cheers. Curtis

> On Wednesday 30 May 2001 08:14 am, Guy Van Sanden wrote:
> > Hello
> >
> > I know this is off topic, but I just bought a new PC (for Linux), but
> > I suspect that the guy who sold it to me isn't completely honest.  So,
> > I need some help, and I've always found friends here.
> > The thing is, my wife has been saving for a long time to give me a
> > decent Linux machine (for my birthday, cause my old one was getting
> > real slow for what I use it for), and I really don't want it to break
> > down in a couple of years.
> >
> > My system is an Athlon 1.333 GHZ with a ThermalTake Volcano cooler.
> > (- Abit motherboard, to be replaced with an Asus which was out of
> > stock - VIA chipset - Award bios)
> > It should cool the CPU down to about 30°-40°C (specially when idle),
> > but my CPU is constantly running at 56°C - 60°C...
> > Even when idle (same on full load).  I thought the kapmd-idle thread
> > would keep it cool?  But that guy claims that isn't so for an Athlon
> > (only Intel).  He also claims that this temperature can do no harm to
> > my CPU, but I doubt that.  Searching the internet indicates that
> > temperatures like that shorten the life of an Athlon (most of my
> > systems run up to 10 years, about 4-5 years with me, and than past on
> > to family members), and on many sites, the ThermalTake volcano is
> > rated very good (should cool to 30-35° when idle).
> >
> > He claims I might be able to get my CPU cooler by running (once) a
> > windows utility that can set a register on the chipset to make it run
> > idle when not loaded?  Does anyone know if this is true?
> >
> > I also fear that the CPU might be a lower type (1-1.2, overclocked to
> > 1.333), is there any way to check this?
> >
> > I'm sorry about posting this topic, but I really need help.
> >
> > Thanks for any ideas!
> >
> > Guy
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com
> > For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com
> > Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq and the
> > archives at http://lists.suse.com

> --
> To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com
> For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com

> Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq and the
> archives at http://lists.suse.com

> --
> To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com
> For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com
> Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq and the
> archives at http://lists.suse.com