Uhhh! what next! . . . .and Akihabara, Japan shopping!

[nksmfamjp]

Ok, I'm not as dumb as the title sounds, but I've just started my build and have a few questions. See signature for specs.

1. I put my CPU in at first and it didn't really set in the socket right. I bent the thermle couple slightly and it set ok, was this correct? Abit didn't seem to cover it in the manual and now there is a small mark/scratch on the CPU where the two touch. I assume to get a good temp, they need to touch, correct? I didn't really apply hardly any pressure so I assume it's ok. I'll know later this week.

2. My heatsink is all copper. I assume over time it will tarnish. Do your temperatures start to rise when your HSF starts to corrode? We used to mess with that some in school when looking at heat sinks or radiators.

3. Does your CPU fan blow or suck? If it sucks, how do you set up(intake/exhaust) your fan in this case which rides over the CPU? I think I will do two Delta 80's in the front lower part of the case, 1 Delta 80 exhast fan over the CPU/Video Card and two weaker 80's at the top rear locatrion in my case. How important is the whole positive presure deal? It's to avoid dust right?



Akihabara shopping:

I must throw this in here. I suspect most of you have not heard of Akihabara. It is such a foriegn experience for an American engineer like myself. When I think of electronics, I think of sterile enviroments, anti-static wrapping, stored in a cool dry place, even kind of hands off unless you are building or have a real need to touch.

This was like street shopping like you might do in central America or Mexico. Cases, CPUs, RAM in display cases on the street corner. Power supplies in bins. Racks of cases and moniters all over. Music blaring with guys yelling through fog horns at each store. Most of the better stores are about the size of your bedroom, but filled from top to bottom with every PC part you could want. It was nuts.

I had a pounding headache when I got home, but I probably saved $200 by enduring it all! I bought all my stuff in plastic bags except the memory. As I think about it, static is almost a none issue in Japan due to the humidity. Anyways, I just thought I would post and give you something to think about the next time you got down to "Dr. Sterile's PC Center" and buy that RAM packed in a sealed anti-static wrap, then in bubble wrap and finally in a double thick box. It probably went through a similar market or factory condition in southeast asia here before it got wrapped and put on the boat.

Should be built by the end of the week, I hope!

[Demosthenes]

1. I do not want to say anything about this. If it works, then it works.

2. Unless you are going to expose your heatsink to the elements, corrosion should be minimal. Copper really corrodes under moisture. Since you hopefully will have no moisture in your case, then this is not a problem. If you are really worried about it, you can do a high school electrochem redox experiment with a car battery, your heatsink, and a solution of Ag+. This is a bit overboard.

3. My CPU fan blows towards the processor. In ATX, it is usual for the fans on the bottom to suck air in and the fans in the rear to hot air out. As for positive or negative air pressure, your case should have enough holes in it that it is nearly impossible to hold a non-equilibrium pressure. People will argue otherwise.

Hope this helps.

Respectfully,

Demosthenes

[Alfie]

I have the Thermalright heatsink witha Delta 30cfm fan.
I've set it up to draw air off the heatsink.(suck)
This is not written in stone and the best bet is to try the heatsink fan both ways and see which gives you the lowest temp(variation of 1-3c)

[wedor]

As far as push or pull are concerned I usually find that units setup to pull have a shroud on them to insure air is pulled through the entire heatsink for cooling, while pusher setups already blow air across the entire heatsink so they don't need a shroud.