Gap between heat sink and Northbridge??

I've been messing around with a couple FX laptops, P-6831 and P-171s. They appear to be essentially the same machine + or - a few minor details. Anyway, ever since I had a 6831 a few years ago I was under the impression that the Northbridge had a big gap between it and the heat sink. I was cleaning my heat sink off again and grumbling because I had used the last of my ICD7 on my other one and wondering if I could get by with AS5. So I put the sink on without any paste and the board out of the case to look at the "gap". The gap is so narrow I can't even slide a piece of paper between it. Is the thermal pad or ICD7 really necessary on the Northbridge? This is not the same gap as the gaping chasm between the sink and the video memory.

 

The gap is thin, if you add paste to the chip it increases a bit. The problem is with any gap there is no preasure between the HS and chip. Thin normal pastes will then easily either boil out or worse thin to the point there is no contact at all...............

 

Well.. I had tube of MX-2 not AS5. As I recall, MX-2 is better, but not sure about how it compares to ICD7 as far as gap coverage, the MX-2 seems thicker than AS5. Also, is the TZS0 in HWMonitor the Northbridge or is the NB temp reading not really available in HWM? Right now with the MX-2 I'm getting about 42C - 52C on TZS0.

 

At first it should be fine. The problem is heat will thin MX2 and eventually it will seep or boil out. Keep a god eye over time on the TSZx temps..................

 

OK, so for now the MX-2 should be better than the stock thermal pad on the NB right? Since there is no actual pressure on the chip from the sink we are relying on the thermal conductivity of the paste/pad? The stock pad I wiped off was totally flattened and squished out the sides. Do you know the life of MX-2 before it starts to break down? I thought better stuff like MX-2 and ICD7 were 5+ years before breakdown.

 

no, the thermal pad is better as it would provide constant temp control, MX2 over time will degrade...............

 

Do you know the max safe temps on TZS0 and TZS1? I got a thermal pad and my temps are now like 43c - 56c, up a few degrees from the MX-2.

 

Here is a screen shot of HWMonitor after running for the past 15 hours maybe. I was playing the Beta of SWTOR and I ran Heaven 2.5 a few times. I just reflowed this GPU yesterday, but did it for much longer than I have before and I used a generous amount of no-clean flux this time. I used MX-2 on the GPU and CPU and a thermal pad on the NB. Not the best temps I've seen on the NB, GPU temps I think are pretty good.

 

man y NB temps go upp to 85 with ICD7 and i need a thermal pad but i cant find any in greece. they look ok

what is your CPU. mine does not heat up above 60-65 while playing but when i compile in gentoo it can go up to 80 as for GPU yes it goes up to 80. stalker call pf prypiat heat it a lot like 85 and crysis 1

 

My CPU is a T9300 ES.

 

yes the temps are OK. but mine are not for some reason one core stays like 5C hotter i have to check the thermal paste i believe i will buy a new one.