This is my lapped stock AMD Socket 754 heatsink



nothing great but just wanna put out some pointers

1) Altho the tutorial said let the weight of the heatsink carry the workload, I suggest using your strength to push it onto the sandpaper. I could not get a mirror shine without the pressure.

2) Doesn't mean you have to work all the way to 2000 grit. I worked from 600 > 800 > 1000 > 1500 > 2000 > 1500. Yes, I worked backwards on the last one cos it seems that the 2000 grit one gave me worse results.

3) Please use only glass to lap on. The flatter the surface, the better the results.

4) If you have money, go for 3M sandpaper. Unlike me, buy those cheap 'cap ayam' sandpaper from hardware store...

5) Don't lift up the heatsink half way to see your progress. This makes the contact point different and when you place it back on the sandpaper, it will be back to square one.

If you have the proper equipment which the most important is the flat glass, then 1 hour also can.... be sure to have everything before you start.


I only used one sheet
Buy good quality one that wont tear easily.

Without that mirror finish, where got puas to see your effort of lapping the heatsink

Its the amazing satisfaction of finding that your metal heatsink is now a mirror.

You put the sandpaper on a flat glass, then you rub the heatsink on the sandpaper.

I do a 90° rotation... but I will rotate back towards the same position in the next 90° instead of letting it go in a circle. Having this rotation gives you that extra shine!

Here is smtg that might help


I dunno if you guys understood what I did? Haha.. I went against the tutorial which said to rotate 90° all around till you get complete circle cos I think that will make the surface uneven due to inconsistency..

*edit*
Btw, after you rotate back then if you wanna continue just rotate 90° clockwise again...
(this is not the best solution but it sure did work for me)

This post has been edited by J-Slade: Jan 14 2007, 01:29 AM

Its true what neoxz said, do it until you are satisfied. For me, I lapped in one direction for 3~4 minutes non stop then pick it up and see the surface. Not flat enough then rotate then continue another 2~3 minutes. Still not flat enough, then rotate back then continue abt 2 minutes. It gets lesser and lesser because the surface gets flatter and flatter as we go along so no need so much effort as before. The proceed with the next grit again at 3~4 minutes and so on and so forth..

Dish washing liquid I only used once before starting a new grit of sandpaper. It is to lubricate the surface. Water I just pour everytime I rotate the thing to clear out the shaved off metal bits from the sandpaper.

Good luck in ur undang test =D look like somebody will be driving soon eh?

Only if you're using al cheapo thermal paste... but I think it shld be the almost same or less cooling. But never more than lapping...

Why not lap your heatsink AND apply AS5 too

My lapped Thermalright XP90
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=393300&hl=