Heatsink modding

[vertical]

Not recommended for CPU or GPU usage means that you should not stick it directly to the chip. Sticking it on a removable metal plate is a totally different case. You can even use permanent thermal adhesive paste to achieve better thermal results.

Well, I will use the Akasa tape since I have it. Don't want to spend more money on that. I will report back when I install the heatsinks.

[kgian76]

With the 5mm on the bottom and the 15mm heat sinks on top my pipo is stuffed! The bottom plate bends!

After 30 minutes stress test with 100% cpu usage using Aida64, top core temperature I got was 61C. Without the 5mm pad I got 69C but I only let the test run for 5-6 minutes. Without the heat sinks I got 80+C.

After i stop the test temp reduces almost instantly to 50C. Idle temperature is around 39-40C.

I could say say I am pleased with the results.

[geppetto61]

... If the case is completely open, you could short the mainboard easier and fry the device. If you do not plan to move your device at all, I guess it could be fine. Try to operate the device without the bottom cover for a while and see if the risk can be justified.

Hi and thanks a lot for the advice.
It is not clear to me if the case bottom "really" contributes to heat dissipation.
Actually given that also the top stays quite cold i think that there is not an efficient contact between the hot parts and the whole case, otherwise it should get at least warm like it happens for heat-sinks.
It is just works as a case not as a heatsink, but i could be wrong.
If this is the case it is just there for protection and some more holes definitely should improve things
Thanks again

[virusX]

Oh gosh, I'm so stupid. I just put a 1.5mm thermal pad on the motherboard under the CPU and PMIC instead of a 5mm .
On the box it says I can stack it, do you think it will be better to take the one underneath the PMIC and stack it over the one placed under the CPU to get a 3mm CPU only pad ?
I still gain almost 10°C going from 80°C max and 73°C average to 72°C max without contact with the case and an only 1.7W/mk thermal pad.

[tonyk3]

Thermal pad. When I bought it, the price was 7$.

$6.55 - 2 days left

[hey69]

http://pages.****.com/link/?nav=item...853145&alt=web


1.82 euro . You can fold it to reach your 5 mm. or leave at 1 mm and put some 4mm metal between pad and case to make contact

[geppetto61]

Hi i think that also keeping the Pipo vertical on the short side should improve ventilation.
It is important to place it on a support in order to keep the lateral ventilation holes of the short side open and about 2 cm from the table.
The air will enter from the side holes near the table, flow inside the case and exit from the upper holes on the other short side of the case naturally for stack effect.



I will try to find something i can use as a support.

[goodhur]

Hi i think that also keeping the Pipo vertical on the short side should improve ventilation.
It is important to place it on a support in order to keep the lateral ventilation holes of the short side open and about 2 cm from the table.
The air will enter from the side holes near the table, flow inside the case and exit from the upper holes on the other short side of the case naturally for stack effect.



I will try to find something i can use as a support.

I was thinking the same. I am planning on making a stand. However, I may try the Ikea fantastisk napkin holder to figure out if it is worth it and what I want to make. I have seen them used to dock laptops.

[geppetto61]

I was thinking the same. I am planning on making a stand. However, I may try the Ikea fantastisk napkin holder to figure out if it is worth it and what I want to make. I have seen them used to dock laptops.

Hi and thanks for the interesting suggestion.
However it is important that the holes on the lower side are left completely open
I do not think that this is the case with the holder looking at it


and given the material of the napkins holder i guess it would be difficult to make holes in its base.

However i think that just two screws, 4 disks and two nuts should work.
I will look in the hardware store tomorrow.
Thanks again.

[loko]

$6.55 - 2 days left

You can also check out these stores:

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/329859/search?SearchText=Thermal+Pad

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/927759/search?SearchText=Thermal+Pad

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/612043/search?SearchText=Thermal+Pad

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/811970/search?SearchText=Thermal+Pad

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/1048703/search?SearchText=Thermal+Pad

1.82 euro . You can fold it to reach your 5 mm. or leave at 1 mm and put some 4mm metal between pad and case to make contact

So the store's relevant products are these:

http://stores.****.com/stimecooling?_nkw=Thermal+Pad


Always check the supposedly real thermal conductivity measured in W/mK.

When you compare prices, check the thickness and of course the total surface area.

[geppetto61]

I was thinking the same. I am planning on making a stand. However, I may try the Ikea fantastisk napkin holder to figure out if it is worth it and what I want to make. I have seen them used to dock laptops.

Hi a very bad execution of the idea ... but the store had a very limited choice of parts
This is just a first try but quite self explaining ...
Unfortunately i have no reliable SW for measuring the actual working core Ts
Kind regards

[blinkone]

i have no reliable SW for measuring the actual working core Ts

Hi you can use this to monitor the cpu temperature
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

[geppetto61]

Hi you can use this to monitor the cpu temperature
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

Hi and thank you sincerely !
after some Netflix streaming i get a max T of 68 C in two of the Atom cores
I will try after some more intensive use but it could go up ... i am afraid
Thanks a lot indeed again.

P.S. Update ... reached 80 C max ....
in my big pc i reach a max of 45 C in similar conditions of use
I guess this of the high T is really an important issue for this little and nice unit reliability ... they should have put a little more attention to this in the design phase
Maybe a better ventilation/heatsinking would have helped remarkably to keep cpu Ts low

[no_spam_for_me]

But a really nice idea

[geppetto61]

But a really nice idea

Hi and thanks a lot for the kind words.
I was too optimistic. I guess that heat-sinking the cpu is really unavoidable as many more experienced users here have already found.
I do not think that a cpu working at 80-90 C for long time has a long lifespan (i am not an expert but usually hight T has a bad impact on parts lifetime).
I will keep on reading this excellent thread.
Thanks a lot indeed for all the valuable advice.