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yukdave

macrumors member
Mar 25, 2017
52
14
Dash Point, WA

leoaf79

macrumors member
Mar 28, 2013
51
7
Hi, guys.
I had to wait for more than a month to receive the bolts that I bought to use instead of those plastic rivets.
Yesterday I made the “surgery”, and everything worked.
72DA6C5C-AA1A-49D1-9CFD-96219B712374.jpeg
 

yurc

macrumors 6502a
Aug 12, 2016
835
1,014
inside your DSDT
I am afraid it would cracking processor board for long terms with fixed bolt nut set above, because with plastic one it would allows slight movement for heatsink when heats up. With metal bolt screwed in place, it doesn’t allow slight movement when heatsink heats up. Same with train railway without gaps.

Somehow I am still preferred push pin solution, when it breaks, I can replaced relatively easy and cheap. Most of PCs north bridge / NIC chips are using this kind of spring retainer design.

But yeah it have retention springs so I assume it would behave like some GPU heatsink retainer, it should be safer compared with traditional fixed bolt.
 
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Shaun Kennedy

macrumors newbie
Oct 17, 2020
2
0
They look perfect. Might have to buy them to just have some around
My diode was at 100C yesterday...no fans! Installed fan mgmnt and cooled it down but still running 85-90C. Funny I hadn't noticed no fan noise in a while...grew immune I guess. Anyways, it looks like I'll be doing new paste stuff soon...did these clips work? Looks like I need to order

clips
IPA (Electronic grade?)
qtips
antistat mat
thermal pad or paste
antistat brush

Please let me know about the clips
 

JohnD

macrumors regular
Jun 2, 2005
150
97
Los Angeles, California
I am afraid it would cracking processor board for long terms with fixed bolt nut set above, because with plastic one it would allows slight movement for heatsink when heats up. With metal bolt screwed in place, it doesn’t allow slight movement when heatsink heats up.

That's not an issue. If you notice, the original springs are used on the metal bolts. No difference between them and the original nylon pins.
 

Shaun Kennedy

macrumors newbie
Oct 17, 2020
2
0
My diode was at 100C yesterday...no fans! Installed fan mgmnt and cooled it down but still running 85-90C. Funny I hadn't noticed no fan noise in a while...grew immune I guess. Anyways, it looks like I'll be doing new paste stuff soon...did these clips work? Looks like I need to order

clips
IPA (Electronic grade?)
qtips
antistat mat
thermal pad or paste
antistat brush

Please let me know about the clips
I ordered the majority of items...now just wondering about the paste or pad....what brand and pad thickness do you recommend? TIA
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,656
8,587
Hong Kong
I ordered the majority of items...now just wondering about the paste or pad....what brand and pad thickness do you recommend? TIA
There is no thermal pad between the NB heatsink and the chip. You only need thermal paste. Any popular thermal paste can do the job. e.g. AS5, MX-4, NT-H1...

The NB heatsink itself is too small, even you go for the very high end thermal paste, the cooling performance still roughly the same.

Spin up the fans a little bit can easily cool down the NB a few degrees. No need to spend too much on the thermal paste. Any non conductive silicone based thermal paste can do the job.
 
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PowerMac G4 MDD

macrumors 68000
Jul 13, 2014
1,900
277
I also recommend these metal rivets. Come with instructions:

Cool they finally have a kit available. When I did this repair, I essentially had to guess as to whether or not the Chinese rivets I had ordered would fit. That which is concealed underneath one of the heatsinks (dual-CPU model) needed its nub and spring-jacket shortened.
 

TzunamiOSX

macrumors 65816
Oct 4, 2009
1,057
434
Germany
Today i have repasted my Northbridge

For snap rivet i have used DIN 7984 M3 x 14mm screws with a flatter head
(I'm really sure a M3 x 12mm is long enough and is the better choice,
because i shortened the screw under CPU-Cooler to be on the safe side)
1.jpg

Between the head and the board i used a washer
3.jpg

M2.5 washer on a M3 screw, perfect.
2.jpg

Screws before shortened. I have used the springs form the original snap rivet.
4.jpg

Thermal paste was Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut. CPUs and Northbridge are around 3-4 degrees cooler at same fan settings.
Bildschirmfoto-2021-06-06-um-06.25.02.jpg


Bildschirmfoto-2021-06-10-um-08.57.56.jpg
 
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KeesMacPro

macrumors 65816
Nov 7, 2019
1,453
596
Today i have repasted my Northbridge

For snap rivet i have used DIN 7984 M3 x 14mm screws with a flatter head
(I'm really sure a M3 x 12mm is long enough and is the better choice,
because i shortened the screw under CPU-Cooler to be on the safe side)

IMO there's no need to cut the screws to a certain length .
You could mount the screws with the heads up and nut down = the other way around.
This way the length is not critical, as long as its more than ~ 13mm.
There's more than enough distance between the pcb and the aluminium plate underneath to use e.g.16mm screws.

It looks like you overtightened the screws a lot.

Looking at the picture it's even hard to tell if there's a spring between the nut and the heatsink!

Before replacing the plastic rivets I measure the distance between the heatsink and the head of the screw and tighten the new screws so that the original distance is maintained.
This way the pressure will be the same as with the original rivets.

Too much pressure will damage the NB die and/or the pcb.....

The Delta NB heatsink- die is 16 degrees after the repaste.
Based on my experience it should be somewhere between 7 and max 12 degrees after a repaste....

Sorry for being critical, best intentions;)
 

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TzunamiOSX

macrumors 65816
Oct 4, 2009
1,057
434
Germany
The Delta NB heatsink- die is 16 degrees after the repaste.
Based on my experience it should be somewhere between 7 and max 12 degrees after a repaste....

Sorry for being critical, best intentions;)

The Delta between NB and heatsink was so bad from the fist day.
Where your experience came from? Dual or Single? CPU frequency? Fan settings?

Before replacing the plastic rivets I measure the distance between the heatsink and the head of the screw and tighten the new screws so that the original distance is maintained.
This way the pressure will be the same as with the original rivets.
Distance is finally near the same, but i think i will bring the head of the screw up like you say before i will wait for your Delta informations.

Is it possible that the contact of the IOH heatsink temp sensor can make the difference (better contact =lower Delta)?
 
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Macschrauber

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2015
2,981
1,487
Germany
just re-pasted a Dual 3,46 Six Core Board

Northbridge from 20 Delta to 12. Paste was dry as a bone.

before:

20 grad delta northbridge in idle.png



after:
12 grad delta northbridge in idle.png




I used Nylon Clips
 

TzunamiOSX

macrumors 65816
Oct 4, 2009
1,057
434
Germany
Now i have added a thermal pad to the sides of the IOH

Typ: Gelid 1,0mm 15 W/mK (sorry, no real picture)
Bildschirmfoto 2021-06-11 um 05.43.54.png

This bring down the the temp to 65°C (with my Intake & Exhaust settings) and the delta is now around 13 degrees
Bildschirmfoto 2021-06-11 um 05.47.35.png

With standard fan settings 75°C, before it was 80°C
Bildschirmfoto 2021-06-11 um 06.05.28.png
 
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Macsonic

macrumors 68000
Sep 6, 2009
1,709
100
Previously helped a client with his Northbridge temperature problem. I replaced his old plastic rivets with stainless steel nuts and bolts and reused the springs. Before the fixing, the temps were at 87°C. After repasting a new thermal paste with the stainless steel nuts and bolts, the temperature went down to 70°C

North-Bridge-1.jpg
 
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MIKX

macrumors 68000
Dec 16, 2004
1,815
691
Japan
My 4,1>5,1 N.B. cooling experiences.

Currently I use the nut+bolt + original springs + non-conductive washers

gets interesting from post#15

 

Macsonic

macrumors 68000
Sep 6, 2009
1,709
100
My 4,1>5,1 N.B. cooling experiences.

Currently I use the nut+bolt + original springs + non-conductive washers

gets interesting from post#15

Thanks for sharing your well written post and helpful photos in showing a cooling method for the Northbridge. Good to know the nut and bolt, washers can work.
 

Valdaquendë

macrumors regular
Nov 7, 2018
113
48
Oregon, USA
Just my 46 cents, here. I have just finished completely refurbishing 2 Mac Pro (5,1 - 2010-2012) CPU trays (and am about to do a third) and have had to deal with this problem. In both cases, the original plastic rivets and springs were intact but, after reading numerous reports of failure over time, I sought a more permanent, reliable and (hopefully) elegant solution. The following approach solved the problem for less than $0.50:

1) I carefully used pliers to squeeze the barbed end of the original rivets and coaxed them through the PCB holes. Then carefully removed the springs, without ruining the barbs, and set the rivets aside for possible future emergency use (although, with the solution I arrived at, I cannot imagine when I would ever use them - "waste-not, want-not", I guess).

2) Replaced each spring-rivet with an M3-.5mm x 14mm stainless steel button-head screw and an M3-.5mm stainless steel nylon-insert locking nut, re-using the original spring. A length of 14mm is perfect; a 12mm length will compress the springs to (or past) their limits; a 16mm length will contact the CPU tray.

IMG_4152.jpg

(NOTE: I read this how-to article on ifixit.com in which the author used 16mm screws and had to drill a hole in the tray to accommodate the excess screw length but the excess length is just that: excess. I avoid invasive operations unless there's an excellent reason to perform them. The author also used normal cap-head screws and used washers under the screw heads to properly retain the springs; a button-head screw has a very flat, larger-diameter head that is perfect for the spring, obviating the need for washers (looks more elegant, too). Also, he used a nylon washer on the bottom of the PCB but, as tsialex pointed out, the bottom is a ground plane anyway and requires no such insulation.)

3) Cleaned and applied thermal compound to the Northbridge chip (of course).

4) Assembled, adjusting the tension to close-to-original by ensuring that the distance from the bottom of the button-head of the screw to the PCB surface was equal to that of the original spring-rivet (about 9/32") This resulted in a spring pressure that approximates that of the original quite closely.

IMG_4153.jpg

As you can see, the fix is permanent, trouble-proof, easy to disassemble/reassemble, if necessary, and elegant. The next illustration shows the nuts under the PCB in the assembled CPU tray; as can be seen, the 14mm screw length results in full engagement of the nylon locking insert with a minimum of protruding thread and plenty of clearance between the screws and the tray itself.

IMG_4155.jpg

Here are the parts labels with complete specs for those who may find this approach desirable:

IMG_4160.jpg

There are, of course, many ways to solve almost any problem; this one works and works well and is very economical (the total cost of the project was $0.46).
 

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motomuso

macrumors newbie
Dec 11, 2021
10
6
Lots Angeles
Valdaquendë, this is a most informative and straightforward treatment of the Northbridge heat sink pins question. The photos are a huge help, especially the hardware packages. This is so much better than waiting a week or so for something to show up as it's now just a quick trip to the local (Ace) hardware store. Thank you!
 
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