Hello, World! :D - Robert B's PC builds - oogle away freely :) - OLD Hardware Emporium

[Deleted member 185158]

Hm, weird, I remember having some problems when I tried this 940 BE on it.

ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA / ALiveDual-eSATA2 Note

Strange, that cpu would have run on the P2.80 bios opposed to the P3.00+ that most of the other Phenom II chips where supported.

That board did not support 140w Phenom processors however, but I'm not aware that the 940BE was ever 140w. Think they only made 125w versions of that chip. (don't quote me, I'd have to look)

 

[Robert B]

You got also an AM2NF3-VSTA?! Wanna have some competition?

Tho I have about the fastest hardware it can carry on, heard there's problems running Phenoms with it..

For me to enter a competition I would need two of them just in case one kicks the bucket. I have the details regarding modding it from Mr. Scott

I have a Phenom II X4 960T that I didnt try to see if it works. This should be interesting. My board has the latest BIOS P3.30

If we are talking about "newer" HW I'm waiting for some S775 goodness to arrive. As usual it will be restored to perfection. Lots of copper on this puppy. That Pentium 955 that I got a while ago is in need of a suitable motherboard even if is not a Core 2 Extreme CPU. An Intel EE is still something out of the ordinary.

 

[Ruru]

Strange, that cpu would have run on the P2.80 bios opposed to the P3.00+ that most of the other Phenom II chips where supported.

That board did not support 140w Phenom processors however, but I'm not aware that the 940BE was ever 140w. Think they only made 125w versions of that chip. (don't quote me, I'd have to look)

965 BE C2 is the only 140W Phenom II there was. First gen had also a 140W 9950 BE.

 

[biffzinker]

I have a Phenom II X4 960T that I didnt try to see if it works.

Did someone mention having a Phenom II x4 960T? Highest I can go without L1 Data Cache WHEA errors.
Picked the Geforce GT 730 for the more recent drivers being the last for Windows XP compared to the last driver for the Geforce 250 GTS I also have.

 

[Robert B]

'Illusions of Existence' - Liquid Drum and Bass Mix

I.P.A. or the story of the illusive 100%

From time to time, to spice things up, I like to set some "targets" that are easier or harder to achieve, depending of the situation. One thing is certain tough, no matter the difficulty the satisfaction is always the same. OFF THE SCALE! These old components are like a part of my soul and body. I say soul first and body second. I've read about them, I've laughed at them, I lusted over them, I owned them ... heck, they are like an old friend. You sometimes can see someone 20 years later and still have that "connection" even if you weren't in touch with each other. True friends are illusive too like that 100%! But I digress ...

In the AGP tribulations? series I was a little too ambitious and in the end I didn't get that 100% success rate with components bought from the flea market. Lately, that 100% thing kept popping up in my mind and I wanted to cross it off my list. So, I waited for the opportune moment and I made my move. This came in the form of the I.P.A. episode. Was I able to achieve that illusive 100%?

What does I.P.A. stand for? It has nothing to do with Isopropyl Alchool 99%, even if I "snorted" a lot of that stuff, so form where does it come from?

I. - ISA - Industry Standard Architecture
P. - PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect
A. - AGP - Accelerated Graphic Port

I think that you already know that we are going to deal with graphic cards in this episode.

Let's meet "the victims".

1. VGA ULTRA(I) Trident TVGA8900C 1MB ISA
2. INTERGRAPH Intense 3D 100 Rendition Verite V1000-E 4MB PCI
3. LEADTEK WinFast Geforce 2 MX SH PRO 5ns Ultra Speed - Geforce 2 MX 400 32MB AGP

All have been bought from the flea market, at about the same time, some days apart. No mistery here.

Let's see if they were all still alive and kicking and if I was able to return them to their former glory ...

Let's get on with the show!

VGA ULTRA(I) Trident TVGA8900C 1MB ISA

Something about the ULTRA and Trident being on the same PCB made me shrug just a little bit but I didn't complain about the 1MB of video memory.



These older components are more "organic" and it is a pleasure to work with them.

Also, the older parts are from the "Die Hard" category and they keep on going no matter what.

Some spit 'n' polish later.



Lights! Camera! POWER!



In regard to the state of the Trident 8900C I didnt have any doubts and even since I laid my hands on it I said to myself: this is working 100%!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2uqpr5b56/

INTERGRAPH Intense 3D 100 Rendition Verite V1000-E 4MB PCI

Intergraph. This is a name that you don't see too often at the flea market.

Rendition. Again a name that doesn't pop up too often at the flea market.

When I saw this card I was like a kid in the candy store. It was a package deal with a SK7 motherboard, an ISA modem and a CT2830 sound card. The asking price was very low. Lucky me!

The card didn't look too well. Scratches all over the place and some rust here and there. Looking sorry for itself. Have no fear Robert B is in here!



Straight as an arrow.



Rust be gone!



The bracket wasn't chromed so I was able just to sweeten a little the traces of the contact with water and the inevitable passing of time.



Some sessions with fine polishing paste and cotton sticks to reduce/remove the scratches on various chips.



You can see the silkscreen REACTOR, the initial name of this card, instead of the Intense 3D 100.



IPA 99%, patience and attention to detail.



Final results.



My work was done but I didn't know the state of the card.

Weeks have passed until I fired it up. Something told me that she was alive so I was very relaxed.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2nw0r7nai/

LEADTEK WinFast Geforce 2MX SH PRO 5ns Ultra Speed - Geforce 2 MX 400 32MB AGP

I used to love LEADTEK graphic cards. Now they aren't what they once were ...

I usually don't buy budget cards but in this instance I made an exception. A GF2 MX400 with ultra fast VRAM, LED indicators and a LEADTEK name? HELL YEAH!!! Shut up an take my money! (http://ixbtlabs.com/articles/gf2mxshprowinfast/index.html)

The card was looking very well.



I removed the heatsink and surprise surprise, this is no ordinary GF2 MX400. Temperature sensor and stuff. NICE!



All was fine but I hit a snag. While I prepared the card for cleaning I saw that a pin from the VGA connector was pushed inward. The unfortunate thing was that it was the #1 PIN (RED). What were the odds?!?!?

I took a little time to assess the situation. In the end I used various "tools" and I managed to get the pin in the correct position. The bad thing was that it didnt stay in position and I had to use a little transparent POXIPOL to fix in place. To be safe, I put a fine line of Poxipol from one end to the other. Now even a gorilla can insert the VGA cable and the pins will stay in place.



Huh, I almost said good bye to that 100%! That was a close one!

I cleaned the card well.



I cleaned the cooling system and the bracket. I had to polish the heatsink a little as the old paste left some marks that didn't look too well.



The final results were very good. Shining like a diamond in the goat's a$$.



If there was a card from these three, that could jeopardize my 100%, this was the one.

But I was lucky ... again!



In the end I was able to achieve that illusive 100%. A 100% success rate with parts bought from the flea market that were still alive and kicking against all the odds. Dumped in boxes, dirty, forgotten, ready to be sent to the crusher and returned to the void from which they came ...

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1lwem9y22/

But wait, life is never so easy.

There is a twist ... the mistery variable that could've damage my perfect score and make a me look like a n00b celebrating before the last shot was taken.

Meet the: STB Velocity 128-VBX AGP - nVIDIA Riva 128ZX 8MB AGP.

Another card that will prove to be alive?



From all of the four cards, this one was in worse shape even if it looked pretty well.

It took me some time to reduce the ugly scrathes that were present on various chips. The side effect was the reduction of the intensity of the markings on some of them. All in all not a deal breaker.



The card was missing a ceramic capacitor. After tens of minutes of searches I managed to find one that had the right colour but was a little too tall. After I soldered a capacitor that was the correct size but it was of a different colour I decided to remove it and replace it with the one with the correct colour but was a little taller. Back and forth, back and forth ... even from the get go, this card seemed a lost cause. Something was bothering me every time I laid my hands on it.



The card was missing a small heatsink that used to be fixed with thermal adhesive.



The transparent tape used to protect the already damaged label backfired and I had to remove the label entirely. Because an initial test with a cotton stick dipped in IPA 99% showed that the ink from the label started to run I decided to use the transparent tape that usually saved the day. Not today ...

This card fought me tooth and nail like it was saying: let me be ... let me sleep ... let me go ...



In regard to the missing heatsink I already had a suitable replacement. To fix something that for all intents and purposes looks to be a MOSFET heatsink is something sketchy to say the least. STB come on ... what the heck ...

Surprise surprise, I wasnt able to fix the heatsink no matter what. A sign that the AKASA adhesive thermal tape was too old or a VooDoo spell had been cast on my card. The tape didnt adhere to the heatsink or the chip. No push-pins holes so I was stuck.



The card stood in a box for days.

In the end I found at a local store some tape, that even if it was thicker, it was what I needed. The thermal transfer was better 1.5W/mk (AG Termopad) vs 0.9W/mk (AKASA) so that was it.

I already had a backup plan involving thermal adhesive or some AC MX-4 thermal paste and superglue in the corners. In the end I used the thicker tape. Many RIVA 128ZX dont have a heatsink.



How did the card turn out?



Looking good! So far so good! Flatline or pulse? The card was very cool and the heatsink barely got warm. The finger-o-meter registered just some very mild warmth on the back of the card. The heatsink measure was kind of overkill but I did it for peace of mind.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/25pw1wzoq/

Huh! That was a close one!

In the end I got a perfect score. A 100% success rate with components bought from the flea market that were a complete unknown. Some champagne is in order.

This was the story of my illusive 100%. A combination of experience, luck or a correct choice of candidates. You be the judge of that.

More later.

 

[phill]

Amazing as always @Robert B Can't wait for the next one

 

[Ruru]

Damn, Riva 128 ZX is something I'll want too..!

 

[Robert B]

Thank You my trusty fans and all of you that visit this thread! Also Thank You TPU!

The next episode will be a Good Ol' Flea Market Surprise Episode with various bits and pieces that I found over the last months. All in all minimum 100 pics. I found so many little pieces that I must unload them somwhere. On their own they dont make much of a story but as a whole they are another matter entirely.

More later.

 

[biffzinker]

Thank You my trusty fans and all of you that visit this thread! Also Thank You TPU!

So when do you plan on doing a YouTube channel or something similar?

 

[Ruru]

BTW, is there a board which supports the fastest AXP CPUs and Riva 128 ZX? That would be awesome to see benchmarks, ofc Riva OCd to the max

 

[Mr.Scott]

Did someone mention having a Phenom II x4 960T? Highest I can go without L1 Data Cache WHEA errors.

My 960T. On both 4 core and unlocked to 6 core.

 

[Robert B]

Flea Market Surprise! (The "short" version)

It is the time for another Flea Market Surprise episode! You never know what you will find there!

In this kind of episodes I present parts that didnt make the cut for a full episode. Even so, there's plenty to be seen. All of them have been cleaned, restored and tested. The percent of dead components is under 1% which is no small feat let me tell you!

The list.

1. Creative Labs CT2830 Soundblaster 16 IDE CSP 16-bit ISA
2. DFI G586-VPS REV.C1
3. Pioneer DVD-104SZ
4. Intel Pentium 120MHz - SY033
5. Intel Pentium 133MHz - SY022
6. AMD K6-2 500MHZ / AMD-K6-2/500AFX
7. Intel Pentium II 333MHz -SL2TV
8. Intel Pentium 4 - SL7PM - 3GHz/1MB/800
9. Intel Pentium III 800MHz - SL4CD - 800/256/133 - missing pin
10. Athlon XP 2600+ / AXDA2600DKV4D
11. Intel Pentium 4 - SL793 - 3.4GHz/512/800
12. Intel Celeron 800MHz - SL55R - 800/128/100
13. Intel Celeron 1000MHz - 1000A/256/100 - SL5ZF
14. Intel Pentium III 1000MHz - SL52R - 1000/256/133
15. Intel Pentium II 266MHz - SL2HE
16. 05S2020A-4 / DET 0051-170953-01 VRM module from dead DELL dual S370 motherboard
17. Slot 1 motherboard - AK-611
18. Slot 1 motherboard - KA3I
19. PQI 512MB(256x2) - PQI TURBO PQI3200-512DBH / 2.5-3-3-7
20. Intel Xeon 1.7 GHz - SL5TE / Coolers
21. Samsung Rambus / RDRAM / RIMM 5x256MB PC800
22. Intel Pentium 120MHz - SY033
23. Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 - SL94N
24. Zalman ZM80C
25. Razer Blackwidow Chroma V1 - RZ03-0122
26. Enermax 353W - EG365AX-VE(G)
27. IDT C6-PSME200GA - WinChip 200MHz/66/3.52V
28. Intel Pentium 4 S423 1.9GHz - SL5VN - 1.9GHz/256/400

Let's GO!

Creative Labs CT2830 Soundblaster 16 IDE CSP 16-bit ISA

My first Creative Sound Blaster 16 sound card and my first ISA "the long version" sound card. Two out of two!



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/p09jq51m/

DFI G586 VPS rev. C1

Completely restored. My only SK7 motherboard with a VLSI chipset.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2bu2ip6h6/

Pioneer DVD-104SZ

This unit looked great when I bought it but looks can be deceiving ...

Even from the get go is presented weird noises and slow reading of the optical disks.

It was cleaned and lubed with silicone grease. I didnt find anything wrong inside.

After I cleaned the lense the performance improved but even so, from time to time when it spins up it makes a faint bang then spins down and after one or more tries it starts reading.

A firmware update didn't solve anything.

Most likely, the laser is dying or it needs a calibration.

All in all it was bought for looks. It is my third Pioneer Slot Loading DVD-ROM unit.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/36uwgvbwq/

Intel Pentium 120MHz - SY033, Intel Pentium 133MHz - SY022, AMD K6-2 500MHZ / AMD-K6-2/500AFX

The Pentium 120MHz CPU lost a pin after the straightening procedure and I had to solder it back. I tried making a mask from electrical tape to hold the pin while I soldered it but it shrinked form the heat. I tried some thin copper wire but to no avail. In the end I used fine tweezers and I managed to solder it with my 15W soldering iron. I needed several tries and I had to search on the floor for the pin after it flew off during the soldering process. In the end I managed to save the CPU. It has been tested and it is still alive and kicking!



Intel Pentium II 333MHz -SL2TV



Intel Pentium 4 - SL7PM - 3GHz/1MB/800, Intel Pentium III 800MHz - SL4CD - 800/256/133 - missing pin, Athlon XP 2600+ / AXDA2600DKV4D, Intel Pentium 4 - SL793 - 3.4GHz/512/800, Intel Celeron 800MHz - SL55R - 800/128/100, Intel Celeron 1000MHz - 1000A/256/100 - SL5ZF, Intel Pentium III 1000MHz - SL52R - 1000/256/133



Intel Pentium II 266MHz - SL2HE

The CPU has been taken from a dead ACER V66LA motherboard.



Dead DELL dual S370 at the flea market.



Slot 1 motherboard - AK-611. Slot 1 motherboard - FIC KA31. I bought these as organ donors. One ASUS K7M motherboard form my stash was missing a plastic clip from one of the memory slots. Not anymore!



05S2020A-4 / DET 0051-170953-01 VRM module from a dead DELL dual S370 motherboard



Slot 1 heatsinks.



Testing.



PQI 512MB(256x2) - PQI TURBO PQI3200-512DBH / 2.5-3-3-7



Intel Xeon 1.7 GHz - SL5TE / Coolers, Samsung Rambus / RDRAM / RIMM 5x256MB PC800



Intel Pentium 120MHz - SY033

Another Pentium 120MHz bought with the socket and the heatsink. Of course that I paid only for the heatsink. A lucky find.





Misc.



Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 - SL94N



Zalman ZM80C



Razer Blackwidow Chroma V1 - RZ03-0122

Before and After ...

Work put in:

1. Removal and cleaning of one switch.
2. Rust issues. I used a rust converter, primer and white paint. I applied the paint using a small brush and the results werent quite factory quality. I must underline that I didnt want to remove all of the switches and paint the entire metal backplate. The repaired surface is visible only at close inspection and 95% of it is under the plastic cover and under the keycaps.
3. Each part was cleaned to perfection.
4. I greased with tiny amounts of silicone grease all of the stabilizing wire bars and contact surfaces.
5. The cable was washed with hot water and dish soap.

"Problems":

1. 4 LEDs have some issues with some colors but work great on GREEN. The leds can be replaced easily.
2. One plastic element used to raise the keyboard from the table. Not a deal breaker.
3. Minor blemishes on the plastic surfaces.

Usage:

I compared the Razer BlackWidow Chroma V1 with my trusty Ozone Strike Cherry MX Black. I still preffer the Ozone and I don't consider the illumination a requirement as I don't need it. The Nordic layout didn't bother me too much but I preffer the US layout any day of the week! I must say that the Razer felt quite comfortable and I didn't need a palm rest. The keys are way more easy to press.

Surprisingly, the flea market Razer didnt have any problems with the switches themselves and it worked as it was supposed to. The keycaps are close to perfect, just the SPACE and one keycap have minor blemishes. The manufacturing date is Week 17 Year 2016 even if the PCB has a 2014 code.

Usually I dont buy keyboards from the flea market as they require A LOT OF WORK to clean. In this instance I made an exception from the rule and I was happy with the results.



Enermax 353W - EG365AX-VE(G)



Misc.



IDT C6-PSME200GA - WinChip 200MHz/66/3.52V

A lucky find! It was found on the bottom of a box full with HDDs. The funny fact is that a couple of weeks before I searched inside the same box without finding it. Maybe it was there and I didnt see it or it was put there when I found it ... I just dont know.

I had to straighten a lot of pins. Some still remained a little crooked or wavy but the CPU is easily inserted and removed form the socket.

It ran beautifully at a bus of 75MHz and a frequency of 225MHz instead of 200/66. By mistake I didnt set the correct jumpers for the 66MHz bus. The voltage was 3.5V(stock) on a ZIDA 5STX-J98 motherboard.



Intel Pentium 4 S423 1.9GHz - SL5VN - 1.9GHz/256/400



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1fkrob30q/

The "short" version was quite long! Who would've thought!

More later.

 

[biffzinker]

Intel Pentium 4 S423 1.9GHz - SL5VN - 1.9GHz/256/400

Just shy of 2 GHz, poor Pentium 4 didn't make the cut in binning.

Nice score on the Razer keyboard.

 

[Robert B]

Static-X - Push It

In the works: HEAVY COPPER!

Heavy copper a story waiting to be told. Two opposing city states! One from the gutter, the other pampered from birth.

Even if I would've wanted this story couldn't've turned out like this.



As usual MORE LATER and on a need to know basis!

 

[phill]

Amazing as always @Robert B !! I love this thread!!

 

[biffzinker]

Without the Gigabyte name I could of mistaken it for Asrock based on the silkscreen lettering.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Static-X - Push It

In the works: HEAVY COPPER!

Heavy copper a story waiting to be told. Two opposing city states! One from the gutter, the other pampered from birth.

Even if I would've wanted this story couldn't've turned out like this.



As usual MORE LATER and on a need to know basis!

That damage is repairable. I would make the effort for such an excellent board.

 

[jaggerwild]

Hey Robert, I love the hardware porn. Haven't been on much but wanted to chime in to let you know how AWESOME this is!!

 

[Robert B]

Amazing as always @Robert B !! I love this thread!!

I'm close to running out of material to post as I didnt buy so much stuff lately. Who knows maybe the mother lode is somewhere down the road I still consider that I have a lot of stuff to do and post.

Without the Gigabyte name I could of mistaken it for Asrock based on the silkscreen lettering.

The Asrock has a slightly darker blue color. Because I reduced the gamma of the pic to get that extra effect it could've easily been mistaken for Asrock.

That damage is repairable. I would make the effort for such an excellent board.

You said it brother! I can't spill the beans yet but what I can say is that the HEAVY COPPER story is still on track.

Hey Robert, I love the hardware porn. Haven't been on much but wanted to chime in to let you know how AWESOME this is!!

I used to look at hardware pron and just drool but now as I OWN many of the pieces I lusted over, it is an entirely different matter. Thanks for the appreciation.

I'm addicted to gathering, restoring and especially posting my adventures. For me this is the ultimate drug. There is no substitute for this. I know that I might "have a problem" but I'm still in the safe zone. Some time down the road I will have to start selling some stuff. We'll see if I can let them go when/if the situation will arise.

More later.

 

[Deleted member 185158]

I'm close to running out of material to post as I didnt buy so much stuff lately. Who knows maybe the mother lode is somewhere down the road I still consider that I have a lot of stuff to do and post.



The Asrock has a slightly darker blue color. Because I reduced the gamma of the pic to get that extra effect it could've easily been mistaken for Asrock.



You said it brother! I can't spill the beans yet but what I can say is that the HEAVY COPPER story is still on track.



I used to look at hardware pron and just drool but now as I OWN many of the pieces I lusted over, it is an entirely different matter. Thanks for the appreciation.

I'm addicted to gathering, restoring and especially posting my adventures. For me this is the ultimate drug. There is no substitute for this. I know that I might "have a problem" but I'm still in the safe zone. Some time down the road I will have to start selling some stuff. We'll see if I can let them go when/if the situation will arise.

More later.

I just tell everyone that there's worse things to be addicted to, and they stop bothering me.

Just remember you're not alone. My wife just can't figure out why I need at least 3 rigs running. She just doesn't know. Can't explain it. But i says "Hey babe, at least it's not crack" and she just shakes her head and walks away. No different than, "Hey honey, why do you have more shoes than Al Bundy??" Then.... I'm in the dog house.... but fun while it lasted!

Love your restore builds man. This thread brings back many old memories for many people. Keep up the good work!!

 

[lexluthermiester]

I just tell everyone that there's worse things to be addicted to, and they stop bothering me.

Very good point!

 

[Robert B]

Eddie Murphy - Party All the Time

MAD PROJECT #1 (Prequel to the HEAVY COPPER episode)

After 4 years of going to the flea market I think that I've seen almost everything that there is. I know what can be saved and what's beyond hope. With so much experience under my belt I can safely say that I'm not a greenhorn anymore. NO SIR!

Where people see trash I see treasure. Where people see a lost cause I see opportunity. I like to take it to 11 all the time. No shortcuts! All in or all out!

Every once in a while I get that itch and I like a challenge and from nothing a new series of episodes has been born: MAD PROJECT(s) #X. MAD PROJECT(s) because WHY NOT? MAD PROJECT(s) because if it wasn't me who would've done it instead? MAD PROJECT(s) fits/fit me like a glove!

In episode #1 we are dealing with a cooler form the HEAVY WEIGHT category aka 1KG of COPPER and ALUMINIUM!

Let's meet the (drum roll): Scythe Infinity SCINF-1000 Heatsink aka MUGEN 1

Ever since I bought the Gigabyte GA-X48-DQ6 motherboard and I came to the conclusion that my CPU cooling side of things was somewhat lacking, I was on the lookout for a better cooling solution. As I wasn't planning to cough up the dough I was extremely receptive to opportunities.

The asthmatic Intel stock cooler made me smile a little ironic ... sure it gets the job done but CAN IT PLAY CRYSIS?!?!?!

Time passed by ...

For weeks on end I saw at the flea market a beefy Scythe CPU cooler. For several times I took it my hands but I put it back into the box . MEH! A lost cause ... I still remember my first aftermarket cooler: Scythe ANDY SAMURAI MASTER! Good times!

What I didn't know at that moment was the fact that this cooler will represent the starting point of a new series of episode which I intend to post from time to time. I want to see what I can do and how much I can stretch myself. I'll give you a hint: A LOT! Once I set a goal I never let go even if I stumble and fall!

But I digress.

After I took the cooler in my hands for a last time and after an ornament shaped like a nut from one of the heatpipes fell into my palm I said to myself: You've suffered enough, now it is the time for redemption! Come! Take my hand!

How much is this stuff, I asked? 4 EUROS! Too much! 2 EUROS or I don't buy it! Okay ... 2 EUROS! Thank You!

And this is how I got stuck with something that had a face that only a mother could love ...



Yep! It sure looks like Sh.........tttttt! What was I thinking? ... My point exactly! Said the Pinky upstairs ... You weren't thinking at all said Brain ...



The base of the cooler was still in great shape and it also had the retaining clips. WIN!

That s775 backplate that I bought in ~ 2008 was already jumping for joy in its box in anticipation that it will be put to good use 11 years later ...



At first, my intention was to remove all of the cooling fins, straighten the heat pipes and then solder all of the fins back. From factory the fins were just pressed into position and I remember that even in the case of my new Andy Samurai Master some of them moved freely. I really don't like the design.

I decided to remove the ornaments from the ends of the copper heat pipes. I used a wrench and I managed to remove all of them. These were fixed with a double sided tape that was quite tough to get rid of. I used IPA 99%, paint thinner and a lighter but to no avail. In the end I used a very sharp razor to remove much of the tape ...

What I didn't know at that time was the fact that my idea to remove the cooling fins would backfire and I'll have extra work to do ...

OK. I started removing the cooling fins ... 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... What the f..k? When the going gets tough you get tougher! ... 4 ... 5 ... That's it! I'm frowing in the towel! I put the cooler on the heater for half an hour but I only found out that the fins wouldn't move at all ... well, well, the men from Scythe knew something, when metal expands ... I put the cooler into the freezer but besides my fingers sticking to the metal I wasn't able to remove more fins ... &$@&$%@)&$!@$@%^*^#@%^!!!!!!!!!!!

After more than two hours of work I put the cooler into a bag and I tossed it outside into the trash can! BANG! Get dinged! You pile of steaming ... What was I thinking?!?!??! My point exactly! I wasnt thinking at all ...

And so, the cooler returned from where it came ... into the trash can ...

After a good night sleep I returned to better feelings and I was ready to give it one more try. In the morning I took the frozen cooler from the trash can and I was back to square ONE.

I put back the cooling fins that I removed previously and I straightened them as mush as possible. I wasn't going for 100%. I was satisfied with 99%(ish) with a lot of "-ish" ...

I used a small piece of tube to straighten the ends of the heat pipes. At that moment I found out that the heat pipes are very soft and you can bend them with your bare hands. Go figure ...

After some straightening "at hand" I switched to something more VICE duty. The vice was used to keep in place the cooler while a wrestled with the heat pipes and the base of the cooler using my hands. You really dont want to use tools as you risk to bend/dent the heat pipes.



My idea to solder all of the cooling thins soon vanished after I factored in the costs ... so I decided to use the next best thing ... duct tape ... NO! ahem epoxy: BISON EPOXY METAL.

I straightened the fins using a pair of flat nose pliers. I used a palette knife and I pressed all of the fins as best I could. I fixed the bottom fin with epoxy. I used scotch tape to prevent any movement.



I prepared the retaining clips to accommodate the new back plate. I really don't like push-pins.



After 24 hours I pressed again all of the fins and I glued into position with epoxy the top fin and the ornaments of the ends of the heat pipes. This task was more difficult than I anticipated and the fact that I removed them was quite a bad idea. I tied all of the fins to prevent movement.

Another 24 hours were needed for the epoxy to cure.

I polished the base of the cooler a little.



I tested the alignment of the cooler on my Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4 motherboard and I was quite pleased with the results. I also had to return to factory spec the retaining clips that were quite bent.



TIM!



A tight fit! LIKE A GLOVE!



AWESOME results! IMO!



Standing tall against all the odds!



The AC MX-4 spread was decent considering that the cooler moved sideways while I attached the backplate and the fact that the heat spreader of the Pentium 4 wasn't something to write home about.



Final results!



This cooler will never be like it was new but I still managed to return some of its original glory. I have all of the other retaining clips for AMD and S478. I must underline that the cooler has been washed several times with hot water and dish soap then dried with an air compressor.

As I didn't have the required steel wire I decided to make the fan clips from thicker copper wire. The results were beyond my expectation as I was able to lift the 1KG cooler just from the frame of the fan, without the clips getting loose. For peace of mind in the future I will make new clips from strong steel wire.

The fan chosen to cool this behemoth is none other than Thermalright TY-140. It should've been a Scythe but I really dig Thermalright.



Even if the BISON EPOXY METAL has separated from the aluminium fins, it has adhered strongly to the copper heat pipes. The epoxy collars that were formed keep all the fins close to factory specs.

Final Final results!



This was MAD PROJECT #1. I assure you that there is a method to my madness.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2z9is8st0/

More later.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Eddie Murphy - Party All the Time

I've always liked that song... Never knew it was Eddie Murphy. LOL!

Final Final results!

Wow! You worked that up a fair treat!

 

[phill]

Amazing as always mate!! Inspiration in this thread is over 9000!! Probably why I did what I did with a friends build last weekend... I thought, how would Robert do it??

 

[Deleted member 185158]

That cooler by design was intelligent. Love the mini heat sink on top of the cold plate. THAT is exactly how tower coolers should be made. ALL of them. Keeping the cold plate as cool as possible is the key to success with any air cooler.

Super nice job on the restore. hats off once again Robert!