DFI LP LT X48-T2R Northbridge Backplate Mod
so i received my motherboard today and my first impression was...
wow the push pins on the northbridge hsf suck. i mean really suck, how is this supposed to hold the weight of this thing evenly w/ enough pressure to be effective? especially if i put a fan on it?
so i thought to myself... what random bits of parts do i have that would make a suitable backplate w/ no real effort what so ever. i remembered that i had all these extra back plates and things from my mcw60 waterblocks that i didnt need... one in particular, the plastic piece for older ati cards that used 2 thumb screws.
too bad i couldnt find it... but if i search more im sure it will turn up and make a nice back plate for the pwm sink. what i DID find was the g80 adapter kit, all nicely kept in place in the plastic bag it came in. if you dont have one and are interested, they are pretty cheap to pick up. petra's has them for around $6.
so here we begin the mod.
those thumb prints are not mine btw... came to me like that :shakes: HOW MUCH IS A LITTLE PIECE OF CLEAR PLASTIC?!?!
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...cture001-2.jpg
here is what i found the inner holes of the bracket align almost perfectly... so close in fact that there is no need for any tools except for a razor blade.
here is a close up of how well it fits using the push-pins as a guide.
(sorry for the blurry pic, im not a photographer by any means... and this is my first guide.)
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...cture002-1.jpg
next step is to cut a piece of insulation to make sure you dont short anything out with the back plate in place. i chose to use the foam that came with the motherboard as it was right there and worked perfectly.
use the g80 adapter plate as a template and carefully cut the foam off tracing the outside and inside of the plate using a razor.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...cture003-1.jpg
viola!
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...cture004-2.jpg
next step is to prep the way the screws mount into the g80 adapter. for some silly reason, they decided to use plastic posts that fit into the inner corner holes that we are going to be using to retain the screws.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ure005-4-1.jpg
thats not a problem though... just cut it to size with a razor blade to avoid clearance problems!
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...cture007-1.jpg
now put it all in place. it can be a bit tricky but if you keep pressure on the 2 screws at all times you should be able to pull it off... now that i think about it, a piece of electrical tape could probably hold it all in place temporarily until you have it all put together.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...cture009-2.jpg
flip the motherboard over being careful to make sure that nothing comes out of place on the back. once again, tape would help this stage a lot.
clean off the northbridge with your favorite cleaner to prep for thermal paste application.
apply thermal paste to the northbridge using your favorite method.
put the stock heatsink *or any heatsink that fits really* over the screws
now attach the the springs, thumb nut, and spare plastic posts *to prevent over tightening... it works out so well its unbelievable* and screw it down tightening at both sides evenly.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...cture010-1.jpg
before you know it. you are done and its 10x better than before. well i dont know it for sure, i never tried the push pins... didnt even consider them actually.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...cture012-3.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...cture013-1.jpg
spare parts... perfect fit! :up:
