Innovation Cooling's Diamond 7 TIM test results

[123bob]

Your bottom diagram is exactly the profile I've seen when I have lapped core 2 quads. An island in the middle surrounded by a "moat". And I agree that the paste pattern has agreed with the pressure film all along. I had noted this in the results from the original post that this CPU seems to have the "usual" profile and might benefit from lapping.

Your hypothesis sounds right. When I've tried really cranking down water blocks, it doesn't seem to squash down the IHS with any amount of pressure. Only lapping improved the overall contact. (This is from observations on my main rig, a QX6700. This machine I put through the ringer to get the best temps I could.)

What I will try on this is the method you suggested of just taking off the edges. I always thought that dead flat was the way to go, but maybe your idea would work better.

I'll try to get to it today. We've had a break in the weather here so yard work has taken temporary priority....

Regards,
Bob

EDIT: Andrew, if you want the high res pictures of anything I've posted, let me know and I can email them. I resize them all to 9 inches wide for posting here. The normal res I shoot at would be 31 inches wide posted here...