Heatsinks

[gatekeeper53]

Has anyone ever tried taking a buffing wheel and jewler's rouge to heatsinks?

[Opteron]

I used my Dremel to polish a HS...

[Nflight]

Since part of my background is in Thermodynamics, let me explain why you shouldn't do that!
First off, the Heat sink is made intentionally with a rough surface for the soul purpose of more surface area can expel more heat, less surface area means more heat. So if you smooth out the surface you are actually defeating the purpose. While it looks nice, it is not your intention. Also with the addition of the jewelers rouge will fill in the surface and act like an insulator. This is of course is not a good thing either, clean all heat sinks with alcohol so no remnants of scum (insulating material) remain on your Heat sinks.
Since most of us used to have chrome polished Valve covers on our vehicles to shine up the engine bay of our favorite hot rod when we are young, this type of cleanliness is not advised in the computer field.

[Opteron]

Since part of my background is in Thermodynamics, let me explain why you shouldn't do that!
First off, the Heat sink is made intentionally with a rough surface for the soul purpose of more surface area can expel more heat, less surface area means more heat. So if you smooth out the surface you are actually defeating the purpose. While it looks nice, it is not your intention. Also with the addition of the jewelers rouge will fill in the surface and act like an insulator. This is of course is not a good thing either, clean all heat sinks with alcohol so no remnants of scum (insulating material) remain on your Heat sinks.
Since most of us used to have chrome polished Valve covers on our vehicles to shine up the engine bay of our favorite hot rod when we are young, this type of cleanliness is not advised in the computer field.

Not to be argumentative because I’ve never studied “Thermodynamics” but it dropped my overall temps 3 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit on everyone I’ve ever done...
Just to clarify the only part I polished is where the HS marries to the CPU...

[drezha]

Just to clarify the only part I polished is where the HS marries to the CPU...

In which case using thermodynamics (which I'm studing as part of my degree), it would reduce temperatures as there is less pits and crevices in the surface of the metal. These pits and cracks would contain air and not contact with the CPU well. Air is a bad conductor of heat.

Though everything about the HS that Nflight elsewhere is true.

[gatekeeper53]

Makes perfect sense NFlight thanks. Of course I already did with one but I did clean it with acetone and then alcohol. Sure is pretty though lol

[Opteron]

Exactly...