EEVblog #1280 - Dumpster Lab PC Upgrade - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 22, 2020, 10:42:01 pm
content: Dave upgrades the processor in the dumpster Lab recording PC to one from another dumpster PC. It's dumpsters all the way down...Subscribe on LBRY:https://www.eevblog.tv

author: evglabs
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2020, 11:08:44 pm
content: If you can afford the electricity, what about using any unneeded computers for folding@home?

author: johnlsenchak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2020, 02:53:48 am
content: Winner Winner Vegemite Dinner !The latest Intel processors are 10th generation now, I believe seven or ten nanometer diesIntel sorts out I-"N" processor's by speed, lower ones from the same die get one letter designation the faster ones get a different one based on testing criteria , but still they are identical in the die circuitryThat PC board pad could be very well for one of those security integrated circuit

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 23, 2020, 03:19:21 am
content: Quote from: evglabs on January 22, 2020, 11:08:44 pmI have unlimited energy at the bunkerHave thought about doing this for while (seti@home) but I need to set up a suitable 4G mobile router first, as the bunker has no wired internet, and only marginal mobile phone reception (because, well, it's a bunker)

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2020, 04:38:18 am
content: Quote from: evglabs on January 22, 2020, 11:08:44 pmYou need GPUs to get decent performance for that. (My 970 gets about 10x the performance of my 3930k for that use. I haven't mined Curecoin/Foldingcoin on CPU for a very long time, on really cold days there are other CPU coins that offset a lot more of the energy cost.) The good news is that GPUs are close to perfect for that kind of computation, so it would be unlikely for FPGAs or ASICs to be able to get much of an advantage. Curecoin and Foldingcoin really are great FPGA and ASIC resistant coins, would be nice to see them being used more.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 23, 2020, 10:39:36 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on January 23, 2020, 04:38:18 amBOINC and Seti@Home will use both CPU and GPU automatically.I have spare grunty graphics cards, but CPU's alone still do useful work.

author: andycsmith
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2020, 01:37:41 pm
content: Quote from: johnlsenchak on January 23, 2020, 02:53:48 amThe latest 10th generation mainstream Intel CPU's are still 14nm i9-10980XE, i9-10900X etc., I think only some of the mobile CPU's, U & Y Series that are down to 10nm.Hard to be totally certain as their product line up is so confusing now.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2020, 05:13:56 pm
content: Not that I want to start a holy war, but that still seems like too much thermal paste

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 24, 2020, 03:32:26 am
content: Quote from: magic on January 23, 2020, 05:13:56 pmI knew it would trigger people, so I put on an extra dollop just to be sure. Success!

author: Deodand2014
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2020, 01:44:51 pm
content: Good use of a find. The best find I've had in a dumpster situation was a 23inch Samsung SyncMaster BX2331 monitor.

author: max_torque
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2020, 10:34:47 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 24, 2020, 03:32:26 amActually, that would be an intesting video! A study of amount of paste vs thermal impedance? Set up could be pretty simple, a resistive heater, couple of blocks of metal, and a couple of termistors or thermocouples etc.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2020, 10:52:58 pm
content: It's been done, some computer overclockers or reviewers have built quite elaborate test jigs to compare various thermal compounds.But testing for optimal amount is much simpler: remove the heatsink, check if the CPU is fully covered. Anything more than that and it will be squeezed out under pressure. The main difference is how much cleanup you will have to do the next timeThe eternal question is: pea or grain of rice

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2020, 11:15:26 am
content: Quote from: magic on January 25, 2020, 10:52:58 pmFor that size, grain of rice, place and press firm, and see how much coverage, and then apply a little more so it makes for a fill coverage.If you need more than that your heatsink is warped, so take it onto a surface plate with some 1000 grit waterpaper, wetted with water and a drop of detergent, and lap it to an even smooth matt finish. Then clean, degrease and try again, it makes a big difference. Also make sure the CPU itself is clean, grease free and that no dust or other debris falls on the surface before you place the 2 surfaces together.I had a lot of older Pentium CPU's where the original fan died, and there was no replacement that would fit the mounting, so replaced the heatsink complete with a much bigger one, held to the CPU with metal filled epoxy. They ran a lot cooler than the original, simply because of the larger area of fins, and improved airflow. Just was going to be difficult to ever remove them again, as the new unit would foul the lever lock for the socket, but those boards were in almost every case going to run till they died from capacitor plague anyway.

author: mikerj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2020, 10:32:27 pm
content: Quote from: max_torque on January 25, 2020, 10:34:47 pmGamers Nexus covered this fairly recently. Testing paste applications ranging from a thin even coating up to obviously too large blobs of paste made no significant difference to CPU temperatures.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 26, 2020, 11:11:48 pm
content: Quote from: mikerj on January 26, 2020, 10:32:27 pmSurprise surprise.Coolermaster recommend the "thin even layer" application in their notes that come with their heatsinks.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2020, 07:56:40 am
content: <tinfoil hat>Because that way you waste more paste and they sell that too