Overclock.net banner
Cancel

P6T Deluxe Heat Pipe Leaking?

2932 Views 13 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  LarsMarkelson, 
MNiceGuy
While I was transferring my system to a different case I noticed a grease-like stain on the black portion of the northbridge heat sink. It really bothered me so I took the actual heat sink section off the northbridge (it's separable...leaving the heat pipe and copper contact area behind). See pic below


There was a little collection of the stuff on front and backside of the black part just above the blue PCIe x16 and to the right of the PCIe x1

The fluid is transparent with an oily feel. For lack of a better reference, it looks and feels like the oil used to fill the shock absorbers of hobby cars.

EDIT: For clarity, this system has never seen H2O and the fluid in question was only located on the north bridge.

I know it's not the TIM because Asus uses a thick layer of the grey stuff similar to what Intel uses on their HSFs.

Is this a heat pipe leaking? The system is stable as a rock and I've had to problems whatsoever. It was pure coincidence I noticed it in the first place.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
R
Quote:

Originally Posted by MNiceGuy View Post
While I was transferring my system to a different case I noticed a grease-like stain on the black portion of the northbridge heat sink. It really bothered me so I took the actual heat sink section off the northbridge (it's separable...leaving the heat pipe and copper contact area behind). See pic below


There was a little collection of the stuff on front and backside of the black part just above the blue PCIe x16 and to the right of the PCIe x1

The fluid is transparent with an oily feel. For lack of a better reference, it looks and feels like the oil used to fill the shock absorbers of hobby cars.

EDIT: For clarity, this system has never seen H2O and the fluid in question was only located on the north bridge.

I know it's not the TIM because Asus uses a thick layer of the grey stuff similar to what Intel uses on their HSFs.

Is this a heat pipe leaking? The system is stable as a rock and I've had to problems whatsoever. It was pure coincidence I noticed it in the first place.
Have you noticed any increase in NB temps?

EDIT: And just wondering why is there a RU site on the picture when you are in the US?
See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
MNiceGuy
Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebel4055 View Post
Have you noticed any increase in NB temps?

EDIT: And just wondering why is there a RU site on the picture when you are in the US?
Have never paid attention to the NB temps to be honest. I used a stock photo to illustrate the NB assembly because I didn't have a camera handy.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
killa_concept
Rest assured that it's not heatpipe liquid... the "liquid" (generally ethanol) used in heatpipes needs to change phases very quickly and would evaporate almost instantly if there was a leak. Stupid people have cut into heatpipes before and were surprised by their being hollow and empty


As for what the liquid actually is, that's beyond me

**edit** my guess would be that it's just a coating of oil to prevent rust and keep it pristine while on the shelves - but it's already coated, so I'm not sure why they'd need to
See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
  • Rep+
Reactions: 2
R
Quote:

Originally Posted by MNiceGuy View Post
Have never paid attention to the NB temps to be honest. I used a stock photo to illustrate the NB assembly because I didn't have a camera handy.
Oh and you should check them see if its running hot. You also could touch the NB to see if its warm or hot.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
  • Rep+
Reactions: 1
MNiceGuy
Quote:

Originally Posted by killa_concept View Post
Rest assured that it's not heatpipe liquid... the "liquid" (generally ethanol) used in heatpipes needs to change phases very quickly and would evaporate almost instantly if there was a leak. Stupid people have cut into heatpipes before and were surprised by their being hollow


As for what the liquid actually is, that's beyond me

**edit** my guess would be that it's just a coating of oil to prevent rust and keep it pristine while on the shelves - but it's already coated, so I'm not sure why they'd need to
Good to know...thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebel4055 View Post
Oh and you should check them see if its running hot. You also could touch the NB to see if its warm or hot.
NB is running mildy warm to the touch as well as the heatpipe. Nothing serious IMO though.
See less See more
4
Reply
Save
Like
  • Rep+
Reactions: 1
killa_concept
Quote:

Originally Posted by MNiceGuy View Post
Good to know...thanks!

NB is running mildy warm to the touch as well as the heatpipe. Nothing serious IMO though.
The heatpipe wouldn't warm up very easily if it weren't efficiently transferring heat

Anyways, I think you're safe.
See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
L
Quote:

Originally Posted by killa_concept View Post
Rest assured that it's not heatpipe liquid... the "liquid" (generally ethanol) used in heatpipes needs to change phases very quickly and would evaporate almost instantly if there was a leak. Stupid people have cut into heatpipes before and were surprised by their being hollow and empty


As for what the liquid actually is, that's beyond me

**edit** my guess would be that it's just a coating of oil to prevent rust and keep it pristine while on the shelves - but it's already coated, so I'm not sure why they'd need to
Wait, so my TRUE heatpipes have liquid in them too? Or is this just mobo heatpipes..
See less See more
3
Reply
Save
Like
killa_concept
Quote:

Originally Posted by LarsMarkelson View Post
Wait, so my TRUE heatpipes have liquid in them too? Or is this just mobo heatpipes..
All heatpipes work on the principle of phase transition. Basically there's a pressurized liquid in them that evaporates to move heat up the pipe to a cooler area... it then condenses and flows back towards the heat to begin the cycle over. In the case of modern heatsinks, the heat is then dissipated by the fins soldered to the pipes
See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
  • Rep+
Reactions: 2
L
Great explanation. I had no idea there was liquid inside there... good thing I never tried to turn my TRUE into a heatpipe direct cooler!
Reply
Save
Like
killa_concept
Quote:

Originally Posted by LarsMarkelson View Post
Great explanation. I had no idea there was liquid inside there... good thing I never tried to turn my TRUE into a heatpipe direct cooler!
Haha - I've actually heard it proposed before and thought it would be a nifty mod. No one has ever gone through and done it though. If I had the balls and money, I think I would give it a try just to see how well it ends up working

It certainly would be tricky though because:
A) You would require a belt sander to speed things up
B) You'd have to constantly monitor the sanding to ensure flatness not grind into the heatpipe
C) Sanding = Friction = Speedy heat buildup. Too much heat can actually cause the heatpipe fluids to dry up and make the heatsink ineffective.
D) You'd have to modify the mounting hardware to make up for the lost space

Certainly a fun thing to consider
See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
D
Quote:


Originally Posted by killa_concept
View Post

C) Sanding = Friction = Speedy heat buildup. Too much heat can actually cause the heatpipe fluids to dry up and make the heatsink ineffective.

Too much heat would just force all the working fluid into the gaeous state. The heatpiple would no longer be transfering heat effectively. Once cooled, the working fluid will return to its normal state.

....unless, the heat is great enough to create enough pressure to rupture the pipe.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
killa_concept
Quote:


Originally Posted by DuckieHo
View Post

Too much heat would just force all the working fluid into the gaeous state. The heatpiple would no longer be transfering heat effectively. Once cooled, the working fluid will return to its normal state.

....unless, the heat is great enough to create enough pressure to rupture the pipe.

Goodness - thanks for setting me straight! I guess I misread something somewhere. It just loses it's efficiency past a certain operating due to an inability to transfer gasses back to a liquid state....
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
L
Quote:

Originally Posted by killa_concept View Post
Haha - I've actually heard it proposed before and thought it would be a nifty mod. No one has ever gone through and done it though. If I had the balls and money, I think I would give it a try just to see how well it ends up working

It certainly would be tricky though because:
A) You would require a belt sander to speed things up
B) You'd have to constantly monitor the sanding to ensure flatness not grind into the heatpipe
C) Sanding = Friction = Speedy heat buildup. Too much heat can actually cause the heatpipe fluids to dry up and make the heatsink ineffective.
D) You'd have to modify the mounting hardware to make up for the lost space

Certainly a fun thing to consider

Yep, B would be the thing I'd most worry about... it'd be very close between opening up the heatpipe and making them flat.

Still a dang exciting mod to think about... anyone reading this who is a sanding expert please do this mod! You can sell it to Thermalright as a new design for a million $
See less See more
3
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Overclock.net
A forum community dedicated to overclocking enthusiasts and testing the limits of computing. Come join the discussion about computing, builds, collections, displays, models, styles, scales, specifications, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Hardware News Intel CPUs PC Gaming NVIDIA Water Cooling
Top