Asus Rampage Formula

[Frost]

Hi there everyone - I'm new to the forum but not new to the site. I've searched around the place for any hints towards the ASUS Rampage Formula's NorthBridge heat sink being shoddily installed but can't seem to find anything. Yet, according to quite a few people at Newegg, the heat sinks on this motherboard (as well as the Maximus Formula) were poorly installed with too much thermal padding.

 

So, here are my questions:

 

Q1 - I will be performing my first build in mid July and am trying to research as much as I can to correct mistakes now before they happen. Does anyone have any firm facts to back up the claim that the Rampage Formula's NB heatsinks are poorly installed?

 

Q2 - How hard is it to remove the NB heatsinks? I saw on OCC's review, that the heatsinks are screwed on so it should seem easy enough to remove with the exception of the padding itself. People have told me to stick the board into the freezer and then pry it off when frozen. Apparently, heating the pads will make it worse. In fact, someone at Anandtech.com mentioned using Freezing sprays to freeze the pads for easy removal. Is this true?

 

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

Cheers.

 

Frost

[s1ick]

well presuming they use the same thermal sticky pads of horror that they used on my blitz formula then there not brilliant, but do work well enough to do the job. (they wouldn't be able to sell the product otherwise)

 

When I took mine off to water cool them I used a hair dryer and heated them up for 30 seconds then using a cloth to stop burning my hands gently prised it off.

 

My thoughts would pull me away from freezing, although it will separate the two materials, when things freeze things become brittle and tend to snap, sheer off and generally just break. However I have heard that this method has had some success, the most common mehtod I have heard of being used is the heating one though.

 

However Unless your removing them to install another product, be it water blocks or a thermalright, I really would just leave it the hell alone.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited June 20, 2008 by s1ick