PCA Forums

do they get rid of more heat

Thermaltake Copper Shim

im building a new file server/game server/spare rig

me

Shims don't do anything heatwise, they just protect your core from beng crushed.

If you get any shims at all please get only non-conductive shims like these.

Copper ones should never have been made. They don't assist in heat transfer, but they can make the cpu hotter.

It's debatable if one really does need a shim. They can help prevent a chipped or cracked core on those tiny AMD cpu's. But if you're very careful, should be no problem.

This never occured to me before, but could using a copper shim like the one mentioned above caused a CPU to fry?? Perhaps because all of the little things surrounding the CPU (Ya know what I'm talkin' about, I just don't know what they call them) were all "possibly" touching the shim causing a short? *thinks about it* Or did they have a cutout for that.. ahh heck if I remember.. I just thought that would be interesting if that's why my first ship fried.. heh.. eGo

Yes, a copper shim can and has caused just that. That's why I say if you need a shim, get only a non-conductive one. Even though most are suppose to be cut so not to be on those tiny circuits, it is too close sometimes and that is all it takes.

lol.. I think I posted something "similar" to this post a long time ago when I built my first PC after figuring out the CPU was bad, I tossed the thing in the trash.. The $10 part that was supposed to keep from voiding my warranty that did nothin' but kill the chip.. lol.. Thinking back to it, most of the shims almost seemed "too" thick to even let the HSF contact the core for cooling.. Oh well.. Lesson Learned.. Haven't used one since and I've never crushed a core or fried a CPU for that matter.. lol.. eGo