What is inside a heat pipe??

L

LanceDiamond

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
361
Specifically inside the tips that stick out of the top of the heatsink on the Xigma HDT-S1283?

I've built my brother a new computer and used an old case with sentimental value to him. Everything fits ALMOST perfectly but the tops of the heatpipes sticking out of the top of the Xigmatek very slightly interefere with putting the side panel on. I can actually get the panel on, but those heat pipe tips are touching the panel and I'm worried if much force was ever placed on the side panel, it might damage the motherboard.

Is it the worst idea every to remove the heatsink (of course) and give the heat pipes a 1/16in haircut with the Dremel?

You can see the six pipes sticking out on the top of this picture of the heatsink:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowI...ion=XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler

Haircut would be no more than 1/8th of an inch and probably less - and done by hand I guess...
 
are you using the short or long spacers on the motherboard(attaching the motherboard to the motherboard tray)? because id say dont touch the heat pipes.. if theres any insulation on the side panel just cut a couple holes in that.. wont effect anything.. if there is none.. then it might be a biznatch because you will probably get a horrible vibration sound if its touching the metal portion of the side panel..
 
I'd think it be fine, but don't make it too obsessive. If you hit liquid in anyway, you're fucked.
 
Hmmm... I may get brave and try it - if I strike some sort of liquid ... well, the next heatsink I'll make sure fits better without being trimmed!

I'm using the $6 mounting bracket and screws thru the mobo to it for mounting - no spacers to be removed anyplace.. The side panel on the case is actually vented right above the CPU and 3 of the pipes are touching the vent holes- not lightly enough to vibrate either, they're kind of snug against the side panel. It's a little bit of a pain to get the side on, but once on it is fine and doesn't look bowed out or anything. I'm just very worried about shipping it to him this way.
 
You may be lucky but I'm sure it will be a sad waste of a nice cooler.
Good luck.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pipe

Wikipedia said:
A typical heat pipe consists of a sealed pipe or tube made of a material with high thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminium. A vacuum pump is used to exclude all fluids (both gases and liquids) from the empty heat pipe, and then the pipe is filled with a fraction of a percent by volume of working fluid, (or coolant), chosen to match the operating temperature. Some example fluids are water, ethanol, acetone, sodium, or mercury. Due to the partial vacuum that is near or below the vapor pressure of the fluid, some of the fluid will be in the liquid phase and some will be in the gas phase.
Click to expand...

In short, I wouldn't touch em. :D
 
Don't bother, they're pressurized and filled with liquid. They also use very thin walled copper for the tubes most of the time. You have a better chance bending it over to one side.
 
They're vacuum sealed and usually have a wick in them with acetone fluid to help transfer heat. If you cut it, you could screw it up big time, severely limiting your cooling.
 
I would not touch it too. If it happens to be filled with mercury you'll get poisoned instantly by the vapors.
 
If you cut them you stand a good chance of getting a nice spray of a vaporized carcinogen in your face... i would cut the panel WAY before altering the heat pipe... you would have to be REALLY brave/dumb to do that.
 
Don’t try to mod them, your chances of success are minimal. The heat pipes are depressurized and have a vary small amount of water in them. If the heat pipe is cracked, it will not longer work.
 
How about using some needle nose pliers and twisting them down?

EDIT: Just looked at the picture, those are much wider then I thought they were. Nevermind
 
I agree with the above and would leave the heatpipes alone...

Is modding the case an option? If you have means to "press" the area of contact on the side panel out, that can buy you quite a bit more clearence.
 
+1 to the idea of leaving them alone. Get a why don't you cut little holes in the panel were the heatpipes meet it?
 
Take teh heatsink out, place it on a hard, smooth surface. Beat each one of the pipes down with a compothane mallet, or a brass punch. Make sure you put a soft rag under the base so as not to scratch it up. You should be able to "roll" them down some without damaging the sink.....or, they'll bust and you'll instantly have Mercury vapor cancer poisoning.


BTW, I think they're filled with an alcohol.
 
I think he'll be living with the heat pipes the way they are. Works just fine, as long as no one ever kicks the computer in the side, it'll be fine and I don't get insant-poison-cancer-death-blindness-drunkenness.
 
Put a tiny bit of ink (or something that'll mark the spot) on top of each heatpipe, then close the lid. Take the lid off and it should have left little marks exactly where the heatpipes touched. Now you can drill a little way into the case panel (don't have to go all the way through) to give it a tiny bit more clearance.

Or just leave it touching the panel - I can't see any problem with that. Even if the panel gets whacked it won't bend in far enough to bend the motherboard.
 
AFAIK , It's Methanol that's generally used in commercial heatpipes that are used for this.

It's not mercury , or sodium or any other super dangerous material....those kind of heatpipes are used in nuclear reactors etc...

Do not try to file off the end.

Do not bend it.

Heatpipes of this kind operate at reduced pressure...even the slightest nick it's toast.

Also , heatpipes are not just copper tubes.The contain an inside wall that is ceramic.Bend it , it's toast...

Buy a new heatsink , or mod the sidepanel.

:D
 
BrainEater said:
AFAIK , It's Methanol that's generally used in commercial heatpipes that are used for this.

It's not mercury , or sodium or any other super dangerous material....those kind of heatpipes are used in nuclear reactors etc...

Do not try to file off the end.

Do not bend it.

Heatpipes of this kind operate at reduced pressure...even the slightest nick it's toast.

Also , heatpipes are not just copper tubes.The contain an inside wall that is ceramic.Bend it , it's toast...

Buy a new heatsink , or mod the sidepanel.

:D
Click to expand...

+1 ( the you will die if you open it up are particulary funny but it will be instantly ruined if you put any kind of hole in it and those pipes are already nicely trimmed at the factory, there is no extra that can be removed.)

Actually. IMO.

Everything fits ALMOST perfectly but the tops of the heatpipes sticking out of the top of the Xigmatek very slightly interefere with putting the side panel on. I can actually get the panel on, but those heat pipe tips are touching the panel and I'm worried if much force was ever placed on the side panel, it might damage the motherboard.
Click to expand...

I would not worry about it, the board will flex and/or the side panel might bulge a bit and just dont ever hit the side panel with a hammer or lay the computer on its side with that side down and it will not be a problem. I mean really, 99.999999999999% of the time it just sits there. Think of the side panel as an additional extra large fin for the HS :D . Your call.
 
Why not find where the heat pipes touch and drill some small holes on the side panel so the heat pipes stick out, if you remove the top 5 fins you will also ruin the cooling performance. And you said that its touching the side panel, I doubt it will damage the board greatly unless your brother is a rager and hits his computer and breaks the motherboard.
 
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