Vito Cassisi – Tech Blog Delving into technology

Thermalright Ultra eXtreme Keyring Mod

Increased cooling and retention in the form of a small modification.


The Thermalright Ultra eXtreme is probably the most recommended aftermarket cooler within enthusiast circles. Its high performance air cooling capabilities surpass its competition, and even puts some water cooling kits to shame. However, the cooler isn't without its faults. The surface which contacts the CPU is machined quite roughly, causing many ridges which need to be filled with thermal compound to ensure adequate contact. In addition to this, the pressure of which the cooler exerts on the CPU tends to be lacklustre due to the limited thread on the retention screws. The former requires sandpaper, large amounts of time, and some elbow grease to fix. The latter, on the other hand, can be solved with a neat trick which involves a keyring and some double sided tape.

The following modification is based on the popular 'washer mod' that can be found on forums across the Internet. Please note that I take no responsibility for any damage this mod may cause.

What you need
As mentioned previously, performing this modification requires little more than a keyring and some double-sided tape.

Why a keyring and double-sided tape?
The washer modification is very vague when it comes to specifications. What size should be used? How thick? What material? And when we do work out what is suitable, we have to find one! So I looked around for something that would work without the fuss. I came across an old promotional Cooler Master bottle top opener which had a keyring attached. Perfect I thought, and proceeded to devise my plan of attack. To get an idea of the size and shape of the keyring, here's an image:

Basically, you want something about 2 -3mm thick.

The double-sided tape was my own idea. I noticed that when mounted, the TRUE tends to twist without too much effort. This is not optimal, particularly if you nudge it after the thermal compound has set. The tape adds a significant amount of friction so that this is no longer an issue.

Note: The 'Thermalright Ultra eXtreme Revision C' comes with a different 1366 socket mount to what I will be working with. The process should still work the same, although I've found that the new mount does a good job tackling the 'twist' issue I've encountered.

Assembly
Putting this modification together is simple. Firstly cut your double sided tape into small rectangles so that they fit on the bracket. Make sure you have the bracket upside down, and that you are applying the tape to the uppermost piece of metal i.e. the bit that contacts the small metal block where all the heat pipes congregate. Place the keyring in the centre of the bracket, so that it adheres to the tape.

Apply tape to the outer edges of the keyring. This will allow you to stick the keyring onto the aforementioned metal block so that it doesn't move while you install the TRUE onto the motherboard and CPU. You may notice that the bracket is still quite loose due to the small contact surface between the keyring and the bracket. This is fine, the pressure exerted by the mounting process will keep it secure.

Now install the TRUE like you would normally do. It may be harder to install the heatsink due to the added leverage created by the keyring. To combat this, install it using the criss-cross rule, and only tighten the screws when all of them have been partly attached.

And there you have it! A cooler which has a stronger contact force with the CPU, so that it doesn't move about when you work inside your case! Not only does this improve the temperature of your CPU, but it helps if you've lapped your heatsink and/or CPU to the extent where it has lost a significant amount of thickness.

Have any tips or queries? Let us know in the comments below!