Swiftechs a no go on Thunder K7!
 

I have received my Thunder K7, finally, it's the new model, with the plastic socket levers and BIOS 2.06 already there. However, I have run into a problem. CPU1 does not obey the no mount zone around the socket. Two capasitors are in the way when attempting to mount a Swiftech water block. I have now ordered Two MAZE2 blocks from dangerden. Just kinda upsets me, 50 bucks a block and I can't use them. Here's a pic of the problem.
http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~vito/k7prob.jpg

The red line is about where the swiftech block is. The orange line is about where a dangerden block will be. Swiftech blocks are 3" square. ( Yes, those are Golden Sockets in the pic, I'm hoping to get these up to 1.5Ghz )

Hey, I should probably know this, but what are the "golden sockets" you are pointing out? Are you referring to athlon MPs?

Golden Sockets, PK-OCK7/EV6, are an overclocking tool for Athlons. Basically they are a second socket which goes between your chip and the main board. They have dip switches on them that lets you change the multiplier of the chip... They work with both T-birds and MPs, since the pins that control the FIDs are the same. "Perfect" for the Thunder K7. I have even figured out how to get them to get the voltage up to 1.85.. :)

Ok, like the units for the athlon slot's, I've used those.. I didn't know they made them for sockets. I've just been cutting and painting the CPU's, but I haven't yet run in to any that are fully locked (with the removed pins).

You have to unlock the processor to use the golden sockets... at least that's what the directions say, I don't think it's needed, they're just pushing trace tape. I needed the things because they work for Athlon MP chips, and that's the only way to overclock on a Thunder K7 board. I have two MAZE2 blocks coming early next week. (I threw out the swiftechs cause one didn't fit on the board.) Also have a D-tek rad on the way. I'll let you know what kind of speed I get.

the golden sockets work good for ya?


also dont worry, I dont think the swiftech has that much of an advantage on a DD MAze2 at all.

I can't remember which site, but one did a comparison of four blocks, and the maze 2 came out the winner by about a degree over the swiftech. Sucks you had to buy twice though. On the good side, a lot of watercoolers using the swiftech's report at least some level of corrosion even while using high concentrations of glycol!

Yeppers Al+Cu = Evil

Also, did your board come with a HSF on the north bridge?

No, the Thunder K7 I got doesn't have a HSF on the north bridge, just a Heat Sink. I want to take it off and put a nicely lapped blue orb on there with AS epoxy. It's on there really good though. How would I get it off the chip easily?

I also bought a D-tek rad for the setup and went to all 1/2 fittings and tubes. Since now I can overclock it's a whole new realm of cooling. Before I was just planing to run the chips at stock speed.

You could always desolder those cap and put them on wires so they r out of the way but I don't think a mod like that would be a good idea on a $500 mobo.

Where can i get these Golden things?

im also after bulk PSU's for these boards if anyone can help out :)

mine has been running fine for 6months, this is what it looked like inside clean as new...but then i broke a screw in the block :( fixed now though :)

http://www.geocities.com/adam291/PC/SH1T.txt

Don't bother. Even nicely lapped they still suck hard. Check this http://arstechnica.infopop.net/OpenT...5&m=4630962062

I'd try a Tennmax or maybe one of those GlobalWin GPU coolers.