Socket A hold-down
 

I got a great deal on a new motherboard (free!), but it doesn't have everyone's favorite four holes. Why anyone would manufacture a board sans holes is beyond me. I refuse to use a heatsink.

I'm in the market for plans/ideas for retention devices. What works well? What's easy to build with minimal tools? I imagine grabbing one lug per side is simpler, but would prefer to hook on all three.

#rotor had an old design for socket hold downs that always looked like a pretty good DIY solution to me. The innovatek design isn't bad either (but a little difficult to reproduce in the garage I fear).

The Innovatek hold-down with the bar across the top and the big ol' knob? That'd be way cool, but you're right -- I couldn't reproduce it in the garage, especially since I don't have a garage.

I'm off to hunt down #rotor's work.

PM him as it was simple and clever and looked like it'd work well. I couldn't find it on his site when I was looking the other day though.

And there's always Swiftech's approach to socket holddowns.

Oh and depending on what block you are using you might be able to use the clip from a Dangerden Maze1C on your block. Or for that matter what about DD's Maze 4 socket hold down:

http://www.dangerden.com/mall/blocks/maze4.asp

Might have to e-mail them to see if they'll sell separately though (or ask Bruce at cooltechnica)

Were you referring to #rotor's hold down that worked something like this? With a wire around the lug, attached to a nut, tensioned with a machine screw set into the block's edge. It looked okay on the pictures of his dualie, but I'm leery of needing to adjust multiple screws.

Yup that was it exactly.

Mounting Clip
 

I have the same problem with having to use a clip for a DIY block, are their any instructions for building that blok. I know that sounds n00b as its looks straight forward but I'm feckin hopeless when it comes to DIY

I wasn't very happy with the 'wire loop around the socket lug' style of hold down shown above. Having an adjustment screw per lug made it difficult to get a good even mount.

I finally went with the classic style like this one that BeCooling sells. When I get a free moment, I'll draw of picture how I constructed it, along with the version for center inlet blocks.

As for the blocks, you can't go wrong with the pin-grid blocks #rotor made famous. #rotor's homepage.

Well, that BeCooling pointer is hard to tell much about, they don't give anything in the way of dimensions, materials, etc., and the picture isn't real useful. But it might work for some blocks, my biggest concern would be how thick of a block it would allow you to use.

What I'm planning is probably similar. I'll take a peice of flat stainless and mill a pair of "legs" that will each grab all three lugs on the bottom, and have an approx 1/2" hole at the top. Then take a crossbar of 1/2" dia SS rod with a ring groove cut near each end to catch the legs. I will then use a 1/4-20 bolt to push down a 'punch spring' (that I purchased from McMaster Carr) chosen to give approx 25 lbs pressure when compressed about 25%. The spring will be located to center on the CPU die. This should give the right pressure in a reliable way, and the single point of contact on the spring should cause the WB to 'wobble' any amount it needs to in order to get flat contact across the die.

Comments?

Gooserider

Okay here's what I did:
side view of the crossbar:
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/water.gro...a-crossbar.gif

endplate:
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/water.gro...a-endplate.gif
The crossbar is a 6mm square aluminum rod. One cool thing about aluminum - it is soft enough that you don't need to tap the screw holes, the brass M4 screws I used formed good threads simply by screwing them into 4 mm holes. The endplates were made from some roof flashing I had laying around. I'd recommend some variety of steel, anything from 0.5 mm (24 gauge) to 1.0 mm ( 18 gauge).

The lug holes were rough drilled, then finished with a file. Working on 2 or more at once (clamp a stack of them together) makes life easier. Decide how long to make the endplate tangs based on your block - it is 7.5 to 8 mm from lug bottom to die top. The 90 degree bend in the endplates where they wrap over the crossbar must be perfectly parallel to the bottom!

I also drilled a small dimple in the center of the top of the block, to give positive placement of the thrust screw.

I think a 1/2" crossbar will take up too much room. Even with the 1/4" one I use, I have to deliberately design to leave enough space between the barbs/hoses.

I tried the groove idea, too. Without the endplates firmly affixed to the crossbar, mounting sucks. It was a total pain trying to keep everything aligned.

Got a picture of how you'll use the spring? None of my sprung concepts made it to reality.

And here's the version for center inlet blocks:
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/water.gro...s/sa-frame.gif

Essentially, it is a sqare frame on top of the waterblock. It uses two crossbars (identical in design to the previous ones) held down by two endbars. The big diffence is in the attachment of the endplates.

In the center-thrust version, the endplates wrap over the top of the crossbar, to prevent it rotating. In the frame version, the endplates attach to the sides of the endbars. This allows the frame to pivot - if one of the thrust screws is tightened more than the other, the frame will rotate and give even pressure. Don't over tighten the endplate to endbar screws!