Pentium 4 vent

[davmax]

I have just received a used P4 and the vent hole in the top of the case is open allowing atmosphere into the case. I normally see this hole sealed. It occurs to me that if the hole is open then excess pressure based on high temperature has occurred and popped the vent.

I have Googled many different ways to get some enlightenment on this vent but have found nothing of use.

Comment or input please.

[Wizard]

Re: Pentium 4 vent

It's merely a hole for letting out gases during curing the sealers during manufacturing.

Sounds like you never seen one with a open hole. Especially brand new CPUs.

Don't worry.

Cheers, Wizard

[davmax]

Re: Pentium 4 vent

Thanks. You right I have not seen this hole open before. All others are sealed. I would expect to be sealed whilst not installed to keep out ambient moisture.

So no suspicion of a cause.

[Wizard]

Re: Pentium 4 vent

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pe..._northwood.png

This is fresh P4 CPU.

Cheers, Wizard

[kc8adu]

Re: Pentium 4 vent

since the mobile varients dont even have the heat spreader and have the bare die exposed its nothing to worry about.

[stevo1210]

Re: Pentium 4 vent

Thanks. You right I have not seen this hole open before. All others are sealed. I would expect to be sealed whilst not installed to keep out ambient moisture.

So no suspicion of a cause.

I think the seal would be from the thermal paste that has covered the hole. Usually, I'd sit there and clean the hole out with a blunt stick of some sort or even using sticky tape to clean it out.

[davmax]

Re: Pentium 4 vent

Thanks for all contributions. I have learned something AND the CPU passes all diagnostics.

[dood]

Re: Pentium 4 vent

Indeed... without the hole, the airspace between the heatspreader and the CPU die would be air-tight. When the processor heated up, I would imagine it would break that seal one way or another, and it might not be the way you want it to

[davmax]

Re: Pentium 4 vent

True if not mounted. But I would suspect that if mounted with heatsink compound the vent would be sealed.

[Wizard]

Re: Pentium 4 vent

Exactly, the copper heatspeader isn't totally sealed all around on later CPUs as part of improvement manufacturing process and cut down on cost of punching out tiny hole and less use on glue.

http://home.arcor.de/xxmartin/A64/a64_ihs.jpg this is also found on Core 2 Duo (using lipped heatspeader).

http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/...cking/intel/37 (fails to view with FF, IE viewable. :P)

Cheers, Wizard

[370forlife]

Re: Pentium 4 vent

I just looked at it in firefox.

[davmax]

Re: Pentium 4 vent

Thanks Wizard


Those links are a great contribution. Makes facts crystal clear.