Resolved New desktop build

I need to figure out whether the fan on the tall m.2 heatsink should blow away from the GPU or toward it.

 

Adequate use of case fans should get rid of excess heat.
Having the comp situated in a cool room is another aid.
As I explained in my Post #25 regarding the problems I encountered when I installed a Ryzen 9 5900X in this comp, I moved my comp set up downstairs to a cooler situation and I have eliminated the Restarts I was getting in a room where the summer weather had raised the room temp to over 30* C.

I'm now enjoying the comp without any further heating problems.
Just to get my head around the fitment of your M.2 SSD, the Thermalright cooler will have a thermal pad between it and the SSD.
The SSD is situated between the CPU and the GPU. I don't think you need a fan blowing down on them --- you need to expel the heat from the case.
You have 3 fans working in that small area, hence my suggestion of case fans to get the air moving through the case.

My case can contain 2 large fans in the front, 2 fans in the top cover and one in the rear. Currently there is one fan in each of these areas.
The M.2 SSD in my comp only has the Gigabyte thermal cooling and is running at 33* C sitting between the Ryzen 9 5900X CPU and the Asus GTX 1060 GPU (running at 36* C).
I hope this helps in your deliberations. I wonder whether your idea of using RTV Silicon is merited?

 

I'll post some pictures tomorrow to show the hear sink. I'll post it installed in both directions. At least it fits, but I'm concerned about heat radiating from the GPU to the heatsink. I'm thinking the rtv might reduce radiant heat, especially if they touch.

 

Here are the photos of the M.2 heatsinks.
Thermalright HR10 radiator for the top 4th Gen M.2 OS SSD
Front, back, installed with fan toward the GPU and then fan installed away from the GPU. As you notice, there is a small bump-out on top of the fan, which increases the gap between the HR10 and GPU. Due to that bump-out, I believe the fan side of the HR10 should face the GPU. What are your thoughts on a thin silicone spacer under that bump, to allow more airflow between the HR10 and GPU and/or a thin film of RTV silicone on the GPU covering the entire profile of the HR10 to reduce radiant heat from the GPU?
The other photo is my Silverstone TP05, enclosing the lower 2TB storage 3rd Gen M.2 SSD. It sits slightly under the GPU and needs to be installed before installing the GPU.

M.2 heatsink photos - Shared with pCloud

 

Should I plug my Thermalright HR10 radiator into my Thermaltake System Fan hub, or should I use a fan adapter splitter and plug it into my CPU fan header, or should I plug it into a fan speed controller so I can manually adjust the speed?

 

I would endeavour to maintain air space around the units.
I would also keep the CPU fan header entirely for the CPU.

 

I'll connect the radiator to the system fan hub. If it is too noisy, I'll manually control the fan speed. I'll also look into silicone shims that will expand the airflow between the radiator and GPU. What direction should the airflow go?

I used a laser thermometer to compare the GPU case temperature with the GPU core temperature on my present computer. It appears the case temperature is 20 degrees F cooler than core temperature. Therefore, I don't believe there will be much radiant heat coming from the GPU case. Using RTV will probably reduce the airflow more than reduce radiant heat. I wonder how great a space I can create between the two components without creating any damage.

 

Barry, you need the air to circulate through the cooling fins.
Adequate case fans are an essential to remove the heated air.
Your case size W x H x D (235 x 491.7 x 480.9 mm) is larger than my BeQuiet case.
Therefore you will have plenty of room for case fans if necessary.
I ran the identical CPU for at least 18 months without any cooling problems.
As long as air can flow through your motherboard, you should not have any worries.

 

I believe I should have plenty of airflow. This case comes with two 160mm fans in the front and one 140mm fan in the rear. The GPU has two fans, the PSU has one fan, and the operating system M.2 has one fan. If I need more, I'll add more.

I just finished lapping the CPU. It definitely didn't start out flat. I've attached photos of the CPU half way through the lapping and then at the end. The center was concave.
Lapped CPU - Shared with pCloud

 

I did see the specs on the Lian case mentioned the variable size fan options.
Nice job on the lapping of your CPU.

 

Lapping is time consuming, but it's not like I do it frequently. Hopefully, this is my last computer. The stiff foam that separates the CPU from the cooler (in the box) is a great tool to use for lapping. I just placed it on top of the pins while lapping, making it easier on my fingers and reducing the likelihood of any pins bending. It also keeps the pins covered and clean.

 

Hi Christer, Barry is trying to achieve 2 near flat surfaces between the CPU and the Cooler Face to get the best thermal heat conduction.
This process is commonly used in the Automotive Industry by lapping the valve seats to ensure a good seal between the valve and the seat
Very fine emery compounds may be used, ie. paste or papers.
I often used Jewellers "Rouge" to get a clean polished finish on carb needles and seats during my wokring days as an Automotive Engineer.
Do a "Google" on Lapping to see the various ways it is used.

 

As you can see in the photos I previously posted, my CPU was concave, so only the outer edges had contact with the cooler. By flattening the CPU (which voids its warranty), more surface is in direct contact with the cooler, leading to cooler temperatures for the CPU. The old method took it all the way to 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, so the CPU looked like a mirror. Now, they say to leave some scratches on the surface, as it grabs onto the thermal grease. I used 320, 400 and 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper, taped onto a piece of 1/4" (6mm) plate glass (giving a truly flat surface). I wet the sandpaper, placed the CPU (pin side up) on the sandpaper, covered it with the stiff foam pad separating the CPU from the cooler in the box, and sanded with little pressure, side to side and corner to corner. This accomplished the flat surface I was seeking.

 

I think you were looking at my dog's computer.

 

Since I'm building a new computer, and it has never run, I can't say there was a problem to address. I guess you could say I was choosing to get it from "adequate" to "perfect." Since heat is a major issue for computers, I figure I might as well do all I can to prevent any heat issues. If the goal of the cooler is to transfer heat, then the more contact on that cooler, the more heat can be dissipated.

It's like asking a young child if they'd prefer having three 1-Krona coins or one 10-Krona coin. It's common for them to choose the three 1-Krona coins, thinking it is more, as they don't truly understand the value of coins. The same holds true with lapping. By understanding the purpose of the heatsink/cooler, it makes it easier to make decisions about it.