Maximum PC

I noticed the guy who built the L3P desk, he polished his Intel i7. Does that do anything to inprove thermal conductivity? Would it be worth it for anybody to do that? I am curious.

I've been wondering the same thing.
I know some eBay sellers do this to show off the model and serial numbers.
Also, do copper shims help? I know some people use them to increase the thermal conductivity between the proc and the cooler, but I have no idea if it is actually worth it, considering I have direct-contact heat pipes on my system.

yes, lapping improves contact between the cpu and the heat sink, ideally you should do both. there is no guarantee that either one is actually flat. I used to use a piece of glass for the base surface to lap. there are pretty good instructions on line if you are interested. you can lower temps 3-5 degrees compared to not lapping. there are also places on line that sell kits to do it. not that expensive either.

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2888/lag-01/FrozenCPU_Deluxe_Heatsink_Lapping_Kit.html

Yeah, lapping does help, but it shouldn't be taken lightly. Honestly, just go to your auto store, get 200, 400, 800 grit wetsand paper and then rubbing compound (acts like a 1500/2000 grit action). It's basically similar steps to doing car prep for auto painting, but we are taking it to 800 instead of 400. You can add in a 1000 and 1500 grit paper, but its a waste of time and steps.

The trick to wet sanding is to use a few drops of dish soap in your water to help reduce the friction and build up of particles on the paper. Also for such a sensitive device, clean the papers often and make sure no water with particles is caked on the underside of the heatsink or contacts. Some people have been known to brick their cpu's after said and done, then plugging it in and frying their shit.

The biggest issues are people who over sand, who use way too much water when wet sanding and the fact that you will be grinding the serial numbers and info off the top (resell value... if you care).

And also, it really depends on the contact patch design of the heatsink that really plays a big role in this.

The tops of the new Intels look pretty terrible they could definitely use some improvement. I'm wondering if anyone has done a delid on one and tested if that made an impact.

3000 grit paper is hard to find

ebay

Yeah Ebay is where you can find anything.