collinE's N64p W.I.P.

[dragonhead]

I don't have any room to make it thicker on the memory. It unfortunately worked out that way.

I was trying to attach the aluminum to the memory and then fold it around to the other side where it could accordion a bit.

ehh its not the right material. and its not aluminum its stainless steel.

does it even need a heat sink?

[bacteria]

Should be ok to use the steel sheet, after all, that is what the original N64 uses to keep it cool. I will also be using the steel sheet on my N64 project too, to make things slim.

Don't use superglue between the metal sheet and the chip, use some proper gunk designed for the purpose, like Arctic Silver. You could however use the putty like gunk that was on the chip in the first place, or from the other chips; free then - and you know it is fit for purpose.

Also, make sure you screw the metal sheet to the other metal sheet (if using that method rather than heatsinks), or extend the metal sheet longer at the back (protect the underside from shorts); if you just glue it then there is no where for the heat to dissipate to, using screws solves this.

[collinE]

ehh its not the right material. and its not aluminum its stainless steel.

does it even need a heat sink?

The pros say it needs a heatsink... so i guess. Most of the metal shield is stainless steel, but there is one piece in particular that is aluminum. It screws in on top and has wings that point upward. I burned my fingers using the dremel to cut it. but it's kinda thick and it didn't fold very well.

You could however use the putty like gunk that was on the chip in the first place, or from the other chips; free then - and you know it is fit for purpose.

Good idea. I'll steal a bit from each of the other chips and piece it together Voltron style.

[bacteria]

Up until a few months ago I was also one of those "pros" you refer to saying about needing a heatsink on the expansion pack. You do need to put something on there for sure, that isn't in question; however the original N64 doesn't use a heatsink for a good reason - the metal from inside the expansion pack is designed to meet the metal on the N64 sheet, thus dissipate the heat; which also means the process works fine. That is why I suggested the same principle; bend the metal plate to extend to the expansion pack chip, use some of the gunk mentioned already, and the metal plate will remove the heat. This way, far slimmer portable too and minimal cost.

Up to you what you do of course, but this is the method I will use on my forthcoming N64 project.

[timewarp]

I don't have any room to make it thicker on the memory. It unfortunately worked out that way.

I was trying to attach the aluminum to the memory and then fold it around to the other side where it could accordion a bit.

ehh its not the right material. and its not aluminum its stainless steel.

does it even need a heat sink?

It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[dragonhead]

however the original N64 doesn't use a heatsink for a good reason - the metal from inside the expansion pack is designed to meet the metal on the N64 sheet, thus dissipate the heat;

actually youre wrong. the metal sheeting has nothing to do with heat. it is an RF shield. i repeat: IT IS RF SHIELDING. if anything it impedes cooling because of its reflective properties. a single memory IC as such used in the expansion pak does not need extra cooling. it may run a bit warm but it is not an issue. look at Sifuf's portable. he has an expansion pak and no heat sink on it. so do a few other people.

steel is NEVER used as a heat sink material. it has almost no heat-conductive properties compared to copper or even aluminum. it would end up insulating the chip rather than help cool it.

[bacteria]

Shielding is normally used if there are components (eg video) which would be affected by interference, hence "shielding". On the N64 (unmodded) there are no such components above the steel. Also, almost every portable N64 here has no shielding at all, and there is no interference; including the systems I made. I therefore doubt, logically, that it can be used as shielding on the N64. Most people here just use heatsinks and remove the steel plate entirely - if the metal was shielding, we would get all sorts of wavy lines on the screen; which isn't the case.

In regards to the steel, the unmodded N64 uses steel squares above the processors which are stuck on by about 1mm of gunk; the metal squares are secured to the metal steel plate by screws. This also further indicates steel on the N64 is used to give surface area to dissipate the heat. If this weren't true, then the N64 chips would in effect not get hot enough to need any cooling at all. Also, the steel plate is connected to the surround around the expansion pack which connects to the memory chip, again with a little of the 1mm gunk. The only purpose of the gunk is to move the heat from the chip evenly onto the steel and onto the steel plate.

Steel has certainly heat conductive properties, maybe not as much as other metals, however if you cut a piece of steel out on one side of the board with a dremel and hold it on the other side, you certainly can feel heat. If it had "almost no heat-conductive properties" it would be like perspex, you can be holding it very near the dremel cut and you don't feel heat - that is non-heat conductive, unlike the steel. What that indicates also, is that the steel plate does conduct heat and also the N64 doesn't produce a great deal of it, but enough to need minor cooling. Hailrazer was probably the first to use part of the steel plate in an N64 portable, instead of heatsinks, so it obviously works. If the steel acted as "insulating the chip rather than help cool it" as you indicate, then that means you can run the N64 mobo with bare chips, logically.

[dragonhead]

Shielding is normally used if there are components (eg video) which would be affected by interference, hence "shielding". On the N64 (unmodded) there are no such components above the steel. Also, almost every portable N64 here has no shielding at all, and there is no interference; including the systems I made. I therefore doubt, logically, that it can be used as shielding on the N64. Most people here just use heatsinks and remove the steel plate entirely - if the metal was shielding, we would get all sorts of wavy lines on the screen; which isn't the case.

In regards to the steel, the unmodded N64 uses steel squares above the processors which are stuck on by about 1mm of gunk; the metal squares are secured to the metal steel plate by screws. This also further indicates steel on the N64 is used to give surface area to dissipate the heat. If this weren't true, then the N64 chips would in effect not get hot enough to need any cooling at all. Also, the steel plate is connected to the surround around the expansion pack which connects to the memory chip, again with a little of the 1mm gunk. The only purpose of the gunk is to move the heat from the chip evenly onto the steel and onto the steel plate.

Steel has certainly heat conductive properties, maybe not as much as other metals, however if you cut a piece of steel out on one side of the board with a dremel and hold it on the other side, you certainly can feel heat. If it had "almost no heat-conductive properties" it would be like perspex, you can be holding it very near the dremel cut and you don't feel heat - that is non-heat conductive, unlike the steel. What that indicates also, is that the steel plate does conduct heat and also the N64 doesn't produce a great deal of it, but enough to need minor cooling. Hailrazer was probably the first to use part of the steel plate in an N64 portable, instead of heatsinks, so it obviously works. If the steel acted as "insulating the chip rather than help cool it" as you indicate, then that means you can run the N64 mobo with bare chips, logically.

the heatsinks on the chips are aluminum not steel. and i was comparing steel to copper and aluminum if you had bothered to read it.

you know what? fine. do whatever you want. why should i care.

[XCVG]

Regarding CollinE's original question, the steel would work but it's not the best material. It's not a very good heatsink material, it's hard to work with, and it's heavy. Better to scrounge heatsinks from an old computer.

[ShockSlayer]

look at Sifuf's portable. he has an expansion pak and no heat sink on it. so do a few other people.

No, if you had bothered to look at his post then you wouldn't be lying. Take a gander. I have personally tested and proved the fact that the expansion pack will overheat and shut down without an heatsink, and that is with 2 fans blowing on it. And I doubt ANY portablizer would not put a heatsink on it.

Now then, in comparison or not, you did say:

it would end up insulating the chip rather than help cool it.

Which completely negated the relevance of the comparison made earlier in the post.

In any case, an n64 needs heatsinks on the CPU, GPU, RAM chip(s), and the EXP. Pack if it is used. A fan is not needed with good enough heatsinks, and little to no vents are necessary.

All of the above information I just typed is correct, and is certified by ShockSlayer, one of the most experienced N64 portablizers.

And learn to use proper grammer. The only reason you should care is because I don't want you spewing ignorance to others seeking knowledge.

SS

EDIT: XCVG is also correct.

[Mario]

if the metal was shielding, we would get all sorts of wavy lines on the screen; which isn't the case.

Actually, it is shielding. It is only there because of FCC reguations.

[collinE]

saucy!

You can remove the capacitor but you will then get interference lines in the screen when you put the screen near the N64 motherboard with no shielding.

Believe me I know. I tried 4 screens and 3 N64 motherboards before I realized the cap helped and then adding metal shielding between the two helped more.

I think it's a given that the metal is shielding and dissipates heat. And I just noticed on sifuf's portable that I think he cut off some of that aluminum that I was talking about before to use as a heatsink on the memory.

And I'll apologize to bacteria for ignoring what he was saying about the gunk on the expansion pack. I totally didn't see it before. So I won't be taking it from the other chips.

I appreciate the input from everyone. Don't be sad if I don't do exactly what you recommended because it surely helps influence my decision anyway.

[dragonhead]

look at Sifuf's portable. he has an expansion pak and no heat sink on it. so do a few other people.

No, if you had bothered to look at his post then you wouldn't be lying. Take a gander. I have personally tested and proved the fact that the expansion pack will overheat and shut down without an heatsink, and that is with 2 fans blowing on it. And I doubt ANY portablizer would not put a heatsink on it.

Now then, in comparison or not, you did say:

it would end up insulating the chip rather than help cool it.

Which completely negated the relevance of the comparison made earlier in the post.

In any case, an n64 needs heatsinks on the CPU, GPU, RAM chip(s), and the EXP. Pack if it is used. A fan is not needed with good enough heatsinks, and little to no vents are necessary.

All of the above information I just typed is correct, and is certified by ShockSlayer, one of the most experienced N64 portablizers.

And learn to use proper grammer. The only reason you should care is because I don't want you spewing ignorance to others seeking knowledge.

SS

EDIT: XCVG is also correct.

yeah..... my bad. i got flustered and didnt bother validating some of my information. i shall keep my trap shut on all manners of N64 as i know nothing of it.

[ShockSlayer]

Those wisest are those who know the times of silence!

SS

[collinE]

I assume there'd be no problems, but can I let wires lay over the heatsinks and not worry about plastic melting?

I'm 99% sure I've seen every N64 portable do this, but I might as well ask.