Crazy CPU passive cooling idea

[Asiram]

I'll be building a HDPlex H5 passive machine when Cannonlake CPUs finally launch, hopefully before the end of 2017. To those unfamiliar with the case, H5 cools the CPU passively with a copper heatsink that connects to the CPU, which is then connected with 8 copper heatpipe that connect with the case's massive aluminum heatsink. On top of the copper heatsink, there's also a small aluminum heatsink with fins.

Going to the main idea of this topic, I was thinking of combining the H5 cooling system with a Nofan CR-95C. This could potentially work by removing the aluminum fins with an angle grinder and then polishing the aluminum plate until it's perfectly flat, so that it could connect with Nofan heatsink on top of it.

Would this idea help to reduce temperatures at all? The heat from CPU, before reaching the Nofan heatsink, would have to transfer through the copper heatsink first, then it would go upwards through direct contact between copper and aluminum heatsink and also from copper heatsink into copper heatpipes and then into aluminum heatsink. From there, it would finally reach the Nofan heatsink.

I could slightly (possibly) improve it by replacing the aluminum heatsink with a copper counterpart from their GPU passive cooling solution, or by buying an additional CPU passive set to use another copper heatsink from there.

All in all, is the idea worth testing? The whole PC will be fully fanless, including the GPU and PSU as well.

[CA_Steve]

Welcome to SPCR.

Short answer: I doubt there is any benefit to this.

Longer answer: The HDPlex heatpipes are transferring heat from a small area (the cpu) to a large area (the side of the case). Where the mass of the case and surface area of the fins help transfer the heat away. You propose to put a postage stamp sized CPU cooler on top of this (minus the case fins) very large area and expect significant heat transfer. Don't think it'd happen.

[Olle P]

I agree with Steve. Heatpipes are so efficient that there won't be much thermal energy left for the NoFan heatsink to absorb.

[Vicotnik]

Indeed, there's usually no fins on the block at all. Check out the H1 for example.

[Asiram]

Haha, so just as I thought, this mod probably won't bring much of a difference. Hopefully it won't make the overall temps go higher than with just H5 cooling, will it?

Regardless, I'll be doing this testing with a Cannonlake CPU probably at the beginning of 2018, just because I'm curious to see how it does.

(And don't you think the massive copper heatsink on top of the copper heatpipe solution will look absulutely ridiculous? I think I'm going to love it anyways, regardless of the thermal benefits or lack of them).