Raspberry Pi Forums

I just bought a new raspberry pi 2 and it came with a stick-on heat-sink. There is no documentation or reference as to which chip the heat sink is to be applied. I assume it would be the processor, but which chip is the processor. This should not be this complicated. There should be amble documentation included in a device intended for educational electronics and and programming instruction. Like why did I have to go on a web-site and register and join a forum just to find this out?

1) The Raspberry Pi does not need a heat sink at all.

2) How hard can it be to figure out which chip is the processor?

3) For sure did not have to register on any forum to find this out.

OK. 2) Sounds a bit harsh, I do not mean to be, however the Pi was created as an educational tool, perhaps asking that question and getting an answer is fulfilling the Pi's purpose.

Just find the biggest chip in the middle of the top of the board and stick the heat sink there.

Edit: Please excuse by brashness, have fun with the Pi

If you buy a Raspberry Pi from any reputable seller, it won't come with a heat sink.

To echo ever other post on this forum about heat dissipation devices. THE RASPBERRY PI DOESN'T NEED COOLING.

Heater wrote: 2) How hard can it be to figure out which chip is the processor?

Some careful use of a MK I index finger should be able to find the hot spot on the processor. It's probably best to boot the RPi, run it hard and hot, shutdown, pull the power before feeling around for the hot spot.

Alex Eames documented a way to run his RPi2B hot at: http://raspi.tv/2015/raspberry-pi2-powe ... easurement

My RPi2B rarely gets over 30°C. I've never tried Alex's code.

The confusion here seems to be that jerryemerydelacruz received a Pi with a heat sink.

Now, as far as I can recall, there is no mention of heat sinks in any of the Raspberry Pi Foundations documentation. Why would there be? It does not need one.

Ergo, jerryemerydelacruz's supplier is responsible for this confusion and should provide documentation and answer questions about any heat sink they shipped.

jerryemerydelacruz, who did you get your Pi from?

An electronic chip that obviously doesn't need a heat sink shouldn't come with one in its packaging. A processor is not obviously the largest chip on a board, plenty of video and controller chips can be larger than many processors, not to mention power supply and voltage regulator circuits. If a chip on the board had burned out due to heat failure, someone would quickly point out that obviously I should have placed the heat sink on the chip prior to firing the device up. I expect this kind of difficulty from a company like Microsoft (oops, I still cringe at the thought of trying to decipher those old Fortran manuals) , not from Raspberry pi. But we perceiver. Thanks for the info. Will probably have to take advantage of this forum now that I'm registered. Haha. Love this little gadget.

You should complain to your supplier about paying for a heatsink that you don't need.

Heater wrote:The confusion here seems to be that jerryemerydelacruz received a Pi with a heat sink.

Now, as far as I can recall, there is no mention of heat sinks in any of the Raspberry Pi Foundations documentation. Why would there be? It does not need one.

Ergo, jerryemerydelacruz's supplier is responsible for this confusion and should provide documentation and answer questions about any heat sink they shipped.

jerryemerydelacruz, who did you get your Pi from?

Jerry here,
Got the pi from amazon, it's a "CanaKit." It's up and running fine now. Just wanted to make sure about the heat sink. I read all the stuff on the cite about not needing a heat sink, But figured maybe something new came along since the postings; better safe than sorry.

Why don't you write a review on Amazon pointing out that the heat sink isn't needed.

I can get my overclocked (arm: 1000) Pi2B to around 67-72°C while running openssl speed -multi 4 and there are some scripts which can have a similar affect. My Pi2B is not in an enclosed case. That's in a room which is usually around 20-24°C. I imagine it could make it up to 80-85°C while in an enclosed case and in a hotter environment.

ktb,
I used the heatsink on the processor after identifying the processor by running the numbers. As an electronic engineer, all silicon runs better if cool, that's why millions are spent on refrigeration at server cites. If someone gives you a heat-sink, put it on whatever chip that's near.

jerryemerydelacruz wrote:ktb,
I used the heatsink on the processor after identifying the processor by running the numbers. As an electronic engineer, all silicon runs better if cool, that's why millions are spent on refrigeration at server cites. If someone gives you a heat-sink, put it on whatever chip that's near.

I wouldn't argue against that. I also received sets of heat sinks with cases I've purchased. I put one on the LAN chip on my Pi2B, but not the 2836. I currently have a power supply HAT on top of the Pi2B which has a cooling fan right over the 2836, but I don't normally have the fan turned on. The other heat sinks I ended up with are on the 2835 and LAN chip on my B+, but I don't use that Pi often. I do believe that heat sinks aren't really necessary for most uses of the Pi.

In the new software and new pi the cpu runs barely warm to the touch.

A heatsink is not necessary.

jerryemerydelacruz,

I expect this kind of difficulty from a company like Microsoft (oops, I still cringe at the thought of trying to decipher those old Fortran manuals) , not from Raspberry pi. But we perceiver.

Too be fair the Raspberry Pi Foundation did not do this, you down stream supplier did. Well, what the heck, just stick that heat sink on to the processor and forget it. At least it saves adding it to a land fill.

Aside: I actually have the opposite problem. I have a Parallella board that came with a tiny stick on heat sink. With that in place it runs so hot you don't want to touch it. They suggest using a little fan which they thoughtfully did not supply.

Thanks for the info. Will probably have to take advantage of this forum now that I'm registered. Haha. Love this little gadget.

It's great isn't it? What makes it even better of course is the community of users and this very forum. Have fun.

The pi is fine. The heat-sink is fine and appreciated; I know the value of keeping silicon cool and temperatures within a narrow range, even if it's not needed under normal conditions, silicon wear occurs due to differences in heat for the most part. The missive to Microsoft is the result of my long-term association with them, their manuals are indecipherable, their websites un-navigable, but their products are, really, impeccable.

Not really all that hot but here you go. (RPi2, auto booted to LXDE but with nothing else connected).

USB and Ethernet are on the left hand side of the board, next to them is the LAN chip (at about 34 DegC in this image), Just right of Center is the processor which peaked at 37 DegC.

I Live it in a relatively hot climate (India). Although my both pi's range between 50c-65c and i have no problem at all without a heat sink, it runs fine.

I have purchased the same kit as jerryemerydelacruz, and also have a heat sink... At least I think that's what it is. Little pale colored square table-ish looking thing. I see this thread has gone the direction of might as well attach it, but where and to what? And how? I did some searching of YouTube videos but no help that I could find. I'll be the first to admit I am completely clueless at this point- I've replaced plenty of computer hardware, but replacing is easy when you just remove the like part and put a new one in.

debslosingit wrote:I see this thread has gone the direction of might as well attach it

No, it hasn't. A heatsink is not needed.

, but where and to what? And how?

You don't need it. Chuck it in a drawer or something.

ame wrote:

debslosingit wrote:I see this thread has gone the direction of might as well attach it

No, it hasn't. A heatsink is not needed.

, but where and to what? And how?

You don't need it. Chuck it in a drawer or something.

Stick it to the back of your phone. It'll do just as much good there

I received a thermal image from a reader showing that the processor was actually getting hotter than the other chip. The processor is the chip that shows through the plastic cover, there's a square hole in the plastic and the chip showing through that hole is the processor. The hole allows the heat sink to extend beyond the plastic. You can assemble the unit first and stick the heat sink on last so as to ensure you don't put the heat sink on a chip only to find the unit can't be assembled because the plastic hits the heat sink. (No I didn't learn this from "experience".) I'm sure the veteran pi users are correct in stating that a heat sink isn't needed, but that's where I placed mine and the thing is working fine.

Oh a heatsink won't stop your Pi working... well, apart from in a couple of cases where people have killed their Pi by fitting a heatsink (incorrectly fitted, that is. Clue: Don't let it touch the other components!)

We should take a moment of silence in their memory.

Never needed a heatsink on any of my Pis in the last 3 years. It would be like taking a nice new car and retro-fitting one of those big ugly rear wings and fat chrome tailpipes on it, but even less functional.