Here is another guide on how I prepare and insulate my motherboards when installing a ln2/di unit. Obviously there are many ways this can be done, some more involved than others. It doesn't have to be overdone, messy, or complicated. Some key things to remember are to isolate and seal off the socket area from outside air both on the top and bottom of the motherboard. Here is how I do it...clean and easy and I can't remeber the last time I have had a mobo die on me due to socket condensation, so most importantly THIS WORKS!
To start you will need these materials:
Pipe wrap insulation with the foil (lowes or home depot), round tube installation 1/2 inch 3/4 inch, scissors and a sharp blade, clear nail polish, "shop rags" or other heavy duty paper towel, and some thermal interface material (I like ceramique the best)
Now take your motherboard and apply the clear nail polish to all surface mount components all around the socket area, both top and bottom of the mobo. I marked off the bottom pic to give a good idea of the size of the area that needs to be considered for this. I will be using a 590sli lga775 board for this example:
While your waiting for the polish to dry, take your foil pipe wrap and cut out 2 gasket pads which will be used to seal off air from coming into the socket between surface mount componenets around the socket. You will make 2 indentical gaskets and stick them on top of each other, then stick them down and use a small thin tool to push the double gasket down in between the caps, inductors, and socket like in the second pic here:
Do the same for the bottom of the mobo making 2 pieces and sticking them together, then sticking them on the backside of the mobo:
Now depending on what cpu unit you are using the next few steps may vary slightly, but will still be just about the same procedure for mounting most units. Take your backplate and install the support rods for the container as well as the insulating piece of rubber that will seal off the backside socket area and prevent the aluminum plate from shorting out the mobo:
Now slide it through the mobo from the bottom and flip the mobo over to finish the installation:
Now we will make 2 more socket gaskets out of the shop rags that will catch and absorb any drips or moisture that might occur around the cpu if there is air getting through somewhere that you can't see. Stack them and slide them down the rods. These shop towels or any other heavy duty paper towel should be on every benchers shelf. They are excellent at wicking away moisture when it arises. I use them every time I bench in various ways:
