How do I apply Arctic Silver ?

[ray]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

I am a first time builder and I purchased a heatsink/fan combo with a
square substance on the copper core of the heatsink. My question is
this... do I remove this before applying Arctic Silver or simply leave
it on? My guess is that I should remove it. If that is the case...
what is the best procedure for removing it?

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Leave it as it is however ensure there is no thin covering that needs
peeled off the heat transfer tape.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 01:57:31 -0400, Hawkeye <Hawkeye__59@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>
>
>Leave it as it is however ensure there is no thin covering that needs
>peeled off the heat transfer tape.

Absolutely not. When applying a different thermal interface material the
original needs be removed. Typically it's easiest to use a credit card
(something to scape with that's softer than the metal of the heatsink) and
some petroleum-based solvent (take your pick).

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

As others have noted, only use thermal compound or use
thermal tape - not both. Remember basic science. With each
change of medium is an increase in thermal resistance. CPU to
heatsink is the lowest thermal resistance - best conducts
heat. CPU to thermal compound to heatsink is less
conductive. Even worse would be CPU to thermal compound to
thermal tape to heatsink. These are basic science concepts.

Since some microscopic holes may exist on CPU and heatsink
surface, then we use so little thermal compound to replace
those microscopic air pockets with a more conductive thermal
compound. Idea is quite simple. Most of CPU contacts
heatsink directly. Only those microscopic holes have thermal
compound - which is why so little is applied.

If using too much thermal compound, then heatsink does not
directly contact CPU - higher thermal resistance and less
cooling. IOW apply so little thermal compound that compound
does not squeeze out beyond center half of CPU. Almost all
heat is only transferred in center anyway. If thermal
compound oozes out beyond, then you applied too much.

Furthermore, heatsink compound leaching onto pins can cause
further CPU failures. Just another reason why application of
thermal compound must be minimal. Thermal compound is only
applied so that a properly machined and applies heatsink
lowers CPU temperature by single digit degrees. It gives an
idea of how little compound is required to fill microscopic
air holes with more conductive compound.

In the meantime, there is very little difference between
Arctic Silver and most other thermal compounds. Just that
will all the hype, Arctic Silver charges substantially more
money.

Ray wrote:
> I am a first time builder and I purchased a heatsink/fan combo with
> a square substance on the copper core of the heatsink. My question
> is this... do I remove this before applying Arctic Silver or simply
> leave it on? My guess is that I should remove it. If that is the
> case... what is the best procedure for removing it?
>
> Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

"Ray" <rayce@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:d293bbe3.0406141802.5336f60a@posting.google.com...
> I am a first time builder and I purchased a heatsink/fan combo with a
> square substance on the copper core of the heatsink. My question is
> this... do I remove this before applying Arctic Silver or simply leave
> it on? My guess is that I should remove it. If that is the case...
> what is the best procedure for removing it?

If this is the boxed unit check the warrenty. If you don't care about it
then you must remove the stuff already on the processor before applying the
artic silver. I would just leave the other stuff on and forget about the
arctic silver.

The less heat sink compound used the beter. Metal surfaces have small
microscopic gaps in them. The object is to just fill in the gaps. The
compound conducts heat beter than air but not as good as direct metal to
metal . Think of the surfaces as two keyboards that you want the keys to
meet. The object is to just fill in the gaps between the keys but to let
the high points touch.

 

[Ben]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

hey w_tom, since you know so much about it, maybe you can tell me if Althon
2800 AMD retail heatsinks includes any thermal compound by default
or do I have to buy it separatelly?

Thanks


"w_tom" <w_tom1@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:40CF093F.8A0FE269@hotmail.com...
> As others have noted, only use thermal compound or use
> thermal tape - not both. Remember basic science. With each
> change of medium is an increase in thermal resistance. CPU to
> heatsink is the lowest thermal resistance - best conducts
> heat. CPU to thermal compound to heatsink is less
> conductive. Even worse would be CPU to thermal compound to
> thermal tape to heatsink. These are basic science concepts.
>
> Since some microscopic holes may exist on CPU and heatsink
> surface, then we use so little thermal compound to replace
> those microscopic air pockets with a more conductive thermal
> compound. Idea is quite simple. Most of CPU contacts
> heatsink directly. Only those microscopic holes have thermal
> compound - which is why so little is applied.
>
> If using too much thermal compound, then heatsink does not
> directly contact CPU - higher thermal resistance and less
> cooling. IOW apply so little thermal compound that compound
> does not squeeze out beyond center half of CPU. Almost all
> heat is only transferred in center anyway. If thermal
> compound oozes out beyond, then you applied too much.
>
> Furthermore, heatsink compound leaching onto pins can cause
> further CPU failures. Just another reason why application of
> thermal compound must be minimal. Thermal compound is only
> applied so that a properly machined and applies heatsink
> lowers CPU temperature by single digit degrees. It gives an
> idea of how little compound is required to fill microscopic
> air holes with more conductive compound.
>
> In the meantime, there is very little difference between
> Arctic Silver and most other thermal compounds. Just that
> will all the hype, Arctic Silver charges substantially more
> money.
>
> Ray wrote:
> > I am a first time builder and I purchased a heatsink/fan combo with
> > a square substance on the copper core of the heatsink. My question
> > is this... do I remove this before applying Arctic Silver or simply
> > leave it on? My guess is that I should remove it. If that is the
> > case... what is the best procedure for removing it?
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

w_tom <w_tom1@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<40CF093F.8A0FE269@hotmail.com>...

> As others have noted, only use thermal compound or use
> thermal tape - not both. Remember basic science. With each
> change of medium is an increase in thermal resistance. CPU to
> heatsink is the lowest thermal resistance - best conducts
> heat. CPU to thermal compound to heatsink is less
> conductive. Even worse would be CPU to thermal compound to
> thermal tape to heatsink. These are basic science concepts.

What about thermal compound on a thermal pad? I thought that they
weren't supposed to be used together and that those silicone rubber
transistor insulators were invented to eliminate the need for thermal
compound, but I've seen both used together in some ATX PSUs and even
one computer monitor. One of the PSUs was an Enermax (OK but not
great), the other a Fortron/Sparkle (one of the best).

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Early transistor (electrical) insulators required thermal
compound because insulators did not make good contact with the
mating surfaces. Newer transistor insulators did not require
thermal compound. Depends on the numbers which have not been
provided. We are only discussing in subjective terms.

In fact, properly machined heatsinks work just fine without
thermal compound. Experiments demonstrate the concept. Apply
the heatsink to CPU and measure CPU temperature doing a fix
task. Then reapply heatsink using thermal compound. The CPU
temperature only drops single digit degrees because the number
of microscopic holes is so minimal.

If thermal compound results in more than single digit degree
temperature decreases, then the quality of a heatsink (or how
it was installed) is suspect. Many assume a heatsink must be
perfectly flat. Better heatsinks are actually shaped or
curved so that more pressure holds heatsink tighter to CPU
where heat is being transferred.

But this is the point. Thermal compound is for a minor
improvement in CPU temperature. If thermal compound makes a
significant difference in CPU temperature, then the system has
other more serious problems. Thermal compound on a transistor
insulator would be a function of that that insulator is.
Thermal compound is also recommended to the naive since
thermal compound can correct a bad heatsink or a bad heatsink
installation.

We avoided thermal compound on those transistor insulators.
It was a messy application that could cause other
complications and did not significantly reduce transistor
temperature. But again, it is first about the numbers. No
conclusions can be drawn without first having numbers such as
insulator conductivity, transistor wattage, etc.

larrymoencurly wrote:
> What about thermal compound on a thermal pad? I thought that they
> weren't supposed to be used together and that those silicone rubber
> transistor insulators were invented to eliminate the need for thermal
> compound, but I've seen both used together in some ATX PSUs and even
> one computer monitor. One of the PSUs was an Enermax (OK but not
> great), the other a Fortron/Sparkle (one of the best).