thermal paste?

[moondog777]

Hi all: just got a duo core cpu and I noticed that the fan/heatsink that came with it has a little thermal paste already on it should I go ahead and just use this or scrape it off and cover the entire footprint with better thermalpaste? :?:

 

[SockPuppet]

If you dont want to overclock, the stock paste will be good enough. If you want to step over your binned part frequency, then you would be wise to invest in arctic silver

 

[darious00777]

Like JumpingJack said:

Artic Silver 5

Or for the best around:

Masscool's Shin-Etsu

Tested and recommended by DaSickNinja himself, Shin-Etsu will cut around a half a degree cooler then Artic Silver 5. Then again, could be remembering it slightly wrong. But if all else fails, Artic Silver 5 is pretty good.

 

[senor_bob]

Like JumpingJack said:

Artic Silver 5

Or for the best around:

Masscool's Shin-Etsu

Tested and recommended by DaSickNinja himself, Shin-Etsu will cut around a half a degree cooler then Artic Silver 5. Then again, could be remembering it slightly wrong. But if all else fails, Artic Silver 5 is pretty good.

Actually DaSickNinja recommended Shin-Etsu X23, not G751. You can find it here: (DaSickNinja's recommended source)
Shin Etsu X23-7783D Thermal Grease (1 gm syringe)

Here's the comparison thread:
Benefits of Good Thermal Pastes

 

[ajfink]

Like JumpingJack said:

Artic Silver 5

Or for the best around:

Masscool's Shin-Etsu

Tested and recommended by DaSickNinja himself, Shin-Etsu will cut around a half a degree cooler then Artic Silver 5. Then again, could be remembering it slightly wrong. But if all else fails, Artic Silver 5 is pretty good.

Seems to me like AS5 application is simpler (dot in the middle, squish HSF on). Half of a degree...eh...

I'll probably buy some and try it though

 

[Grimmy]

Wat??

Ninja didn't do any tests with cheddar or swiss cheese?

 

[babaghan]

I got peanut butter on my CPU once, but scraped it off in favour of AS 5

 

[apt403]

I've always wondered what super glue or rubber cement would do myself...

 

[darious00777]

There's multiple Shin-Etsus? That's news to me. Thanks for the correction.

 

[plguzman]

As said before, you would be good with the Shin Etsu. It's harder to apply than AS5, but is a better thermal paste. Personally I love the Coollaboratory Liquid Pro, it gives you similar or even better results than the Shin Etsu, but it has its downside, because can't be used with aluminium HS, and because is liquid metal and is highly conductive, so you need to be very careful handling it.

Bottom line, if you are new to this things, you will go great with the Shin Etsu.

 

[TedMC]

There's multiple Shin-Etsus? That's news to me. Thanks for the correction.

I think the G751 is the only current TIM named shin-etsu.

http://www.masscool.com/masscool/Browser.aspx?Cat=Grease

Maybe the X-23 is oem stuff?

I bought some G-751 from newegg about ~2 months ago ( right after dasickninja's review) and in a very unscientific way can say that it outperforms AS 5.....probably....definately

Just did a little checking around for X-23...this guy says he just got a batch in. I don't know him but am thinking of buying some from him.

http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=437823

I'll order some from him later tonite and report back to the group when I get it.

 

[fate0n3]

Yea I agree the Shin-Etsu is harder to apply. I have been using it for awhile. I just applied it the same a small line down the center of the cpu. And then tightened down my HSF and done lol. Alot more of the thermal compound comes out of the tube with the Shin-Etsu but it is a good thermal compound. In my particular setup I lost 1-2c lol (Roughly that is) If you are new to it all just grab you some AS 5 and you will be more then good to go with the stock HSF.

 

[ajfink]

Yea I agree the Shin-Etsu is harder to apply. I have been using it for awhile. I just applied it the same a small line down the center of the cpu. And then tightened down my HSF and done lol. Alot more of the thermal compound comes out of the tube with the Shin-Etsu but it is a good thermal compound. In my particular setup I lost 1-2c lol (Roughly that is) If you are new to it all just grab you some AS 5 and you will be more then good to go with the stock HSF.

Disagree in many cases

 

[senor_bob]

There's multiple Shin-Etsus? That's news to me. Thanks for the correction.

I think the G751 is the only current TIM named shin-etsu.

http://www.masscool.com/masscool/Browser.aspx?Cat=Grease

Maybe the X-23 is oem stuff?

I bought some G-751 from newegg about ~2 months ago ( right after dasickninja's review) and in a very unscientific way can say that it outperforms AS 5.....probably....definately

Just did a little checking around for X-23...this guy says he just got a batch in. I don't know him but am thinking of buying some from him.

http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=437823

I'll order some from him later tonite and report back to the group when I get it.
For reputable X23 suppliers, try here:
http://www.ajigo-store.com/se7783d.html
or here:
http://www.crazypc.com/products/50118.html
The G751 lists thermal conductivity of > 4.5 W/mK, where the X23 claims 6 W/mK.

 

[TedMC]

There's multiple Shin-Etsus? That's news to me. Thanks for the correction.

I think the G751 is the only current TIM named shin-etsu.

http://www.masscool.com/masscool/Browser.aspx?Cat=Grease

Maybe the X-23 is oem stuff?

I bought some G-751 from newegg about ~2 months ago ( right after dasickninja's review) and in a very unscientific way can say that it outperforms AS 5.....probably....definately

Just did a little checking around for X-23...this guy says he just got a batch in. I don't know him but am thinking of buying some from him.

http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=437823

I'll order some from him later tonite and report back to the group when I get it.
For reputable X23 suppliers, try here:
http://www.ajigo-store.com/se7783d.html
or here:
http://www.crazypc.com/products/50118.html
The G751 lists thermal conductivity of > 4.5 W/mK, where the X23 claims 6 W/mK.

If I recall correctly DSN recommends X-23 for polished/lapped surfaces and G-751 for rougher.
And masscool's website lists A TIM made by Fanner named STARS-700 with Thermal Conductivity at 7.5 W/m-K. Perhaps a new shootout is in order?

http://www.masscool.com/masscool/Product.aspx?ID=178

 

[dasickninja]

Perhaps it is, this time encompassing more test vectors and variables, more pastes, and plain ol' more work for me.

This time however, I'll get a E4300 and a E6300 along with an AMD chip to give a even wider spectrum of results.

 

[evongugg]

If you are going to be swapping CPU's you are better off using Arctic Silver or similar.
The thermal pad contains paraffin which melts and fills the voids. It is nearly impossible to remove all of it from the heatsink and processor.
With Arctic Silver or similar you don't have this problem.

 

[Groveling_Wyrm]

I use Stars 700 on a regular basis, and have used it for the systems I build for over 5 years. In the thousands of systems I have built, I can definitively say that Stars 700 is at best a mid-grade TIM, and not in the same category as Arctic Silver products.

However, for basic systems, for people that do not overclock, this is a cheap, yet effective solution.

 

[dj_taboo]

I'm using Arcitc Cooling MX-1. Its non-metallic and doesn't have to be re-applied every year like Arctic Silver. Like all thermal interface material, you'll want to let this one cure before making any judgements. When i first used it, the fan would spin up just the same as the regular stuff. The next week, it did wonders and now my cpu runs much cooler. The cpu fan no longer spins up during long gaming sessions.
It is hard to work with though. You can't spread it like AS 5. Just a small blob on the cpu and twist your HSF on to spread it.
8)

 

[Grimmy]

I'm using Arcitc Cooling MX-1. Its non-metallic and doesn't have to be re-applied every year like Arctic Silver.

What makes you think AS5 needs to be reapplied every year?

I mean, It needs 200 hours to cure properly..

Anytime you break the bond, it needs to be reapplied, so if your saying if the user cleans his HS by taking it out yearly, then.. ya.

 

[plguzman]

Its non-metallic and doesn't have to be re-applied every year like Arctic Silver.

As far as I know, no thermal paste needs to be reapplied.

 

[Alsone]

Like JumpingJack said:

Artic Silver 5

Or for the best around:

Masscool's Shin-Etsu

Tested and recommended by DaSickNinja himself, Shin-Etsu will cut around a half a degree cooler then Artic Silver 5. Then again, could be remembering it slightly wrong. But if all else fails, Artic Silver 5 is pretty good.

Seems to me like AS5 application is simpler (dot in the middle, squish HSF on). Half of a degree...eh...

I'll probably buy some and try it though

Sorry but thats bad advice. You need to check the instructions on the Artic SIlver Web Site, as the application is different for every type of CPU.

A dot in the centre doesn't work for Core Duo, it needs a long thin line placed in a specific part of the cpu top. There are exact instructions on the artic silver web site.

As for the orginal posters question, the thermal grease that comes on the CPU heatsink as standard is fine provided its undamaged. If its damaged or you want the best performance then get AS 5 and some proprietory CPU cleaner such as ArtiClean.

It is essential to clean both the CPU and heatsink throughly before application. Also be aware that fingerprints or more specifically the grease on your fingers can affect performance so either don't touch the contact surfaces or if you do, clean them. Also, be aware of the dangers of getting air between the TIM and cpu / heatsink - hence the reason for the twist, its both to spread the material and force out the air, so be careful not to lift the heat sink as you seat it or its performance might be reduced.

Good luck.

 

[dj_taboo]

I read that somewhere, about needing to reapply the TIM due to the evaporative properties of metallic thermal grease. Let me look it up again, i'll try to come back with quotes.
8)

 

[dj_taboo]

So far i picked this up from the "PC Maintenance" forum here.
I know i can find more info to back this up...

Why does the termal paste need to be changed every year. I've never heard of this? I thought thermal paste never dries so what would be the purpose?

Thermal paste will eventually "dry" since it is in a hot environment. When this happens the paste will shrink and crack. The will leave plenty of tiny air pockets in between the CPU and the heatsink which causes cooling efficiency to drop.

I typically re-apply thermal paste every 2 years or when I notice my CPU temps go up more than the norm.

 

[Grimmy]

From my understanding, the bond of the thermal compound is important. Generally some people tend to change out their CPU or HSF within less then a year, or they could be a clean freak.

Regular white thermal grease tends to dry out eventually, looses density, flakes, and looses its effective bond to the cpu and hsf, and then it should cause temps to go up.

AS5 on the other hand, tends to bake, thus it needs 200 hour to cure. So it should harden like a clay like substance in time. Now if you move your rig, or if it has allot of vibration that could cause the bond to crack, then the bond will get broken, which should cause temps to go up.

Also within a year to 2 years of use, the HSF itself should be getting dusty, which will also prevent good airflow for it to dissipate heat.

So you do have different factors that will cause the system temps to go up. Then from that point, just common sense should be used in deciding if the thermal grease need to be replaced/reapplied, as well for HSF dust to be removed.