Do I really need Arctic Silver 5 for my AMD Athlon X2 3800+?

[ghowthoo]

Hey guys,

I dont overclock and my room is usually kepted pretty cool at all times.

...is Arctic Silver 5 really nessecary for my CPU? or will I be fine using the retail heatsink with its own thermal paste?

I've seen mixed reviews on this, saying you should and others saying its fine with the stock paste... what do you guys think?

 

[mpjesse]

Absolutely not.

But if you want to reduce temps by 2-4C just for the hell of it, AS5 is a good way to do it. I personally prefer Arctic Silver's Ceramique paste over AS5.

Regardless it's always a good idea to have some quality paste laying around. Once you remove that heatsink from the CPU it's all down hill for that thermal pad thing. And if you're an enthusiast you'll probably be removing the heatsink for cleaning every few months.

 

[jjnguy13]

Yup!

 

[baligavinod]

However, this is an enthusiast forum for the most part, so many of us like to uber slick-up our systems and squeeze that last 0.1 deg C of temperature out.... then we come in here and pound our chest like a triumphant king-kong, proclaiming how great we are and how nobody can match what we have just done.... then, someone invariably comes out and says something like "you goober, I got x biddle bee bo blah blah, go surf your pr0n", the other guy typically spouts back "well, yeah ... but I used a crappy old this that and the other and still got this, you nerd". Within 2 or 3 posts, the thread quickly spirals into a flame fest of laughable proportions.... welcome to TGForumz ... Jack

i think this shud be made as an introduction thread of TGForumz...

 

[HotFoot]

If you don't overclock and you're looking to shave a few degrees of your CPU temp, beyond buying a better HSF, the most effective way is to back the voltage off a little from stock. In my experience, my CPUs have been able to run at stock-0.1V with no problems at all. You might be suprised how much this reduces your load temps.

I'd go with the AS5 just because I tend to pull things apart once in a while and I need new grease each time. AS5 is very cheap anyway.

 

[yakyb]

dont worry you'll be fine but for only a fiver you will have a spare lying around incase you ever need to clean out your heatsink etc

 

[ajfink]

But if you want to reduce temps by 2-4C just for the hell of it, AS5 is a good way to do it. I personally prefer Arctic Silver's Ceramique paste over AS5.

Ditto.

 

[ghowthoo]

thanks for the replies guys! really apprecitate it!

 

[anticupidon]

However, this is an enthusiast forum for the most part, so many of us like to uber slick-up our systems and squeeze that last 0.1 deg C of temperature out.... then we come in here and pound our chest like a triumphant king-kong, proclaiming how great we are and how nobody can match what we have just done.... then, someone invariably comes out and says something like "you goober, I got x biddle bee bo blah blah, go surf your pr0n", the other guy typically spouts back "well, yeah ... but I used a crappy old this that and the other and still got this, you nerd". Within 2 or 3 posts, the thread quickly spirals into a flame fest of laughable proportions.... welcome to TGForumz ... Jack

i think this shud be made as an introduction thread of TGForumz...
you just hit the nail in the head!

 

[dobby]

artic silver is great when, i have a new tube/seringe and there is some left i drink it, its that good.

 

[gOJDO]

If you are overclocking, then get Arctic Ceramique.
If you are not overclocking, any thermal grease is more than enough.

 

[bkiserx7]

The thremal pad imcluded on the sink is very effective. I plan on redoing mine with the thermal grease that ninja tested from masscool, Shin etsu , i believe is the product name.

Shin etsu x23

 

[gOJDO]

The thremal pad imcluded on the sink is very effective. I plan on redoing mine with the thermal grease that ninja tested from masscool, Shin etsu , i believe is the product name.

Shin etsu x23
very hard to find!
I bought Ceramique and it lowered the temperatures for 3'C compared to the grease that comes with the Asus Silent SQUARE after-market cooler. Not a big deal, but its better :lol:

 

[CaptRobertApril]

I'm running the 3800+ with stock fan and getting 27C at idle and have never seen it over 34C. AS5 might just freeze the CPU! :lol:

 

[gOJDO]

AS5 might just freeze the CPU! :lol:

Indeed! You need only LN2 or phase change cooling! :lol:

 

[CaptRobertApril]

Indeed! You need only LN2 or phase change cooling! :lol:

Then it would be more frigid than my last ex-wife! :twisted:

 

[m25]

I have recently downvolted by .025 and lost 10c while maintaining an oc of 210x11 stock mem speeds and timings. I did that last week or so. been suggesting it since.
cpuz says .04 lower.

Your room temp might also have changed since, in my experience, .025V is too little to lower the temps by 10°C; My A64 3000+ was a good undervolter and I could very stably run it on 1.25V (from stock 1.40V) and this lowered my temps by 8°C, but that is a good .15 V.