Best thermal paste?

[doomsdaydave11]

I recently bought an Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro for my e8400... unfortunately the e8400 turned out to be faulty (didn't even get a chance to overclock) and I was forced to return it. Sadly, I used the Freezer 7 Pro instead of the stock cooler initially and used the thermal paste. It sucks that I have to buy new thermal paste now... especially when paste is less then the shipping is, but that's life.

What is the best thermal paste for my situation? I don't plan to overclock it past 4.0Ghz (I doubt my motherboard will go any higher, if that). I just don't want to buy crap, that's all.

Thanks!

 

[jaysins]

I've heard really good things about tuniq tx-2 and it's really cheap. Some reviews I've seen of it have it beating artic 5.

 

[Zorg]

You don't hear much about this but it is the sh*t. You need to apply it with a razor blade because it is thick and sticky. You decide.

Diamond Thermal Grease Testing

IC Diamond 7 Carat Thermal Compound

 

[cliffro]

I've used AS3 and AS5 plus OEM pastes so far, and from my experiences AS5 is better, I've read good things about Zalman ZM - STG1 it comes in a bottle and is painted on

 

[royalcrown]

It all works fine..all this huge temperature drop crap is just as bad as bottled water, next you'll all be buying purified spring electricity in glass bottles. Even plain old radio shack crap works fine if you apply it properly.

 

[Lupiron]

33 way Thermal transference goo test!!

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=138&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=6

TIM Consultants T-C Grease 0098 Is the best, supposedly. I have three tubes sitting right here that arrived today, since I was using formula 5, a poly silver compound. It was like 20th out of 33, so I decided to get the real deal.. read up and see.

My water cooling processor block comes tomorrow! Hopefully its better! The dimensions looked proper, and its a swift apogee GT. Looked excellent for the 30ish bucks.

--Lupi

 

[Zorg]

The IC Diamond 7 was one degree off of T-C Grease 0098.

Product Name Amb/MB Amb/Idle Amb/Load Difference
TIM Consultants T-C Grease 0098 21.2/27 21.2/39 21.2/53 31.8
OCZ Freeze 21.1/27 21.2/40 21.1/53 31.9
Arctic Silver 5 21.1/27 21.1/40 21.2/54 32.8
IC Seven Carat Diamond 21.2/27 21.1/40 21.2/54 32.8

They said themselves that the testing was not accurate, certainly through no fault of theirs.

My biggest regret is not having a more powerful test system, and by system I don't mean computer hardware. You see, even with a heavy overclock on the most modern processor there just isn't enough heat produced to create a clearly evident divide between products.

Take the identical results of the AS5 and IC Diamond 7 in that roundup and compare them to the more scientific testing between the same two in my link. I think the IC Diamond fairs better than your roundup indicates. Here is what they used.

To correct for grease thickness, thermal bulk conductivity and thermal impedance, a specially designed and built calorimeter was used. This is a precise instrument that cost about $75,000 to build.

What's your opinion?

 

[bobjmoran]

AS-5 $6.99 Free Shipping ( when ordering check shipping method = USPS not UPS)
http://www.svc.com/other.html

 

[Scotteq]

Shin-Etsu

 

[Lupiron]

Zorg!

And yes, not off by much. Now remember when they tested, they allowed minimal burn in time. So I assume that the paste can only get better with time. I am not sure.

And if that isnt the case, then some may get better with time!

But that paste did squeeze out #1 slot, so hopefully it works. I look at it this way, The one I used was 3c hotter instantly, sooo... I'll pass on that and try the #1 seed!

Come on, water block!

--Lupi

 

[doomsdaydave11]

AS-5 $6.99 Free Shipping ( when ordering check shipping method = USPS not UPS)
http://www.svc.com/other.html

Decision made. That's what I'm going for. Paying as much for shipping as the paste itself is gay .
Thanks.

 

[badgtx1969]

I listened to DaSickNinja:
Shin-estu x23

He originally posted this on Tom's forums but doesn't come around here much anymore:
***.com/forums/power-supplies-cases-cooling/140-thermal-interface-material-comparison.html

EDIT: Toms won't let (x)(c)(p)(u)(s).com be linked! Automatic censor!

 

[Zorg]

And yes, not off by much. Now remember when they tested, they allowed minimal burn in time. So I assume that the paste can only get better with time. I am not sure.

And if that isnt the case, then some may get better with time!

That's not what I'm talking about. There are a lot of variables, that can't be properly controlled, when testing on a CPU with a heatsink. The $75,000 calorimeter is designed to remove these variables. I would be more inclined to believe the results from the testing on the calorimeter. It doesn't really matter that much. Since you already bought your TIM, then I would let it eat anyway.

 

[Lupiron]

Speaking of which! That is the thickest and weirdest paste I have ever seen! It moves good... but when it comes to a pair of mirror surfaces, I dunno what to apply it with! Every bit of it would stick to your finger if you try to spread it with one!

Guess I will be able to test it myself! Calorimeter be damned! I want what works for me! And you know where that leaves the rest of you?

In my processors dust! Hahahaha!


Weeeee!

--Lupi

 

[Lupiron]

Sorry, in my processors electron wake! Not dust...

--Lupi

 

[Zorg]

Use a single edge razor blade if your paste is thick and sticky, be sure to spread it very thinly. The difference in pastes is not enough to worry about. I only posted because he wanted to know what I thought was the best. I put the IC 7 on two other machines but I ran out when it came to mine so I'm using AS5, because it was handy. See, I don't care that much.

 

[Lupiron]

Me either. I was using Formula 5, Antecs generic Polly silver compound. And the price was the same, so why not get whats supposedly the best? Now all I have to do is correct my lopsided 1.2000 and I should be ready to so! Looks like 3.8 PRIME stable will take some doing for a poor q6600.

::Gets back to lapping.:: Man, I already had to file down half the chip! It was literally Lopsided. The IHS was waaaaay higher on one side then the other!

--Lupi

 

[Zorg]

Good luck with the water block. Maybe you should try the Vegemite TIM. :lol:

Thermal transfer compound comparison

 

[Lupiron]

Man!! Now its all in pieces! I knew that would happen! But I guess I should have done it when I first got the thing used. Its a koolance all in one case kit whatever.

I just noticed that one of the fans was pulling up through the Rad, and the other two were pushing air down through it from outside. (Fans on top) The ones from outside down through it had like the whole area clogged with dust!! No joke!

So in pieces it rests, and when I figure out how, if I lop one inch off the top of the case, since the top tapers to a wider normal case top, I can remove the entire 80mm trip fans and mount a pair of Kazes on the now bigger area!!

::Goes to get a Vegemite sandwich.::

Wish me Luck!

--Lupi!

 

[Zorg]

Water can be a real pain in the a$$. Good luck.

 

[Evilonigiri]

Air cooling FTW.

Anyways, I'm sure AS5 would do fine for most everyone, after all the differences are like 3C at the most. Although cooler is better, 3C will hardly make a difference, just so long as the temps aren't too high.

 

[Zorg]

True enough.

 

[Lupiron]

Looks like all will be well, and much cooler when I am done!