Arctic Silver 5 VS Alienware?

[Blckhaze]

Hi, My case currently runs 3 120mm 45cfm fans. One on the radiator for the water cooling and 2 others.. side panel and the back. Right now the CPU on max load with default "turbomode" (21x120) can reach 61c on prime95. If I overclock the bclk to 160 the temp goes to about 70-72c.

What I am thinking of doing and will do to some degree... I'd like to upgrade the fan on the radiator to a Delta AFB1212GHE-F00 120mm Case Fan which is 250cfm, almost 5x the one thats on there, and upgrade the side and the back fan to some coolermaster 90cfm fans which is 2x the current speed of those.

Since I am doing all that, should I also change the thermal paste of the cpu to some artic silver 5? I bought the system from Alienware (overpriced) and have since then been upgrading it. Does anyone know if the compound that alienware/dell uses is better or worse than articsilver 5? Or regardless if better or worse, just leave it?


I'd appreciate any input regarding anything in this that I have stated. Thanks! Steve




note: meant to add this to the cpu section of the forum... must have mis-entered something. sorry

 

[fusion_gtx]

Typically the stock thermal paste used by companies is nothing too impressive. If you're going to be overclocking your system I would redo the thermal paste either way just to be sure you know you have some quality thermal paste as apposed to wondering.

 

[Blckhaze]

Thank you for your input! I think thats what I will do.

I was confident in this decision earlyer also, but then I saw on some m15s or m17s how peoples laptop cpu's were overheating, and how they had replaced the paste to artic silver and it didnt have any effect. It made me wonder if alienware inc was already using artic silver or something thats already similar. Even though this isn't a laptop... I have a hardtime making up my mind and might be the case here until I can paste the compound to my face and see if the sun effects my skin as much as it does with sunscreen

 

[Blckhaze]

Best answer selected by blckhaze.