persistantthug
Posts:
16,443
Registered:
Oct 8, '03
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 16,135
User ID: 843,961
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Ok....I was thinking about getting some Arctic Silver 5, and primarily this is for my PS3 (65nm), but in a couple months I'm gonna need to change my computer CPU paste as well, which, I'm sad to say, is a super old 90nm intel.
So I was wondering if some of you here had some recommendations. Like, what's the best thermal paste I can get for less than $40?
What say you?
Thanks.
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
Ursa_Major
Title: The Key Masher!
Posts:
2,403
Registered:
May 12, '02
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 2,394
User ID: 678,275
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
|
Arctic silver is fine. Just don't use too much.
-----signature-----
"There is an art to flying, or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Clearly, it is this second part, the missing, that provides the difficulties." - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
|
|
Link to this post
|
Aerlinthian
Posts:
66,222
Registered:
May 7, '01
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 65,491
User ID: 94,919
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Ursa_Major posted:
Arctic silver is fine. Just don't use too much.
Agreed, a pea size drop should do. Get yourself a clean oil free rag to clean off the old goop with and care to not bend the pins of course.
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
Ravynmagi
Title: Moderator
Posts:
29,978
Registered:
Dec 23, '01
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 29,452
User ID: 572,278
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Indigo Xtreme is said to be the best. However it comes in pads for specific CPU sockets. And they mention compatibility with Intel Core 2 and AMD Phenom and newer processors. I assume if it's an LGA 775 or AM2 socket it might still work with older CPUs.
Those run $20 for two pads. Most thermal pastes you can get a tube with many more uses for about $10.
Prolimatech PK-1 seems to be the favorite these days and does better the AS5.
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9119/thr-59/Prolimatech_PK-1_Nano_Aluminum_Thermal_Compound_-_5_Gram.html
AS5 is also still pretty good if you want something local, probably talking only 2 or 3C higher probably.
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
Aerlinthian
Posts:
66,222
Registered:
May 7, '01
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 65,491
User ID: 94,919
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Ravynmagi posted:
AS5 is also still pretty good if you want something local, probably talking only 2 or 3C higher probably.
Do you mean that AS5 will only net a 2 or 3C difference? 
I ask because I've certainly had better outcomes than that.
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
Ravynmagi
Title: Moderator
Posts:
29,978
Registered:
Dec 23, '01
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 29,452
User ID: 572,278
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Aerlinthian posted:
Ravynmagi posted:
AS5 is also still pretty good if you want something local, probably talking only 2 or 3C higher probably.
Do you mean that AS5 will only net a 2 or 3C difference?
I ask because I've certainly had better outcomes than that.
Saying PK-1 is probably only 2 or 3C better than AS5.
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
Aerlinthian
Posts:
66,222
Registered:
May 7, '01
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 65,491
User ID: 94,919
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Okay, I understand now. 
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
Marzuk
Posts:
12,545
Registered:
Oct 21, '02
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 12,348
User ID: 729,742
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
IMO as long as you are not doing anything like bleeding edge overclocking, outside of choosing a quality thermal paste you don't have to worry much.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/imageview.php?image=38728
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Thermal-Compound-Roundup-September-2011/1377/5
I wouldn't really worry about a 5c temperature difference.
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
Blisteringballs
Posts:
2,247
Registered:
Aug 12, '09
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 2,247
User ID: 1,366,612
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Their newest, Arctic Silver 5, is pretty much the best overall compound they have come out with. Across the board, follow the directions and you should be fine.
Though if you're having heating problems with a console thermal applicants really aren't the cure.
-----signature-----
|
|
Link to this post
|
SlyLoK
Posts:
????
Registered:
????
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 0
User ID: 0
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
AS5 ( nice abbr.. lol ) isnt really that highly ranked anymore. Its popular but not the best.
I would probably recommend Arctic Cooling MX4.
-----signature-----
|
|
Link to this post
|
Rezist
Posts:
????
Registered:
????
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 0
User ID: 0
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
|
AS5 is conductive, where I think MX4 is not. I think MX4 works better but AS5 will suffer from less degradation.
-----signature-----
|
|
Link to this post
|
Marzuk
Posts:
12,545
Registered:
Oct 21, '02
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 12,348
User ID: 729,742
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
SlyLoK posted:
AS5 ( nice abbr.. lol ) isnt really that highly ranked anymore. Its popular but not the best.
I would probably recommend Arctic Cooling MX4.
And yet, in the roundup I posted it was 1c off of the top, and only 2 outperformed it. What is your source for "isn't really that highly ranked anymore".
MX4 came out 2c worse.
As far as conductivity - if you have to worry about that, you're doing it wrong and probably have no business putting a computer together.
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
Blisteringballs
Posts:
2,247
Registered:
Aug 12, '09
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 2,247
User ID: 1,366,612
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Rezist posted:
AS5 is conductive, where I think MX4 is not. I think MX4 works better but AS5 will suffer from less degradation.
Other way around. AS5 is non-conductive (electricty-wise, it conducts heat of course). I don't know the particulars of why conductive pastes degrade faster even in the absence of a current, but whatever.
-----signature-----
|
|
Link to this post
|
Ravynmagi
Title: Moderator
Posts:
29,978
Registered:
Dec 23, '01
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 29,452
User ID: 572,278
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Blisteringballs posted:
Rezist posted:
AS5 is conductive, where I think MX4 is not. I think MX4 works better but AS5 will suffer from less degradation.
Other way around. AS5 is non-conductive (electricty-wise, it conducts heat of course). I don't know the particulars of why conductive pastes degrade faster even in the absence of a current, but whatever.
I also called it conductive and I guess that wording is wrong... this is from their website.
Not Electrically Conductive:
Arctic Silver 5 was formulated to conduct heat, not electricity.
(While much safer than electrically conductive silver and copper greases, Arctic Silver 5 should be kept away from electrical traces, pins, and leads. While it is not electrically conductive, the compound is very slightly capacitive and could potentially cause problems if it bridges two close-proximity electrical paths.)
So the better word is capacitive I suppose. It's got metal in it though and like the warning says, should not be used near traces, pins, etc. That is why I will not use this on GPUs and CPUs without heatspreaders usually. Arctic Silver makes Ceramique for this reason and it works well enough.
AC MX4 doesn't include metal and is safer to use if you have an accident (use too much, have a drip, etc).
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
Blisteringballs
Posts:
2,247
Registered:
Aug 12, '09
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 2,247
User ID: 1,366,612
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Yea capacitive, thanks. I'm not even sure non-conductive is a proper term 
-----signature-----
|
|
Link to this post
|
SlyLoK
Posts:
????
Registered:
????
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 0
User ID: 0
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
AS5 is conductive because of the silver shavings the paste has and thats why you arent supposed to put it on video cards ( you can but you have to be careful ) and on top of that AS5 cures and loses its effectiveness while paste like the ACMX4 does not ( and you can use it on video cards no worries ).
And by " not highly ranked " anymore I meant in lab tests where its pitted against other pastes and thermal solutions. I have used AS5 for a long time now and it does a good job so it isnt like I dont like AS5.
-----signature-----
|
|
Link to this post
|
Marzuk
Posts:
12,545
Registered:
Oct 21, '02
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 12,348
User ID: 729,742
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
^
Can you show any of those tests? Otherwise, just looks like you are talking out of your ass.
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
Blisteringballs
Posts:
2,247
Registered:
Aug 12, '09
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 2,247
User ID: 1,366,612
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Marzuk posted:
^
Can you show any of those tests? Otherwise, just looks like you are talking out of your ass.
Why are you aggressive towards him? It's odd. Just be cool and discuss man.
-----signature-----
|
|
Link to this post
|
jarom_td
Posts:
4,571
Registered:
Aug 8, '00
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 4,443
User ID: 38,737
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Marzuk posted:
Can you show any of those tests? Otherwise, just looks like you are talking out of your ass.
http://skinneelabs.com/indigo-xtreme/3/
-----signature-----
Thanks to iTunes, now you can get free TV shows for just 99 cents
|
|
Link to this post
|
Marzuk
Posts:
12,545
Registered:
Oct 21, '02
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 12,348
User ID: 729,742
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Interesting, a difference of 0.4c from the MX2.
Whats the margin for error on that I'd wonder? As I stated even a 5c difference in the context of the original question is not very important, and I'd view these results as showing AS5 as essentially being tied in terms of performance.
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
The_Korrigan
Title: Scrub Buster
Posts:
21,660
Registered:
Jul 17, '01
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 21,292
User ID: 255,861
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
I'd go with Artic Silver too.
And yeah, don't put too much of it - a tiny pea sized spot in the center of the processor, and then apply the heatsink over it. Do NOT try to spread it on your own, and definitely NEVER EVER with your finger.
-----signature-----
SWTOR: 50 Jedi Shadow (Tank), 50 Sith Marauder (Annihilation).
LOTRO: Lifetime account, playing very casually.
WoW: Both accounts canceled for now.
GW2: Future Warrior.
|
|
Link to this post
|
Ravynmagi
Title: Moderator
Posts:
29,978
Registered:
Dec 23, '01
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 29,452
User ID: 572,278
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
The_Korrigan posted:
I'd go with Artic Silver too.
And yeah, don't put too much of it - a tiny pea sized spot in the center of the processor, and then apply the heatsink over it. Do NOT try to spread it on your own, and definitely NEVER EVER with your finger.
Unless you are me. I used to finger spread that stuff all the time. Everyone says don't, but I never saw anything negative with my temps because of it. Though these days I follow the instructions and let the heatsink pressure spread it out. Stuff is hard to clean off the finger.
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
The_Korrigan
Title: Scrub Buster
Posts:
21,660
Registered:
Jul 17, '01
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 21,292
User ID: 255,861
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Ravynmagi posted:
The_Korrigan posted:
I'd go with Artic Silver too.
And yeah, don't put too much of it - a tiny pea sized spot in the center of the processor, and then apply the heatsink over it. Do NOT try to spread it on your own, and definitely NEVER EVER with your finger.
Unless you are me. I used to finger spread that stuff all the time. Everyone says don't, but I never saw anything negative with my temps because of it. Though these days I follow the instructions and let the heatsink pressure spread it out. Stuff is hard to clean off the finger.
Well, you do it, it "works" sort off - I've also done it long time ago before I knew better - but your "body fluids", yeah, even on your clean fingers, will interfere and lower the efficiency of the paste. Not to mention spreading them is definitely less efficient than putting a pea in the center of the CPU and let the pressure of the heat sink spread it, it avoids air bubbles.
There's no point in using top notch thermal paste if you're gonna introduce air bubbles and other crap into it. You may as well use the basic stuff then.
-----signature-----
SWTOR: 50 Jedi Shadow (Tank), 50 Sith Marauder (Annihilation).
LOTRO: Lifetime account, playing very casually.
WoW: Both accounts canceled for now.
GW2: Future Warrior.
|
|
Link to this post
|
SlyLoK
Posts:
????
Registered:
????
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 0
User ID: 0
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
Ravynmagi posted:
The_Korrigan posted:
I'd go with Artic Silver too.
And yeah, don't put too much of it - a tiny pea sized spot in the center of the processor, and then apply the heatsink over it. Do NOT try to spread it on your own, and definitely NEVER EVER with your finger.
Unless you are me. I used to finger spread that stuff all the time. Everyone says don't, but I never saw anything negative with my temps because of it. Though these days I follow the instructions and let the heatsink pressure spread it out. Stuff is hard to clean off the finger.
If you are like me and have oily skin then it can be risky.
-----signature-----
|
|
Link to this post
|
Ravynmagi
Title: Moderator
Posts:
29,978
Registered:
Dec 23, '01
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 29,452
User ID: 572,278
|
Subject:
What's the best thermal paste I can get for 65nm and 90nm chips?
|
AS5 instructions used to tell you to spread the paste out on the CPU in a thin layer and recommended a credit card or something. But using a card would leave streaks and wasn't very even. So that is what lead to me just using my finger (which isn't oily and I washed up before).
Later they changed the instructions to just putting a dot in the middle and letting the CPU heatsink spread it out. Which is certainly easier.
-----signature-----
(none)
|
|
Link to this post
|
