Best Thermal paste
 

Yeah, just curious. I've heard AS5 a lot, just wondering what you guys think, I'm thinking of replacing a few of my cpu's TIM which I have put cheap $3 stuff on... :ermm:

It doesn't make that much of a difference. I heard some good things about this stuff.

[url]http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835426020[/url]

[EDIT: re-reading this post (after posting, of course :smile:) I noticed it wasn't clear that I actually HAVE a tube of this stuff and have been using it for my thermal grease [STRIKE]fetishes[/STRIKE] needs.]

Ehh.... marginally better than AS5? AS5 is fine. Your application of the paste is going to matter a lot more than the paste itself.

AS5 and AS Ceramique along with Antec Formula 5 are in my bag right now.
Apparently mustard and mayo work pretty decently...according to [URL="http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Thermal-Compound-Roundup-January-2012/1468/5"]HardwareSecrets[/URL]

Coollaboratory Liquid Pro is a high performance one, but it's kinda dangerous.
Call me old fashioned, but I prefer the good old KPT-8.

Anything water based will work great. I've seen some tests like the one in the link where they tested stuff like toothpaste and even pure water.

Pure water actually worked the best but evaporated before long. That's the problem you'll get with mayo and mustard. AS5 doesn't go rancid either.

[QUOTE=TheMawn;349078]Anything water based will work great. I've seen some tests like the one in the link where they tested stuff like toothpaste and even pure water.[/QUOTE]

I've also seen someone test toothpaste; it works reasonably well because the abrasive grit (which would normally be intended for tooth cleaning, of course) actually fills in any microscopic imperfections in the chip surface, believe it or not.

[QUOTE=TheMawn;349078]Pure water actually worked the best but evaporated before long.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, and it's kind of hell to get it to sit still on the chip surface. And we all know what happens when it runs over the edge of the chip and onto the motherboard...:shock:

[QUOTE=TheMawn;349078]That's the problem you'll get with mayo and mustard. AS5 doesn't go rancid either.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, mayo at 60°C is probably somewhat pungent. :yucky:

In any event, I've personally had good results with AS5. And it's true that the most important part is properly applying the stuff. You might also want to get some ArctiClean to dissolve any old thermal paste on your CPU or heatsink, before applying the new paste.

[url]http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9686/thr-71/Indigo_Xtreme_Precision_Engineered_Thermal_Interface_ETI_Kit_for_Core_i7_LGA_1366_-_2_Pack.html?tl=g8c127s1707[/url]

There's another comparison chart on this page which is by a true fanatic. If I remember his technique correctly, he did multiple applications, discarded the worst result, and took an average of the rest. I don't think he allowed for the really long curing period for Arctic Silver 5.

I would certainly agree and emphasize that a good application of whatever you choose is a major factor in results.

This stuff is scary good, especially with its application requirements. These would be easier to meet with Intel chips than with AMD.
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I used to use Arctic Silver 5, but then moved on to Arctic Cooling MX-2, but now I use MX-4.

In reality there's very very little difference in it, and mostly it comes down to how it's applied. An ever so slightly thicker layer will not perform as well as an ever so slightly thinner layer.

The trick is getting as thin a layer as possible that still fills in all the gaps.

Well, technically the diamond would be the best: you buy a big diamond and take a hammer and make fine powder from that bloody diamond, then press it between the cpu and the cooler... :razz:

If this solution is not available, they you may try [URL="http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/includes/pdf/PGS_Brochure.pdf"]PGS[/URL]. This really works, and it is better than any paste, additionally, it is dry (no liquid involved). But it is not cheap.

No, for best thermal conductivity, what you need is liquid Helium cooled to 1.8 K or lower.

[QUOTE=lavalamp;349103] [SNIP]
The trick is getting as thin a layer as possible that still fills in all the gaps.[/QUOTE]

Exactly!