Best thermal paste?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wes Newell
  • Start date Start date
I don't think I'll report on this again unless there's some kind of
problem, which I don't expect.
Click to expand...

It would actualy be best if you do report on this again at Quarterly
intervals.
 
Hi Yousuf,

They use sodium bicarbinate to scrape stuff off your teeth aluminim oxide is
used by dentists to remove small caries in your teeth in a procedure called
air abraion
 
For the record, i switched from the stock heatsink with its thermal pad
to a zalman cnps7000 AlCu, with arctic silver 5, and my temp has gone UP
several degrees. i'm think i did something wrong somewhere, but i was
pretty careful putting it in...
 
I thought oil was a good insulator? (First aid for burns: do not use butter
or oil)

A better method for imparting heat to the heatsink would be machining flat /
lapping. Never wanted to try this though, afraid I would just dome the
surface of the cpu (how do you make a totally flat surface by hand?).

An engineer told me a rule of thumb is that there is a 1C insulation for
every thermal interface. To me that means CPU->paste->heatsink is always
going to be behind a perfect CPU->heatsink system by 1C.

Bob
Click to expand...

Thermal Conductivity, W/cm-K
a.. Metals
a.. Aluminum 2.165
b.. Beryllium 1.772
c.. Beryllium-copper 1.063
d.. Brass 70% copper, 30% zinc 1.220
e.. Copper 3.937
f.. Gold 2.913
g.. Iron .669
h.. Lead .343
i.. Magnesium 1.575
j.. Molybdenum 1.299
k.. Monel .197
l.. Nickel .906
m.. Platinum .734
n.. Silver 4.173
o.. Stainless Steel-321 .146
p.. Stainless Steel-410 .240
q.. Steel, low carbon .669
r.. Tin .630
s.. Titanium .157
t.. Tungsten 1.969
u.. Zinc 1.024
b.. Semiconductors
a.. GaAs .591
b.. Silicon (pure) 1.457
c.. Silicon (.0025 ohm-cm) .984
d..
e.. Silicon Dioxide (amorphous) .014
f.. Silicon Dioxide (quartz) c-axis .11
g.. Silicon Dioxide (quartz) a-axis .059
h.. Silicon Nitride .16 - .33
i.. Silicon Carbide .90
c.. Insulators
a.. Air (still) .0003
b.. Sapphire c-axis .35
c.. Sapphire a-axis .32
d.. Alumina .276
e.. Alumina 85% .118
f.. Beryllia 99.5% 1.969
g.. Beryllia 97% 1.575
h.. Beryllia 95% 1.161
i.. Boron Nitride (hot pressed) .394
j.. Diamond (room temperature) 6.299
k.. Diamond (77 K) 24.
l.. Diamond (room temperature, isotopically pure) 50.
m.. Epoxy .002
n.. Thermally conductive epoxy .008
o.. Glass .008
p.. Heat sink compound (metal oxide loaded grease) .004
q.. Mica .007
r.. Mylar .002
s.. Phenolic .002
t.. Silicone Grease .002
u.. Silicone Rubber .002
v.. Teflon .002
w.. FR-4 or G-10 PC board material .003
x.. water .0055
y.. Liquid Helium (4.2K) .000307
z.. Liquid Nitrogen (77K) .001411
aa.. Liquid Argon (85K) .001258
d.. Thermally Conductive Elastomers
a.. Bergquist Sil-pads .009
b.. Tecknit Consil-C 871 .023
c.. Tecknit Consil-R 350 .00433 to .00732
d.. Saracon 2.9e-3 cal/cm-sec-K
e.. Chomerics XTS-274 alumina filled elastomer .002 cal/sec cm K
f.. Cho-seal 1224 .038
g.. Cho-therm .0433
h.. Cho-therm 1678 .018
i.. Cho-therm 1671 .027
 
On Sep. 1, 2005 I replaced my normal HSF thermal compound with some 30
year old wheel bearing grease that I had in the garage. Afterwards the
temps were the same as the original thermal compound. Today they are still
as good are maybe .5C better. AMD64 3000+

CPU Temp: +31°C
M/B Temp: +28°C

The grease container lid has been craked wide open for years, along with
some cracks in the plastic 1 lb. tub it came in. Temp. ranges where it's
been stored (garage) all these years range from below -10C to around 60C
annually. It's still soft. Think it will ever dry out? Think your $5 a
gram compound is better than this $1 a lb?:-)
Click to expand...
Not much change after 2.5 months. Even though I've added a raid controller
card with 2 more drives and an HDTV tuner card. I also replaced the rather
old GF3 video card. Here's the temps now.

CPU Temp: +31°C
M/B Temp: +27°C
 
Wes Newell said:
Not much change after 2.5 months. Even though I've added a raid controller
card with 2 more drives and an HDTV tuner card. I also replaced the rather
old GF3 video card. Here's the temps now.

CPU Temp: +31°C
M/B Temp: +27°C

--
KT133 MB, CPU @2400MHz (24x100): SIS755 MB CPU @2330MHz (10x233)
Need good help? Provide all system info with question.
My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php
Verizon server http://mysite.verizon.net/res0exft/cpu.htm
Click to expand...

Yeah, lets put a flammable, electrically conductive petro-solvent on our
computers.
You are not even a good troll.

I'd like to tell you where to put your axle grease, but to maintain the
decorum of the group, I won't.

If you are trolling, this one is a lame attempt.

If you did indeed put axle grease on your CPU, then you are truly stupid.

Bobby
 
NoNoBadDog! said:
Yeah, lets put a flammable, electrically conductive petro-solvent on our
computers.
You are not even a good troll.

I'd like to tell you where to put your axle grease, but to maintain the
decorum of the group, I won't.

If you are trolling, this one is a lame attempt.

If you did indeed put axle grease on your CPU, then you are truly stupid.

Bobby
Click to expand...

Interesting comments.

The flamability is relatively low, less than the motherboard itself.

Arctic silver is electrically conductive and doesn't seem to present
problems.

I'm not sure if any of the components it would contact would necessarily
be chemically changed or softened.

So where do you want to go with this? Do you have some evidence of
damage from this material that we can use to determine whether or not
its OK to use?
 
NoNoBadDog! said:
Yeah, lets put a flammable, electrically conductive petro-solvent on our
computers.
You are not even a good troll.

I'd like to tell you where to put your axle grease, but to maintain the
decorum of the group, I won't.

If you are trolling, this one is a lame attempt.

If you did indeed put axle grease on your CPU, then you are truly stupid.

Bobby
Click to expand...

It might seem like that, but Wes is actually an old head here.

It does seem horrific though -- grease -- yikes.
--
Ed Light

Smiley :-/
MS Smiley :-\

Send spam to the FTC at
(e-mail address removed)
Thanks, robots.

Bring the Troops Home:
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Fight Spam:
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Cal Vanize said:
Interesting comments.

The flamability is relatively low, less than the motherboard itself.

Arctic silver is electrically conductive and doesn't seem to present
problems.

I'm not sure if any of the components it would contact would necessarily
be chemically changed or softened.

So where do you want to go with this? Do you have some evidence of damage
from this material that we can use to determine whether or not its OK to
use?
Click to expand...

Most grease contains detergents and solvents to prevent the grease from
coagulating due to heat and aging. In addition, it will damage any
motherboard it comes into contact with. The flammability of grease is most
definitely higher than the motherboard, and its flashpoint is lower.
You must understand that axle grease is meant to lubricate axles, and is not
intended to be used as
HSF compound.

All else considered, you must assume that many who may read your post may
not have the experience level to know that what you did was just plain
wrong.

I hope you don't work on any computers but your own.

I would fire anyone I discovered was using axle grease for any purpose on
any computer.

Using axle grease on your own computer, as lame and stupid as that is, is
your perogative. Posting it here in a manner that may cause others to try
it is irresponsible.

You may be proud of the silly axle grease trick, but it is not recommended
under any circumstances.

Imagine this scenario...someone decides to build their first computer. They
read your lame post...run to the garage and find some automotive grease,
slap it on, and their processor/motherboard goes up in smoke. Who is to
blame? You are as guilty as they are for posting the lame post you made.

For anyone else bothering to read this thread:

DO NOT USE AXLE GREASE ON ANY PART OR COMPONENT OF YOUR COMPUTER.

I thought maybe you were a troll, or that you were merely stupid. It
appears I was right on both counts.

Good luck with the computer....

Bobby
 
DO NOT USE AXLE GREASE ON ANY PART OR COMPONENT OF YOUR COMPUTER.
I thought maybe you were a troll, or that you were merely stupid. It
appears I was right on both counts.

Good luck with the computer....
Click to expand...

Well, no need to denigrate a person. You're getting desperate there.

You should understand that some people are religious in their rejection of
such products as the Arctic Silver line and delight in showing that even
such and such -- toothpaste, and now axle grease -- is just as good. But I
don't think they try out the Arctic long enough for it to bake into its
better-performing final form. Or maybe they disdain spending any $ on it.

I use Arctic Ceramique myself, because I've read reports where after some
bake-in it did give couple of extra degrees C cooling, and it's great to
apply (just a dot or stripe, then twist the mounted hsf a little) and comes
off easily.

We did use it on a friend's machine recently and it's running cooler than
when we put it on.

It's cheap too, in the little tube that does lots of cpu's.

--
Ed Light

Smiley :-/
MS Smiley :-\

Send spam to the FTC at
(e-mail address removed)
Thanks, robots.

Bring the Troops Home:
http://bringthemhomenow.org

Fight Spam:
http://bluesecurity.com
 
NoNoBadDog! said:
Most grease contains detergents and solvents to prevent the grease from
coagulating due to heat and aging. In addition, it will damage any
motherboard it comes into contact with. The flammability of grease is most
definitely higher than the motherboard, and its flashpoint is lower.
You must understand that axle grease is meant to lubricate axles, and is not
intended to be used as
HSF compound.

All else considered, you must assume that many who may read your post may
not have the experience level to know that what you did was just plain
wrong.
Click to expand...

Hey, not my post. Just asking the questions.



I hope you don't work on any computers but your own.
Click to expand...


I build and maintain a lot of computers including my own. Haven't had
any problems. All are stable and most have been running 24x7 for > 2 years.

I would fire anyone I discovered was using axle grease for any purpose on
any computer.

Using axle grease on your own computer, as lame and stupid as that is, is
your perogative. Posting it here in a manner that may cause others to try
it is irresponsible.

You may be proud of the silly axle grease trick, but it is not recommended
under any circumstances.

Imagine this scenario...someone decides to build their first computer. They
read your lame post...run to the garage and find some automotive grease,
slap it on, and their processor/motherboard goes up in smoke. Who is to
blame? You are as guilty as they are for posting the lame post you made.

For anyone else bothering to read this thread:

DO NOT USE AXLE GREASE ON ANY PART OR COMPONENT OF YOUR COMPUTER.

I thought maybe you were a troll, or that you were merely stupid. It
appears I was right on both counts.

Good luck with the computer....

Bobby
Click to expand...

Gee, Bobby. Don't hold back. Tell us all what you really think.
Shouldn't your post be directed to the original poster?

BTW, I've got an old motherboard and an Athlon XP2000. That kinda runs
a little warm, typically around 53C. I'll smear grease on the
motherboard and chip and them drop an undersized heatsink on it. If you
don't hear back, its because it exploded and took out the whole
neighborhood.
 
Cal Vanize said:
Hey, not my post. Just asking the questions.






I build and maintain a lot of computers including my own. Haven't had any
problems. All are stable and most have been running 24x7 for > 2 years.



Gee, Bobby. Don't hold back. Tell us all what you really think.
Shouldn't your post be directed to the original poster?

BTW, I've got an old motherboard and an Athlon XP2000. That kinda runs a
little warm, typically around 53C. I'll smear grease on the motherboard
and chip and them drop an undersized heatsink on it. If you don't hear
back, its because it exploded and took out the whole neighborhood.
Click to expand...


My apologies, and yes my comments were meant for the OP.

Bobby
 
Yeah, lets put a flammable, electrically conductive petro-solvent on our
computers.
You are not even a good troll.

I'd like to tell you where to put your axle grease, but to maintain the
decorum of the group, I won't.

If you are trolling, this one is a lame attempt.

If you did indeed put axle grease on your CPU, then you are truly
stupid.
Click to expand...
I don't know where you came from, but you should go back there and learn a
few things before coming into a newsgroup spouting shit you know
absolutely nothing about. I've seen more incorrect post from you in the
last couple of months than I've seen in here in the last couple of years.
I would plonk your stupid butt but I have to keep correcting your post so
you don't mislead others. Go ahead, tell me what you think. Considering
the source, it won't bother me a bit.
 
What about on the fan bearing (axle)?
Click to expand...
Way too thick. Personally, I use Dot 3 brake fluid, and it's probably 20
years old. Other good choices are sewing machine. fishing reel oils.
basically any light weight oil that won't goo up with age. 3 in 1 is too
thick IMO. I've had fans that have stopped working and added brake fluid
to running for years now. Like the wheel bearing grease, brake fluid is
designed for extreme temp and conditions. I'm using the wheel bearing
grease because I got tired of all the BS and hype going on about thermal
compunds and I know that it's designed for high temps like the brake
fluid. It's also has very good thermal disipation qualities because
without it, your bearings would freeze up (melt) very quick while driving,
your wheel would catch on fire in you'd be in a world of shit.:-)
 
NoNoBadDog! said:
Lithium grease is much better for fan bearings.

Bobby
Click to expand...

Isn't Lithium grease used for high-load very low speed applications like
for lubrication of suspension components? Would that be appropriate for
micro-load high-speed applications like a fan bearing? I recall that my
old stereo turntable (VPI high end table) used a light oil on its
spindle bearing. When I asked the manufacturer about Lithium grease, he
said it was MUCH too heavy.

So what advantage would a heavy Lithium grease on a light fan bearing
provide?
 
Cal Vanize said:
Isn't Lithium grease used for high-load very low speed applications like
for lubrication of suspension components? Would that be appropriate for
micro-load high-speed applications like a fan bearing? I recall that my
old stereo turntable (VPI high end table) used a light oil on its spindle
bearing. When I asked the manufacturer about Lithium grease, he said it
was MUCH too heavy.

So what advantage would a heavy Lithium grease on a light fan bearing
provide?
Click to expand...
When lithium grease is applied sparingly, it spreads very thinly and evenly,
does not tend to clump up like regular grease, and lubricates longer. It is
used for any number of applications, and *how* it is applied is important.

Bobby
 
So what advantage would a heavy Lithium grease on a light fan bearing
provide?
Click to expand...

More than likely, it would soon give you the advantage of a fan that
wouldn't spin up. That's assuminig you could actually get any of the
grease down around the bearings without pumping the hole full of the crap.
Use a light oil and you'll be much safer.
 
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