Heatspreaders and Memory

[daba]

I'm thinking about putting some heatspreaders on this Muskin Basic Green 512MB PC2700. However, there are chips only one on side of the memory stick. How should I go about putting the heatspreader on, since a heatspreader encompasses both sides of the module? Should I just not take off the tape covering on the other side?

[felix88]

heatspreaders don't necessarily help cool your ram. in my experince, it seems that they actually trap heat and can even limit your OC.

but if you're going to use them, you've got the right idea.

[daba]

Yes, I'm aware that heatspreaders don't really perform very well.

The only other option would be Ramsinks. Nonetheless, they are not low-profile enough (except maybe the TweakMonster Ramcoolers, which cost a pretty-penny). Maybe I'll just get RAMsinks.

[felix88]

well, whatever you choose to do, good luck.

[YellowPeril]

i got a pair of heatspreaders for my ram, and although my sticks are double sided, the kit had a little foam spacer that you could put on one side of a single sided module. i didnt really get the heatspreaders for cooling since i have never really had issues there, i ust got them cause they look cooler

[DaveX]

In my experience...heatspreaders trap heat unless you have a fan blowing on them to effectively dissipate it. Sometimes a sticker on the ram chip trapped under a heatspreader can mean errors in MemTest86 (yes, outlandish as it seems, it has happened).

[felix88]

hey, nice to see ya here DaveX. :cool:

[DaveX]

Nice to see you too felix :)

[james111]

Heatspreader are evil... they only trap the heat.
I gained about 10mhz by taking it off.

[(cf)Eclipse]

impressive thread revival. i go both ways on this, as i have benefitted from taking them off, and i have also lost mhz from taking them off.

either way, nothing is a replacement for active ram cooling.

[somecallmeTim]

...either way, nothing is a replacement for active ram cooling.

In my 20+ years of tweaking computers, this is the gospel truth - if you want to get more out of your ram you have to actively cool it, even something as simple as a fan blowing over it so heat doesn't build up. I've currently have my XP-90 "hanging" over my Ballistix and it helps move the hot air away from it, and I am getting more out of it.
If you had the room, waterblocks would be the best... get your ram nice and cool :)... but there's that money thing... dang mortgage, kids, food... ;)

Peace
Tim
http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/565.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&tm=33&id=565)

[Overvolt]

i go both ways on this, as i have benefitted from taking them off, and i have also lost mhz from taking them off

Eclipse, do you feel this might be chip specific?

I have OCZ plat.Rev2 (I think TCC5 since logo is not grooved into the heatspreaders) and i have noticed that my heat spreaders are not even in full contact with the chips anymore! Im thinking that just taking them off might actually help them better but im curious to know about the heat dissipation of the different chips themselves. Figured you would know :D

Right now i can only overclock them to 266 max without 3d errors. Also, i already have decent air flow in my s810 case with two added 120's on the top so I think I am provided at least some convective heat transfer to help dissipate heat.

[Ultra Wide]

If they are not making physical contact with the actual chips then the heatspreader is useless. I would just take them off.

Heatspeaders don't really make any sense to me... They are not heatsinks, they just spread the heat, but heat dissipation into the air is the key not spreading over the other chips. Maybe if they had good contact and some kind of thermal compound it would make more sense.

[(cf)Eclipse]

Eclipse, do you feel this might be chip specific?

I have OCZ plat.Rev2 (I think TCC5 since logo is not grooved into the heatspreaders) and i have noticed that my heat spreaders are not even in full contact with the chips anymore! Im thinking that just taking them off might actually help them better but im curious to know about the heat dissipation of the different chips themselves. Figured you would know :D

Right now i can only overclock them to 266 max without 3d errors. Also, i already have decent air flow in my s810 case with two added 120's on the top so I think I am provided at least some convective heat transfer to help dissipate heat.
yeah, it is kinda chip specific.. maybe more heatspreader and PCB specific. i know my ballistix LIKES the spreaders, but my teamgroup micron doesn't.
however, if it's not even making contact.. they're REALLY bad, cause it's blocking all the airflow to the chips and pcb, while not conducting heat away.

Tim definitly hit the nail on the head though ;)

[Overvolt]

hmmm... :(


off they go then. That just might explain some random crashes i have had when running them overclocked with more voltage. Maybe ill just buy some nifty ramsinks and slap them on there along with a fan blowing on them.

I would try to see if i can fetch a higher oc now but...ummm...im sorta waiting....for my...um....a8r32 rma to get back to me :D

Havent had a chance to overclock on my soon to be board but ill take the heatspreaders off and then have more experienced people here help me out with overclocking them ;)

[(cf)Eclipse]

rma'd the asus? what was wrong with it by chance?

and good luck! i'll be glad to help out if you want, just shoot off a pm or make a thread :p

[Overvolt]

leaky capacitor, noticed it when running 3d benchmarks or p95. Only had it installed for two days :( but i didnt want to chance it. mine came with the original bios but im hoping the newest shipment that came in from the egg is shipping with a newer bios as i have seen in other forums. Also, my chipset heatsink was running hot. However, i partially contribute this to my watercooling since there is no longer any source of heat transfer that normally occurs. Once my top exhaust fans were directed as intakes, temps of the sink were only slightly warm to the touch. Despite it all i would still pick the asus.

To stay on subject though, My tcc5 chips dont seem to need a lot of voltage so when i remove my now pointless heatspreaders could i possibly see a better overclock or just more stability? When i do get my board again ill make a new thread just for your help eclipse :D or anyone else with my memory for that matter.

If you dont mind a few more db's, I agree that active cooling is the way to go. In my previous case I had a 120mm mounted over my memory and no matter what voltage they seemed to run cooler all day long.

[jeff1941]

So the bottom line is heatspreaders r worthless. Its better of just to somehow blow air at the ram. Would it be better to blow air at the ram with or without heatspreaders? I guess i wasted like 5$ ordering 2 heatspreaders for my ram, makes it look cooler though...

[lopoetve]

In my experience...heatspreaders trap heat unless you have a fan blowing on them to effectively dissipate it. Sometimes a sticker on the ram chip trapped under a heatspreader can mean errors in MemTest86 (yes, outlandish as it seems, it has happened).

seconded at this experience

[(cf)Eclipse]

To stay on subject though, My tcc5 chips dont seem to need a lot of voltage so when i remove my now pointless heatspreaders could i possibly see a better overclock or just more stability?
depends on how good the spreaders are and how your cooling is set up. i do know that tcc5/tccd typically puts out a surprising amount of heat. don't let the low voltages fool you

[Ultra Wide]

The idea is not blow the air on the RAM, but to have air flow across the RAM modules. If your RAM sits horizontally then I think it's easier to direct airflow from the front and exhaust it through the back of the case. If you have vertically oriented RAM then you may need to get more creative by doing some ducting, but even blowing air directly to the RAM is 100X than not. But the ideal way is to create "flow" inside your case that goes with the rest of the case's air flow direction. Always think about it this way, heat is transferred to the air inside your case from all components then you have to exhaust that heated air so the cold air entering can be used again to transfer the heat from the components. :D