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Which Thermal Compound?

D

Deeky

Gawd
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
982
I'm hoping to squeeze 4.6Ghz+ out of a [EDIT]2500k[/EDIT] with an H100, aiming to keep temps under 80c. I haven't OC'd since my 9550 with Arctic Silver, but I'm hearing that AS5 isn't the go-to solution it once was. So ... what are the kids using these days?
 
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I always just used ceramique with no issue, I've had a tube forever though. I assume better stuff is on the market now
 
Almost anything that has no cure time and isn't electrically capacitive (so no AS5).

Really, there's not a great difference between them.
 
MX-2/MX-4 are two popular options.

I use Arctic Ceramique 2 because a 22g tube cost me only $7 and had some ebay bucks to burn, and I tend to go through it fast due to constant hardware changes.

IC Diamond is a somewhat popular option, but it's expensive, and rightly so.

Indigo Extreme is basically the best on the market. It creates a sort of "weld" between the IHS and the heatsink.
 
if you're extreme, use Indigo Extreme

if you just want some thermal paste: IC7 Diamond, Shin-Etsu, or OCZ Freeze
 
Whats the problem with AS5 now? Man I been using it on everything. GPUS, CPU, all my stuff I been using AS5 ever since I was told this cooler master compound stuff you get with the Hyper 212+ blows.
 
I use AS5... There is no electricity flowing between the heat spreader and base of the heatsink so whether or not the compound can conduct electricity is a non-issue.
 
Simply put, AS5 performs worse and is more expensive than the competition. It's outdated, but something many people don't realize.

And on GPUs, there's a higher chance of the TIM getting onto the PCB and causing problems.
 
I'm planning to use MX-2 because it's $3 cheaper than AS5 and in researching it I found that it performs very well and even better than AS5. Grabbing some from Canada Computers for $5.
 
RamonGTP said:
I use AS5... There is no electricity flowing between the heat spreader and base of the heatsink so whether or not the compound can conduct electricity is a non-issue.
Click to expand...

Unless you accidentally get some on the board. Admittedly a bigger problem in GPUs though.
 
Synomenon said:
If you're going to be buying new compound anyway, get Prolimatech PK-1.
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I was going to do that back when I was looking for some but the only places that were selling it were overcharging. I instead went with MX-2 which is good and was super cheap.
 
Opting for Noctua NT-H1. PK-1 was my first choice, but I can't find any for less than $RIDICULOUS + shipping. Thanks for all the input.
 
I got some NT-H1 with my Noctua NH-D14. When I receive my Ivy Bridge CPU either tomorrow or the day after I'll give it a shot.
 
RamonGTP said:
Good thing you have the option of not leaving it there
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Why risk it though - AS5 isn't top of the line any longer, so why not get something better/safer (unless you have some left over you want to use up)?
 
AS5? LOL. Haven't used that stuff in so many years, but anything nowadays is good stuff. I would take Tuniq TX-2 over AS5 any day and even that is getting old.
 
Man I been told ever since I got onto my phenom II a few months ago that the only way to go is AS5. If I would have known AS5 can cause many problems, especially on GPUS, I would have never got it. Now I stuck like chuck with AS5 and a little CM paste I got with the Hyper 212+. Bah
 
esCo_ said:
Man I been told ever since I got onto my phenom II a few months ago that the only way to go is AS5. If I would have known AS5 can cause many problems, especially on GPUS, I would have never got it. Now I stuck like chuck with AS5 and a little CM paste I got with the Hyper 212+. Bah
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As long as you are careful, it'll be fine. Just don't go smearing it everywhere and watch for any leaking out when you put the cooler back on. If you do get some on the card/motherboard be sure to clean it good with alcohol. It's not that AS5 is bad, just that there are better, safer compunds available.
 
Forceman said:
As long as you are careful, it'll be fine. Just don't go smearing it everywhere and watch for any leaking out when you put the cooler back on. If you do get some on the card/motherboard be sure to clean it good with alcohol. It's not that AS5 is bad, just that there are better, safer compunds available.
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Yeah I am going to have to see if I can get something else. Or just use up the rest of the CM paste I have. I tried re-applying thermal compound to my GTS450 and I fear I may have damaged it after reading this thread. Before trying to do this with my 450 I did it with my 560. And the chips differ in size so I think i put to much on the 450. When I took it apart the other day I had a lot of cleaning to do on the sides of the chip. I sure hope I didn't do any physical damage to it for I would like to try and RMA this card because it has given me problems when playing BF3 from day1. Always saw lines through the screen that shouldnt have been there. Tried it on BFBC2 and same thing.
 
Forceman said:
Why risk it though - AS5 isn't top of the line any longer, so why not get something better/safer (unless you have some left over you want to use up)?
Click to expand...

I'm not advocating AS5 over other compounds, just want to clear the air that it's not a problem to use. There is no risk. You drop some, you clean it up. Just like you would do if you spilled any type of compound where it didn't belong.

I use AS5 simply because that's what I have around and the thermal characteristics between it and other stuff (better or worse) is pretty neglagable. Once I run out, I'll see what is better and buy that. If you have it, use it. That's all I'm saying. Anyone trying to make an issue about using it on a CPU with a heatspreader is talking nonsense.
 
RamonGTP said:
I'm not advocating AS5 over other compounds, just want to clear the air that it's not a problem to use. There is no risk. You drop some, you clean it up. Just like you would do if you spilled any type of compound where it didn't belong.

I use AS5 simply because that's what I have around and the thermal characteristics between it and other stuff (better or worse) is pretty neglagable. Once I run out, I'll see what is better and buy that. If you have it, use it. That's all I'm saying. Anyone trying to make an issue about using it on a CPU with a heatspreader is talking nonsense.
Click to expand...

No, I agree with you - people just need to know to be careful with it and clean it up. I've seen some messy installs before, especially people trying to use it on aftermarket GPU coolers (on the VRMs and small components). I wouldn't buy it now, but if I still had some I would still use it.
 
I don't know how you can disagree with me when you're talking about GPU's and I'm talking about CPU's. Simply put, if you spill some on the board and say "eh fuck it" that's not arctic silvers fault, that's the builders own negligence. By that same token, we should use plastic screws.

EDIT: NVM, i misread your post... my mistake
 
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Tuniq TX-2 reviews near the top and it was like $5 free shipping from newegg so that's what I used.
 
i use mx-4, its nice and runny.

One day when i grow bigger cohones i'll get indigo extreme. But until then, i have 3.5 grams of my mx-4 left.
 
thesecond said:
i use mx-4, its nice and runny.

One day when i grow bigger cohones i'll get indigo extreme. But until then, i have 3.5 grams of my mx-4 left.
Click to expand...

i like this stuff cuz its really easy to spread and provides really good performance
 
Red Machine D said:
Just how much better is Indigo Extreme compared to, say, IC Diamond or Noctua or MX2?
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Several degrees. The IX stuff is kind of like alien tech. At full power you could see double digit drops (little overblown). But it also has a 20 step install at $20 a install, which could be ruined if you fail to do any one of those 20 steps correctly.
 
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Don't stress over 1 or maybe 2 degrees at the most. Just buy whatever is available and cheap. AS5 and OCZ freeze are both innexpensive products that get the job done.
 
The difference in performance among thermal compounds nowadays is almost negligible, certainly not worth pondering over.
Anything > The pre-applied stuff > Nothing
 
What makes Indigo Xtreme so scary?
Isn't it just a strip type application?
 
SkeL said:
What makes Indigo Xtreme so scary?
Isn't it just a strip type application?
Click to expand...

Can't touch it without the gloves and you have to run your system really hot the first time you use it. Like 90 Celsius hot. At $20 a pop for about 5 degrees, not knowing what HSF configurations it will work with, keeping it imperfection free, and running your CPU without a fan to the point of throttling, doesn't seem like its worth the effort.

I mean read this.

http://indigo-xtreme.com/docs/indigoxtremeinstallation-1155-1156xtremeclean.pdf its a 20 step process.
 
That is intense!! thank you for the info Topweasel. Sounds like way too much hassle and risk for ~5 degrees.
 
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