On Mon, 1 Dec 2014 16:25:57 +0000 (UTC), Don Kuenz
<
gar...@crcomp.net> wrote:
>This post is about thermal grease for processors. Many PC technicians
>think highly of silver thermal grease. What do people here think about
>it?
I currently use Arctic Silver because I inherited a box of the stuff
from a shop that went out of business. My guess is that I have more
than a lifetime supply because I use it VERY sparingly. The idea is
to just fill in the cracks and gouges in the heat sink, not plaster
the CPU or heatsink with a thick layer. More goop is NOT better. I'll
guess that one tube lasts me about 12 Pentium 4 size CPUs. I apply a
tiny blob of the stuff to the CPU, and smear it around with a plastic
spatula until the entire surface is coated and that there are no lumps
or blank areas.
I've also experimented with tooth paste, Vaseline, powdered aluminum
suspended in vegetable oil, and other concoctions. Everything works
with only subtle differences in CPU operating temperatures.
I also spent some time testing how a polished aluminum heat sink works
against a polished CPU. The results were better than with Arctic
Silver but had a problem. After a few months of operation, they would
overheat. What was happening was the heat sink was expanding and
contracting irregularly and would temporarily open a crack between the
CPU and heatsink. Dust would get into this crack an create a tiny air
gap, which was sufficient to ruin the cooling. With a heat sink that
is tightly clamped down, this will not happen, but with the very loose
cam clamps used by Dell in some of their early Optiplex motherboards,
it became a problem.
>Does it make sense to use bulk thermal grease? Or is a single use
>syringe the best way to go?
I have some while silicon grease in a tooth paste size tube. I think
it's at least 20 years old and is maybe 1/4th used. It really depends
on how many CPU's will need grease. Adjust your quantities
accordingly.
Incidentally, if you read the Arctic Silver instructions, they mumble
something about the conductivity improving after the machine has been
used for a while. That's true because the volatile oils, that make
the silver dust flow, need to evaporate. If you leave the stuff open
to the air, you'll end up with an unspreadable lump. Therefore, most
such compounds need to tubes or syringes of some sort.
Don't forget to clean off the old grease and goo with some solvent
before applying the new stuff.
--
Jeff Liebermann
je...@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060
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Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS
831-336-2558