Best TIM? Recommendations

[hermeticist]

What would you good people currently recommend as the best thermal interface material.

I`ve been using AS Ceramique for the past 5 years, but there must be better products now?

Anybody have any links to good recent reviews of TIMs?

Thankyou.

[TooNice]

Looks like how you apply make more difference than what you use overall. If you can get hold of it, the Tuniq TX-2 seems decent, and the Arctic MX-2 a viable alternative.. but the AS5 (and Ceramique) are far from being left behind.

[Dreaming]

I use the zalman stuff because it comes with an applicator like nail varnish.

Thing is, I noticed 1-2 degree variations everytime I reseat the heatsink anyway, all depends on how good the contact is. You'll be lucky to get much more improvement from different TIMs. And not to mention if it's a warm day then your temps could go up by 10 degrees. So just in my humble opinion as long as it's one of the usual suspects benchmarking different results and getting worried about it is futile because the end effect is insubstantial compared to the effects of other external factors.

[Webby]

Best Tim has got to be in Monty Python's Holy Grail With big pointy teeth!

[Bhavv]

Just a note about AS5 - after about 6 months or so it thins out and drys up into clusters, leaving areas of the CPU without thermal contact to the heatsink. If you are applying the thinest layer you can, make sure you replace it every 6 - 9 months to avoid any ooopsies.

[iranu]

IC Diamond 7 Carat Thermal Compound Innovation Cooling - Only place I can find it is on Ebay posted from Germany. I'm tempted for my new build though

Edited to add - just did a search and you can get it here for £6.80. Vadim Computers : Thermal Paste - IC Diamond 7 Carat Thermal Compound

[8bit]

I use Arctic Silver 5. Also, use Akasa TIM-clean fluid to clean the existing stuff off before a new application, although I only really do those when swapping CPUs or heatsinks. Generally never have to apply new stuff unless I'm swapping as above.

I use a blob about the size of a grain of uncooked rice (or a little less maybe) in the center of the CPU heatspreader, then plonk the heatsink down on top, give it a twist around to spread out the TIM and fasten the clips. Never had a bad application yet, never seen temps go anywhere near scary levels either.

On my Foxconn motherboard the CPU fan only gets spun up when the CPU temp goes above 45C, even when playing games it sits idle a lot of the time.

[hermeticist]

I remember being told to clean the heatsink with isopropyl alcohol or ethanol(?) & trying to buy it in Boots, they asked me why I needed it, gave me a funny look & directed me to the nearest proper chemist.

[TooNice]

They didn't let me buy any when I was 15-ish. They made didn't dance around the issue, they basically told me that they were concerned that I would end up 'consuming' the product and the best they could sell me were 'Surgical Spirit (probably wouldn't do any less harm if I 'consumed' that but anyway - it's decent for cleaning keyboards and other things). For my last build, I bought some ArctiClean. It makes cleaning those junk that little bit easier than Isopropyl (breaks down the gunk with less effort).

[Webby]

IPA is good because it is generally purer (read less water ) than ethanol so it is significantly less conductive so lads better for your sensitive components.

[hermeticist]

Mmhh diamond, excellent thermal conductor.......wasn`t there a story some time ago that Arctic Silver was found to contain no silver or was that another make?

[IAmATeaf]

Both AS5 and MX-2 are supposed to be the good. I've personally found that AS5 is easier to spread then MX-2 as MX-2 seems to much more stickier. As to old AS it does tend to seperate but you are supposed to store the tube upright with the point where the AS comes out at the bottom so any separation happens at the syringe end. I've got an old tube of AS2 which wasn't stored properly and when I pressed the syringe some oily stuff came out, got rid of the oil and the paste came out as normal but much thicker. Didn't seem to affect it's performance from what I saw just made it harder to spread.

[Bhavv]

I'll have to read more about that diamond paste!

As for removing it you dont need alcohol - you can get Akasa's citrus based TIM removes which cuts through it like a hot knife through butter.

As for a paste not containing any silver, that was Geil's 5% copper and 5% silver paste. Analysis of it revealed 0% silver, but it was only like a single degree off AS5.

[Webby]

You should only use citrus based cleaners if you have a method of removing the residue (like an alcohol). Leaving the surface with a layer of citrus oil will do nothing but harm your thermal transfer.

[IAmATeaf]

I'll have to read more about that diamond paste!

As for removing it you dont need alcohol - you can get Akasa's citrus based TIM removes which cuts through it like a hot knife through butter.

As for a paste not containing any silver, that was Geil's 5% copper and 5% silver paste. Analysis of it revealed 0% silver, but it was only like a single degree off AS5.

I thought it was the OCZ paste that was advertised as having silver but contained 0%.

[hermeticist]

You`re right:

SILVER THERMAL PASTES - BUYERS BEWARE!

Well at this rate I might as well continue with the Ceramique, as I don`t think it is electrically conductive, unlike AS5. Not that I intend to smear it everywhere, but if there`s very little difference, no point in extra risk taking.