question for UK people: arctic silver paste versus antec silver paste?

[moogle]

Ive put on literally HUNDREDS of heatsinks.... on loads of cpu's. The machine I'm running right now has had the heatsink on and off 5 times THIS WEEK as I try two different quads and a Duo out on this rig and my Dad's (in build) rig.

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Arctic Silver 3 (and 5) is good stuff. I have also got OCZ paste, in a much bigger tube, of which I have lots left. I use it when cpu's are going on and off a lot to save my self the money. BUT the Arctic Silver 5 goes on for the final build. Always.

Why?

Cos when the heatsink comes off a year or more later, it's still doing a superb job. Cheaper ones (OCZ inc sadly) seem to give up and die after a long time.

You've got patience I must say. Taking off the CPU heatsink is the only thing that really stops me from dismantling a PC

Which OCZ one have you got?

There's the newer OCZ Freeze now

[kalniel]

I use cheap 'Silicone Heat Transfer Compound' (Unick) that I get from my local independent electronics shop. Works great, still works great after years.

[Pob255]

Toothpaste isn't famed for its thermal properties, but it could quite eaily be the case that it spreads far more easily which resulted in an interface which, overall, matched those produced when you use specifically designed pastes.

Actually I suspect there's another thing going on here as well.

I once used Copper Slip (copper grease for cars) and it was really good...for about 3 days. It smelled funny after that and kept crashing the pc.

And I suspect the same thing was happening here.

Namely the fluid in the compound is not so much as conducting the heat to the cooler but absorbing it and changing state.
ie the fluid is boiling off
Even at the fairly small amounts involved and at a slow escape rate, a material absorbs far more heat when changing state.
So at first it works very well but once the fluid component has boiled away all that's left are the solids, most thermal pastes are designed are designed not to boil/evaporate at the temps involved so to keep there fluidity longer.
Or use some form of polymer or simular solid that will form a single continious interface layer after fluids have boiled off or they become semi-fluid at higher temptures without the need of the fluid component of the original paste.

There are quite a few factors that can influence the heat conductivity at an interface.

EDIT: I think the most important thing about that article is the way the statistics can be manipulated and that getting the right amount can have a bigger effect than the most expensive.

[Dreaming]

I've just ordered the makings of a new box and got a bottle of this:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Zalma...-inc-Cap-Brush)

It's easy to apply and is a thin film that just fills the voids - ideal.

No overclocking for me, though.

I've used that, no different from any other, the little brush is very helpful, though I'm not one of these 'spread lines evenly' people, I just usually blob a pea sized amount in the middle and let the pressure squish it out.

But it's very happy with overclocking, reported 21*C with my fans on high at a 1.83 - 3.00ghz overclock :d (though the PC A05 is just about the best case you could wish for for getting high CPU temps - 120 blows cool air from outside directly onto the CPU.

[Perfectionist]

EDIT: I think the most important thing about that article is the way the statistics can be manipulated

that's supposed to be secondary school maths :/