Arctic Silver 5 or Zalman White Thermal Grease

"NEM" wrote in message
...

Hi,

I'm in the process of replacing the stock Intel HSF with the Zalman
CNPS7000b all copper HSF. The processor is a P4 3.0c (overclocked at
3.3GHz) and is sitting on an ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe v2 motherboard.

What I'm wondering is which would be better to use; the included Zalman
White Thermal Grease or a one year old (sealed tightly-seems fine)
Arctic Silver 5? Can Arctic Silver 5 really go bad if kept in a zip bag?

Additionally, the BB size amount used (according to the Arctic Silver
instruction) in the center of the CPU doesn't mention pre-spreading
across the top of the CPU as the Zalman instruction indicate. Whichever
paste is used, would it be better to let the HSF spread the BB size
amount when clamped down or would it be better to pre-spread before
applying the HSF?

--

NEM


The Artic Silver 5 is far superior to any generic or even name brand thermal
paste or silver compound. For eample I swapped out the generic silver
compound you can buy at any CompUsa over the counter with Artic Silver 5 for
an athlon XP 2000+ palomino.. it ran at 43C at idle with AS5 compared to 55C
at idle with the generic stuff. Or as another example it is keeping my
Athlon XP 3200+ Barton at a nice cool 31C and that's with a case temp of 30C
and a room temp of 23C (74F). as for it going bad.. never heard that. as for
the amount to put on and application put a BB sized drop on th eHeatsink
itself then put 1/4 of that on your CPU and spread it to an extremely thin
layer spread the remaining amount and spread it across the heatsink, about
as thick as plastic wrap, which BTW is an excellent thing to use to spread
it.

On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 20:00:56 +0000, NEM wrote:


Hi,

I'm in the process of replacing the stock Intel HSF with the Zalman
CNPS7000b all copper HSF. The processor is a P4 3.0c (overclocked at
3.3GHz) and is sitting on an ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe v2 motherboard.

What I'm wondering is which would be better to use; the included Zalman
White Thermal Grease or a one year old (sealed tightly-seems fine)
Arctic Silver 5? Can Arctic Silver 5 really go bad if kept in a zip bag?

Additionally, the BB size amount used (according to the Arctic Silver
instruction) in the center of the CPU doesn't mention pre-spreading
across the top of the CPU as the Zalman instruction indicate. Whichever
paste is used, would it be better to let the HSF spread the BB size
amount when clamped down or would it be better to pre-spread before
applying the HSF?

I wouldn't get too anal about it. Studies show that expensive thermal
greases are rarely an improvement on regular inexpensive thermal heat sink
compound which you can get at any electronics store for next to nothing.
We have been thoroughly marketed to! At best you might get a 2 deg C
improvement. Big deal!

I would pre-spread the paste. Then you know for certain its thin layer
completely covers the die.

Larry Gagnon, A+ certified tech.

--
********************************
to reply via email remove "fake"
Microsoft will soon release their newest product: a vacuum cleaner.
It will be their only product which doesn't suck.

The Arctic Silver is far better than white thermal grease, and, yes, spread
it around.

--
DaveW



"NEM" wrote in message
...

Hi,

I'm in the process of replacing the stock Intel HSF with the Zalman
CNPS7000b all copper HSF. The processor is a P4 3.0c (overclocked at
3.3GHz) and is sitting on an ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe v2 motherboard.

What I'm wondering is which would be better to use; the included Zalman
White Thermal Grease or a one year old (sealed tightly-seems fine)
Arctic Silver 5? Can Arctic Silver 5 really go bad if kept in a zip bag?

Additionally, the BB size amount used (according to the Arctic Silver
instruction) in the center of the CPU doesn't mention pre-spreading
across the top of the CPU as the Zalman instruction indicate. Whichever
paste is used, would it be better to let the HSF spread the BB size
amount when clamped down or would it be better to pre-spread before
applying the HSF?

--

NEM

"Chuck" wrote in message
om...


The Artic Silver 5 is far superior to any generic or even name brand
thermal paste or silver compound.

How do you know? Have you tried them all?

"JTS" wrote in message
...

"Chuck" wrote in message
om...


The Artic Silver 5 is far superior to any generic or even name brand
thermal paste or silver compound.

How do you know? Have you tried them all?

It's impossible to try all thermal pastes, However I do know the results of
a 12C difference on exactly the same Processor and heatsink between standard
retail silver paste and the Artic silver 5 makes a huge statement for how
superior it is. especially since the 55C reading was just before shutting
down the system, then puling the heatsink and processor, cleaning both with
rubbing alchohol, applying AS5 and reinstalling the same processor and
heatsink, then powering it back up and letting it idle for 1/2 hour for a
temperature reading.. with a 43C reading a 12C drop from only changing the
thermal paste.

Why don't you just follow Arctic Silver's application and removal
instructions he

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_s...tions_big2.htm

"NEM" wrote in message
...

Hi DaveW,

On Mar 17 2005, DaveW wrote:

The Arctic Silver is far better than white thermal grease, and, yes,
spread it around.

But only apply it to the CPU, correct?

--

NEM

Chuck wrote:
"JTS" wrote in message
...

"Chuck" wrote in message
.com...


The Artic Silver 5 is far superior to any generic or even name brand
thermal paste or silver compound.

How do you know? Have you tried them all?


It's impossible to try all thermal pastes, However I do know the results of
a 12C difference on exactly the same Processor and heatsink between standard
retail silver paste and the Artic silver 5 makes a huge statement for how
superior it is. especially since the 55C reading was just before shutting
down the system, then puling the heatsink and processor, cleaning both with
rubbing alchohol, applying AS5 and reinstalling the same processor and
heatsink, then powering it back up and letting it idle for 1/2 hour for a
temperature reading.. with a 43C reading a 12C drop from only changing the
thermal paste.

So you changed:

- The installation method (assuming you hadn't just installed the
generic stuff).

- The amount of time that the paste had been on.

- The amount of time the machine had been run.

- The number of times you'd unsettled the paste by moving the machine.

- Probobaly some other things like fluff cleaning.

And you can decisively say that 12°C is the improvemnt in only the
thermal compound?

Ben
--
A7N8X FAQ: www.ben.pope.name/a7n8x_faq.html
Questions by email will likely be ignored, please use the newsgroups.
I'm not just a number. To many, I'm known as a String...

"NEM" wrote in message
...

Hi DaveW,

On Mar 17 2005, DaveW wrote:

The Arctic Silver is far better than white thermal grease, and, yes,
spread it around.

But only apply it to the CPU, correct?

--
No, to both cpu and the heatsink.

It's the AS5 on both mixing together that provides the themal link that
helps disipate the heat. Something should be clarified, thermal compound in
itself does nothing to lower CPU temps, thats the job of the HSF the thermal
compound simply makes it easier for the HSF to transfer heat from the
processor to the heatsink by filling in all the little grooves and
imperfections on the surfaces. I should add my 3200+ Barton is currently
running at 33C with a case temp of 32C with a room temp of 78F.

"Leythos" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 18 Mar 2005 12:52:28 +0000, Ben Pope wrote:

And you can decisively say that 12°C is the improvemnt in only the
thermal compound?

I've been doing systems since before the 8086 was invented and using
heat-sinks for several decades. It's my experience that most of the HSP is
about the same across the board, that it's almost always a difference in
installation procedures that cause variances. Most people don't have a
clue as to how to apply HSP.


True, in fact thermal paste is definately a case where less is more, use as
little as possible and get it as thin as possible on both surfaces. too
thick and the thermal paste can act as an insulator, causing the heatsink
not to work as well as it should.

Can't be true, too many sites have tested products such as the Arctic
Silver and Shin-Etsu MicroSi products to be vastly superior when installed
in accordance with proper procedure as posted on the Arctic Silver website
and when no fingerprints or other contamination exists.

High performance thermal materials often improve over a curing time where
they form a type of structural and chemical bond between the CPU and HSF
surfaces.

One can argue all that they want that all thermal compounds are the same,
but too many sites (sorry, I have read them but I have not kept the links
to them, do your own research) have "proven" AS and S-E M to be superior,
and worth the tiny expenditure that they require.

You have to understand that products like Shin-Etsu and Arctic Silver are
designed by teams of scientific minds using chemical and other engineering
to accomplish the ideal particle composition, particle size, particle
variation, and so on. Too many Overclockers are proving to themselves that
better results in thermal conductivity can be had through AS or S-E for me
to believe that it doesn't make a difference.

ALSO, Cheap thermal compounds like you find at Radio Shack tend to dry up
and turn crumbly and cannot hold up to the temps that today's CPUs pass
out. So, IMHO, you cannot tell me that I shouldn't use my syringes of both
Shin-Etsu MicroSi and Arctic Silver Ceramique. They didn't cost that much
and they work fabulous in numerous ways.

On Fri, 18 Mar 2005 14:12:52 GMT, Leythos wrote:

On Fri, 18 Mar 2005 12:52:28 +0000, Ben Pope wrote:

And you can decisively say that 12°C is the improvemnt in only the
thermal compound?

I've been doing systems since before the 8086 was invented and using
heat-sinks for several decades. It's my experience that most of the HSP is
about the same across the board, that it's almost always a difference in
installation procedures that cause variances. Most people don't have a
clue as to how to apply HSP.