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What's a good TIM?

Azn Tr14dZ

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Is there any good TIM you guys would recommend out there or should I just get whatever the store sells? :nutkick:
Also, If I plan on getting a Metal-Based TIM and I accidentaly get it on my GPU would I ruin it or not?(I'm not a perfectionist on applying but I think I should start)
 

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Arctic silver5 its the best its metal based but is very resistant iv gooped it on stuff and its caused no problems but i wouldnt try to do it very often.
 
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Yep, AS5's what i use on most things, though Arctic cooling's MX-1 thermal compound is also very good.
 

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as 5/ as ceramique
 

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Arctic Ceramique for everything
 

Azn Tr14dZ

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Alright, thanks, I'ma go buy one right now because my Zalman's TIM was crap.
 

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I only used Arctic Silver 5 and it works great especally with the hot prescotts (mostly depends on what heatsink/fan you have). I never used Cremique before. I heard it works great for graphics cards.
 

Azn Tr14dZ

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Well, I have an Arctic cooling Freezer 7 pro on myPentium D. I'm gonna put the AS5 on my GPU and re-install my Zalman. AS5 would work on GPU, right?:nutkick:
 

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yeah. but you need to be VERY CAREFUL when installing it...its arctic SILVER. if you don't put the smallest amount possible, you'll do a very good job of shorting your card lol.
 
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It's not electrically conductive. It's slighly capacitive though, which is why it's bad to get it in cpu sockets. It's fine to acidentaly blob some across power supply circuits for example. I got some AS5 on the resistors next to the core on my r480, and i just got my arcticlean out and a soft paintbrush and just dissolved it away, then wiped it up.
 

Azn Tr14dZ

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As I said in my first post though, I'm noy too neat at applying these things so.. should I just go for ciramique?
 
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yeah, that's your best bet then
 

Hosao

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I was installing a 4800 dual core cpu and I got thermal paste on the pins! Oh nos!:banghead:
So I decided to do some searching and found that you can use 91 or 99% Isopropyl alchohol to clean off thermal paste. Using a tooth brush/q-tips I got most off but I couldn't get all the TIM off. I just got a plastic square container.. dumped half a bottle of the alcohol in, and threw the cpu in for 3 mins. I then let the cpu air dry for an hour. I put the cpu back in and no problems.:D

So while everyone tells you to be careful with the metal TIM paste..you don't need to be that careful. I never had the board or cpu short when I gotten the tim on the pins/motherboard. For video cards.. I'll let you know when I do my dual x1900xtx and get some TIM on the transistors.:eek:
 
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You can use a toothbrush and hot soapy water too :D as long as you rinse it and let it dry well afterwards :laugh:

If you get TIM on the resistors/capacitors or whatever they are, get some isopropyl alcohol, or purpose use arcticlean, just soak the area around where you've got the compound, and use a soft paintbrush to loosen it off, and dissolve it, then mop it up with a lint free cloth easy! :)
 

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Arctic Silver Ceramic is the best thermal interface material. Its not conductive OR capacitive, and it doesnt have a set in time. It performs as well as setin AS5 too :toast:

Oh did I mention its a lot cheaper? And its easier to spread. :rockout:
 
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i need to get some :)

My collection of Thermal greases is getting quite big! :wtf:

Also, If your changing your cooler frequently, get some arcticlean, it's awsome stuff! Using it lowered my temps by about 3-5c after using it on my r480 core, and my ati silencer. :eek:
 
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Azn Tr14dZ

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I'm going to re-install my Zalman again but using either AS5 or Ciramique. Most probably Ciramique because I'm not a perfectionist in installing TIM's.
 
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latley artic cooling MX1 has been also showing some potential, and the zalman 850 stuff seems to be rebadget Artic ceramic, artic silver is NOT recommened for GPU´s since its properties might affect the values of the resistors which are usualy on the GPU surface,

now, theres a new player around called Liquid metal, which is based on gallium or something like that, its almost twice as effective as artic silver 5, but it has an affinity for alimunium, basicly it eats it, so its quite dangerus to use, it eats aluminim parts on heatsinks, it bonds with impurities in the copper, and will eat away at your heatspeaders, just a fair warning
 
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