Re-pasting a Asus R7 260x DC2OC 2GD 5...which thermal paste?

[Jose Jeswin]

So..after a long week, i decided to dive into my old bin of computer parts and found my old asus r7 260x dc2oc 2gd5 graphics card..installed it in my everyday work system..soon after booting i saw the idle temps jump to 54 to 60 degrees...i ran furmark for 10 mins and the load temps reached 90-95 degrees...so i decided to re-paste...
i am confused about which tim to use for a gpu...

The pastes i have with me are:
1. 3 year old tube of Arctic Silver 5
2. 6 months old tube of Arctic MX4...

i also can get
1.Gelid GC Extreme
2.Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 1.0 gram tube..

sys specs:
intel core 2 quad 6600
4gb DDR2 ram
gigabyte MB (don't know the model)

I know the gpu is overkill for the system...but i like tinkering with it..

So need some expert opinions..

 

[ArbitraryAffection]

I'd just use the MX4 if you have it on hand. It really wont make a huge difference for a 260X what paste you use tbh

 

[Jose Jeswin]

thank you arbitaryaffection..

 

[FreedomEclipse]

MX-4 no point wasting money on anything else if you already have it

 

[Jose Jeswin]

one more doubt...

1.Dot application method,
2.X spread
3.Spatula Spread..?

what about AS5?...not good?

MX-4 no point wasting money on anything else if you already have it

thank you..

 

[FreedomEclipse]

one more doubt...

1.Dot application method,
2.X spread
3.Spatula Spread..?

what about AS5?...not good?




thank you..

dot is good enough. No need to spread as the bare die is already making contact with the cooler unlike CPUs that have a heatspreader. MX-4 is non conductive so its ok to leave a sizable pea sized dollop of the stuff... Just dont treat it like youre putting ketchup on your mommas sunday roast though. The mounting pressure should make sure that its evenly spread so long as you criss cross when screwing everything back in (bottom left corner to top right corner etcetc - it keeps the pressure even)

You can use AS5 but the performance of the MX-4 and AS5 are so close that its not worth it. On top of that the AS5 is electrically conductive so you have to be careful how much you put on or you could end up frying things.


Another way to loosely describe it is power creep. AS5 hasnt changed, while there are a lot of thermal pastes that have come out over the years that perform around the same, get the same results and is a lot less risky to use because they are no conductive.

 

[Jose Jeswin]

thank you again...

 

[eidairaman1]

If you gave mx4, use mx4, AS5, ASC, gelid gc-extreme, http://www.coolermaster.com/cooling/thermal-compound/mastergel-maker/

All are good

Just dont use this.
http://www.thermal-grizzly.com/produkte/25-conductonaut

 

[lexluthermiester]

On top of that the AS5 is electrically conductive so you have to be careful how much you put on or you could end up frying things.

Minor point, AS5 is electrically capacitive, not conductive. However the rest of your point is valid and care is needed when applying it. Performance wise, AS5 and MX4 are within a statistical margin of error of each other.

@Jose Jeswin
I would use the AS5 on your GPU and save the MX4 for future CPU installs as you will benefit more later as long as you are careful applying the AS5, which really shouldn't be difficult.

 

[Jose Jeswin]

I have a friend who used MX 4 on his gpu...a sapphire radeon R7 240...he mentioned that MX 4 has a tendency to run out from under the heatsink, leading to increasing temps over a period of time...he re-pastes his cpu and gpu twice a year...

 

[Candor]

I've never had that experience with MX-4, or any thermal paste.

I can't imagine thermal paste running anywhere unless you used way too much to start with.

 

[Jose Jeswin]

Maybe so candor...but he does mount his graphics card vertically...

 

[MrGenius]

Shouldn't matter how it's mounted. I suspect he's BSing you, or doing something wrong.

 

[Candor]

As with cpu's, yes?

 

[Jose Jeswin]

Yes...probably doing something wrong...i will visit him when he will be re-pasting again..

BTW...is there something like a fake MX-4?..the one he hass came with a ziplock bag....mine had a difficult to open bubble pack...l bought mine recently though..

BTW...is there something like a fake MX-4?..the one he hass came with a ziplock bag....mine had a difficult to open bubble pack...l bought mine recently though..costs the same..

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Yes...probably doing something wrong...i will visit him when he will be re-pasting again..

BTW...is there something like a fake MX-4?..the one he hass came with a ziplock bag....mine had a difficult to open bubble pack...l bought mine recently though..

BTW...is there something like a fake MX-4?..the one he hass came with a ziplock bag....mine had a difficult to open bubble pack...l bought mine recently though..costs the same..

My MX-4 came in a ziplock bag, It was just something new that came out near the end of 2018. I think it was to signify a new batch and they might of made a few changes to the formula but I havent noticed anything out of place or worser temps as of yet. I use MX-4 on my CPU, GPU, laptop and doner laptops - I was previously running Prolimatech PK-3 but that dried out.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I have a friend who used MX 4 on his gpu...a sapphire radeon R7 240...he mentioned that MX 4 has a tendency to run out from under the heatsink, leading to increasing temps over a period of time.

BTW...is there something like a fake MX-4?..the one he hass came with a ziplock bag....mine had a difficult to open bubble pack...l bought mine recently though..costs the same..

There are fakes out there so that might have been the problem. Real MX4 does not run or seep out like you described.

 

[eidairaman1]

I have a friend who used MX 4 on his gpu...a sapphire radeon R7 240...he mentioned that MX 4 has a tendency to run out from under the heatsink, leading to increasing temps over a period of time...he re-pastes his cpu and gpu twice a year...

Ive never had to do that and that is on a oc fx8350 with scythe ashura hsf

 

[Jose Jeswin]

What if the heatsink and heat spreader/die surfaces do not fit perfectly?...will mx 4 seep out?...my friend has a history of dropping his heatsink in the past...
My gpu heatsink is very slightly concave...

 

[eidairaman1]

What if the heatsink and heat spreader/die surfaces do not fit perfectly?...will mx 4 seep out?...my friend has a history of dropping his heatsink in the past...
My gpu heatsink is very slightly concave...

View attachment 114852View attachment 114853

No

 

[Shambles1980]

mx 4 is good quality stuff just dont get the obvious fakes., Its also non conductive so not an issue if it ends up on the smd components.

 

[Jose Jeswin]

MX 4 it is then...thank you all....

 

[micropage7]

What if the heatsink and heat spreader/die surfaces do not fit perfectly?...will mx 4 seep out?...my friend has a history of dropping his heatsink in the past...
My gpu heatsink is very slightly concave...

View attachment 114852View attachment 114853

usually i put dot then test the spread
or put some dots since the heatsink has grooves

 

[Jose Jeswin]

I tried this but temps were terrible...

 

[P4-630]

Put a small blob on the GPU die itself(only) and remount the cooler.