Thermal paste applied on your GPU / CPU, survey!

[RealNeil]

Remember that I said someone gave it to me? LOL! He sent me six large tubes of it. I still have a bunch of it in a box.

The fact remains that I got really good thermal results with the IC Diamond, but I quit using it when people started to complain about it wearing the factory markings off of their CPUs.
I usually sell my older CPUs and I didn't want to have problems with people not believing me about what my CPU really is if it was bare.

IC Diamond supposedly has over 90% micro diamond dust in it for good conductivity, and Diamond is very conductive. I remember that they were giving it away on another site I go to and asking for test results from people.
The abrasive properties it has really shot it down.

IC Diamond is not the only paste using Diamonds in it either.

SEE HERE

 

[MrGenius]

Antec 7 is also a popular nano diamond thermal compound. Which will also act as a slight abrasive. Not so much as to actually affect performance substantially(or at all). I used it on everything for many many years before switching to CSG4. I'll still use it, if it's all I've got. Great stuff.

 

[peche]

I really apreaciate al discussion and colaboration on my survey,

im helping out a good friend, he is opening a PC parts store, looking for several facts about some products, so i helping out to create some lists about preferences, results and many more, so i will apreaciate more all the coments and info about the topic,

thanks all for help!!

Peche:

TIM: Arctic Silver 5 @GigaByte GTX 760 OC 2GB Windorforce 3X Rev 2.0, application method: rice grain on center, I used this paste because this was the unique paste I had that moment, no option at all,

Edit: peche resutls,

TIM: Arctic Cooling MX4 @ my Gigabyte GTX 760 OC 2GB Windorforce 3X Rev 2.0, application method: rice grain on center, thin layer on cooler, repasted from my older Arctic silver 5 TIM, Trusted compund, no curing time, easy to spread and get a better application,


Regards,

 

[shoti02]

Hi guys...in the next few month ( the gigant 3360 will be arriving in about 3 month ) i go underwater. i have 2 R9 290x Vapor-x 8 GB and will use the EKWB watercooler....they delivered the cooler with thermal pads for the ram and so on. they have different thickness, because the space between cooler and ram and so on is different. should i use them or should i try to use thermal paste....

 

[micropage7]

Hi guys...in the next few month ( the gigant 3360 will be arriving in about 3 month ) i go underwater. i have 2 R9 290x Vapor-x 8 GB and will use the EKWB watercooler....they delivered the cooler with thermal pads for the ram and so on. they have different thickness, because the space between cooler and ram and so on is different. should i use them or should i try to use thermal paste....

for memory its better thermal pads since it has better contact area withe the cooler, thermal paste is better for flat surface like processor or chipset, you better use thermal pads for memory

 

[shoti02]

ok, i´ll try it....but at least i have to wait 3 month ...... hope my 2 290x are in good shape against the new 300 series.... but i didn´t know that i have to wait the 3 month till the radiator is manufactured...

 

[GreiverBlade]

for memory its better thermal pads since it has better contact area withe the cooler, thermal paste is better for flat surface like processor or chipset, you better use thermal pads for memory

unless you have a Aquacomputer Kryografics like mine ... they use thermal pads only for the backside plate ... the block use thermal paste on RAM+GPU (also recommended by Aquacomputer for efficiency )

ok, i´ll try it....but at least i have to wait 3 month ...... hope my 2 290x are in good shape against the new 300 series.... but i didn´t know that i have to wait the 3 month till the radiator is manufactured...

tha hell ... 3month? at last the Aquacomputer i ordered on Aquatuning are directly available and do not need to be manufactured ... EKWB? well i know a brand i will never get (except for the Vardar fans ...) i have a 290 and i know i will not upgrade before the next next gen (aka: the one after that one ) since the 390/390X is Grenada which is Hawaii with improvement (GCN1.2 iirc) and the only worth of notice is the Fury, but will be too expensive soooo just like the 980Ti the 2 card who are the only worthy upgrades (nope a 970 is not a upgrade over a 290 nor is a 980.)

tho i am eager to see the 3XX line maybe a 380X will be cheap enough and bring more than 25% perf over my current 290... who knows ...

edit: noticed you have a CFX and 8gb version... well you will be fine, no doubt... after all a 2013 card still hold against 2015 card (except the top dog of the other brand but that's another story)

on a sidenote what amaze me: they refine and rebrand the 290 into 390, some may call it scandalous but me, it amaze me, that mean that 2013 card is still of value in 2015 with some tweaking on the silicon, a yearly upgrade and such is convenient for enthusiast (well i like it too) but sometime it's not so bad to see the card we put under water to be re used and to not have to dismantle the loop sell the card with the block and buy a new card and block

(tho i would rather keep my 290 and block on my shelf as one of the best bang for bucks card i ever had)

 

[shoti02]

EKWB .... follow this link.. i have 2 cooler from them for my 2 R9 290X Vapor-X 8GB..they ar the only who manufacturing a cooler for the vapor-x... ...the gigant 3360 is a special order.. they have no one on stock they are produced individual for everyone ..LINK...

Dimension : 310 x 310 x 960 mm
Weight: 15,6 kg

my cpu cooler:

 

[GreiverBlade]

EKWB .... follow this link.. i have 2 cooler from them for my 2 R9 290X Vapor-X 8GB..they ar the only who manufacturing a cooler for the vapor-x... ...the gigant 3360 is a special order.. they have no one on stockj they are produced individual for everyone ..LINK...

Dimension : 310 x 310 x 960 mm
Weight: 15,6 kg

ah i see... i have to say ... aherm... wow...
well my 290 was a ref cooler from ASUS... that explain the no wait time

 

[GorbazTheDragon]

Have been slowly (since 2013) running through a tube of CM Thermalfusion 400, seems like reasonably good paste. I have now transferred (as of buying my new laptop) to AC MX-4, which I have a much larger tube of. I don't really expect any noticeable difference between the two.

I got the Thermalfusion stuff because it was the only one I could find in Chile at the time, the MX-4 was a buy while I was getting supplies on x-mas ~2013 in case I ran out. Seemed like decent paste from the reviews and it was the best volume for money (I recall the 5ml tube was 1GBP less than the 20ml one).

I always use a pea sized dot. The largest dies I have worked with are GK104 and GF104 so that method is perfect. The IVB and Haswell mobile CPUs do need a narrow line, which I use for them. For desktop CPUs I use a slightly larger dot.

From my experience, a decent paste application and a good heatsink mount is enough, I would not go out of my way to get a perfect mount since the temp advantage by doing so is simply too small. I get bigger improvements simply lifting my laptop off the desk. And the same goes for my desktop, I dropped 5c on the CPU just by moving the curtain out of the way so that air could freely move around it. Also, from the perspective of a gamer there is little value in those few extra notches on the multi or that 5c temp drop while running some synth benchmark, in gaming my temps are rarely above 70c on the CPU and 65 on the GPU with a very cramped cooling system. And noise wise it is reasonably quiet anyway.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

EKWB .... follow this link.. i have 2 cooler from them for my 2 R9 290X Vapor-X 8GB..they ar the only who manufacturing a cooler for the vapor-x... ...the gigant 3360 is a special order.. they have no one on stock they are produced individual for everyone ..LINK...

Dimension : 310 x 310 x 960 mm
Weight: 15,6 kg

my cpu cooler:

@shoti02
you have that cooler? please put many pics here
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/sexy-hardware-close-up-pic-clubhouse.71955/page-337

 

[peche]

well I have used so far a couple of brands, so far the best one Arctic Cooling Mx4, I a big tube =D Coolermaster icefusion flask still there working like a champ, on this Monday I will repaste my work i7 3770 with this coolermaster for another review, also Work GPU too, Ati Radeon HD 4800 Series // 4850 we will see another review soon!!

Arctic silver still on tools cage just if a customer asks for it … ! still have like half of the tube…

 

[jboydgolfer]

since longer than i care to mention....when ever I have a "hot" GPU . I apply some good quality Thermal paste, in SOME cases, factory TIM is as effective as dogshit, so ill also make the switch in those cases as well. When the situation DOES call for it, I use Arctic Silver 5 in recent years....it has worked the best for ME, and it is ALWAYS best to apply it evenly, across the whole chip, in a consistant careful application, using a Q-tip with the head cut off, or whatever suites You best. This is My method, and My choices for Aftermarket thermal paste GPU applications.I dont feel that MY way is the ONLY way, but it is the right way, and it works Perfectly every time for Me.

 

[shoti02]

@CAPSLOCKSTUCK...
i ordered that radiator...yes....the two r 290x vapor-x cooler do i have at home, also the heatkiller....now i am waiting for the gigant. because it is produced individual for every person, the radiator will arrive in about three month...if the water cooling then is ready i will post pics....i can also post pic´s till iám working on the water cooling installation..

 

[GreiverBlade]

well when i have a hot GPU and i need a good quality past ... i always use the GC-Extreme or the MX-4 as i previously said , the AS5 i find funny : each time i google search any of the 3 compound mentioned (since i used all the 3 of them)

1. for AS5 or any AS paste : i see only question about reliability thermal/electrical capacitance and curing time.
2. for GC-E or MX-4 or any Arctic (cooling) paste: i see only recommendation and thumbs up ...

and also the line that made me permanently get rid of AS5 came directly from AS website... (look the parenthesis) specially on GPU who have no heatspreader
"Not Electrically Conductive:
Arctic Silver 5 was formulated to conduct heat, not electricity.
(While much safer than electrically conductive silver and copper greases, Arctic Silver 5 should be kept away from electrical traces, pins, and leads. While it is not electrically conductive, the compound is very slightly capacitive and could potentially cause problems if it bridges two close-proximity electrical paths.)"

well I have used so far a couple of brands, so far the best one Arctic Cooling Mx4, I a big tube =D Coolermaster icefusion flask still there working like a champ, on this Monday I will repaste my work i7 3770 with this coolermaster for another review, also Work GPU too, Ati Radeon HD 4800 Series // 4850 we will see another review soon!!

Arctic silver still on tools cage just if a customer asks for it … ! still have like half of the tube…

used the IceFusion previously a good one too ... kinda like that one (but less common where i am than GC-E or MX4 unfortunately )

 

[shoti02]

i had seen many review´s and the GC had good ratings....think i will give it a try.. ( if the gigant is here......in 3 month an 2000,- bucks less ......)

 

[peche]

used the IceFusion previously a good one too ... kinda like that one (but less common where i am than GC-E or MX4 unfortunately )

the good thing on that flask is price... it may last forever even when you let the flask open, i have like 3 years or more using it on single builds,

arctic silver craps ... not any more, maybe arctic clean ...maybe

 

[shoti02]

...EKWB waterblocks ...arrived.....the Gigant should be arrive the next two weeks...they asked me what laser logo i wanna have....the production is much quicker then they thought..........

 

[peche]

...EKWB waterblocks ...arrived.....the Gigant should be arrive the next two weeks...they asked me what laser logo i wanna have....the production is much quicker then they thought..........

use arctic mx for the win!

 

[shoti02]

ok....Radiator GIGANT will be ready the next week..they ask me now for the engravement.....what ar ur thoughts ? should i center the aka Don Dee ? or make it in three rows...don´t wonder about the manufacturing date or the 1680 it is an gigant 3360.......it is only a suggestion if the engravement is ok for me.....

 

[peche]

that's a big build ....big loop.... but according to the topic, what are you going to use for CPU, TIM?
do you have any trusted brand? do you always use the same TIM on your hardware? any other comment about Application?

Regards,

 

[shoti02]

..i really think i go for gc extreme...EKWB has it´s own thermal paste...but i think i will use the GCE..on all waterblocks and the thermal pads included at the EKWB water blocks for the ram´s and so on

maybe i shoul make a new thread if anybody is interested in the building of my System.....

 

[Cvrk]

arctic silver 5
one dot in the middle

I don't like applying thermal paste! (with an exclamation mark).
Don't have enough experience in this field. There is no full proof method. There so many ways one can apply .
I last repasted my cpu 2 months ago. Horrible experience. I felt like my temps where a bit to high.
Cleaned the fan and accidentally removed the heat sync .Noticed there was not much paste on. While gaming in the 60 celsius range, random app's around 32 degrees.
After repaste i think i put to less, idle 40 and in game almost 70. Waited for 2 days,same thing.
So i decided to give it another go with the last of paste left in the syringe. This time around 36 and in game 55 to 60 degrees.


With me, repasting is always a gamble.

 

[peche]

..i really think i go for gc extreme...EKWB has it´s own thermal paste...but i think i will use the GCE..on all waterblocks and the thermal pads included at the EKWB water blocks for the ram´s and so on

sounds nice, this post is about thermalpaste applied to GPU, CPU is valid too,

maybe i shoul make a new thread if anybody is interested in the building of my System.....

you can always make build logs about everything you made, mostly when it has custom parts on it!
here:
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/forums/project-logs.18/

arctic silver 5
one dot in the middle

how about you results?

I have used it for a while, but honestly I hate that f*cking curing time…m temps were weird…

 

[shoti02]

..i mean that i use it for the gpu and the cpu....but the rams on the gpu can only be cooled with pad´s becausae of the different thickness...