A64 thermal pad or AS3

[techiewannabe]

I am building a computer for a friend. Just got all the parts, will be assembling tomorrow. He will be using the stock heatsink for now, but he might be OCing in the future, which would require a change of heatsink. The stock HSF has a thermal pad on it. I have some AS3 for awhile ago laying around. I am wondering which would be best for this installation. Thanks everyone.

 

[Algere]

Either or for mild OC'ing

For drastic OC'ing a better cooling solution (other than stock) would be required.

 

[cirthix]

removing the thermal pad has good and bad things about it
good: much better cooling, better reliability, longer lasting cpu
bad: you lose ur warranty
for me and most of the people on these forums, the bad isnt so bad. if its for someone else, stick to stock speeds and leave it on (you dont want to lose/piss off a freind just over money/bad comptuter)

 

[MDE]

The thermal pad on Athlon 64s IS VERY GOOD THERMAL COMPOUND. Shin Etsu isn't cheap or bad. Use it and be happy AMD saved you the $3 that a tube of Arctic Silver costs.

 

[Algere]

Originally posted by: cirthix
removing the thermal pad has good and bad things about it
good: much better cooling, better reliability, longer lasting cpu
bad: you lose ur warranty
for me and most of the people on these forums, the bad isnt so bad. if its for someone else, stick to stock speeds and leave it on (you dont want to lose/piss off a freind just over money/bad comptuter)

What if you remove, install, remove, reinstall, etc. etc. the stock heatsink from the CPU enough times that the T.I.M. on the heatsink wears off? Does that mean because it's worn/used up and if the CPU overheats it's your fault for installing and removing the heatsink so many times or AMD for not providing a better T.I.M. that would endure that many install/removals/reinstalls of the heatsink to & from the CPU?

Also who's responsible for repair/replacement of the CPU (if the CPU should fail from overheating)? or what if the thermal protection mechanism activates so frequently due to the lack of sufficient coverage of the T.I.M. on the heatsink that out of pure annoyance you contact AMD about the predicament. Will AMD then ask you to ship the heatsink back to them to be rethermal padded/replaced or will they give you an exception under the circumstance to use aftermarket thermal solutions e.g. Arctic Silver without voiding said warranty?

Lastly doesn't the instructions that come with the retail CPU/HSF say something along the lines of, "if the heatsink's thermal pad is damaged or not flat to return it to the retailer or manufacturer for a replacement"? If so, the moment you attempt to remove the heatsink from the CPU (for the first time after initial installation/contact of the heatsink to the CPU) is when the thermal pad is no longer "flat/undamaged". Therefore if that's the case, does that only apply to the original factory condition of the thermal pad (pre-heatsink installation)? If not, do you believe that AMD's policy under their warranty agreement is flawed & to the end-user, makes very little sense to return the heatsink to the manufacturer for rethermal padding/replacement everytime the heatsink is removed from the CPU?

 

[MDE]

You can buy replacement thermal pads you know.