Arctic Silver 5 is so thick!

[HeroOfPellinor]

Anybody have any techniques for spreading AS-5 so that you can get a thin layer? I end up applying so much of the stuff that it oozes over the edge of the processor. I use my finger wrapped in a plastic baggie turned inside out and let the heat from my finger soften it a bit as I spread it around. AS-3 and everything else I've used is way thinner and easy to spread with the edge of a card, but this stuff is like bubble gum.

 

[Jeff7]

I have always just put a small rice-grain (I mean small rice grain) sized blob of Arctic Silver in the center of the chip, and allowed the pressure of the heatsink to squish it out. Might not provide the greatest performance, but it seems to work. I do allow about a minute before powering on though to allow for sufficient squishage to occur.

 

[Algere]

I just do what it says to do on the AS website.

 

[imported_jediknight]

I did what they said as well.. perhaps I did something wrong, but I don't seem to be getting much of a temp decrease..

 

[Trey22]

Originally posted by: jediknight
I did what they said as well.. perhaps I did something wrong, but I don't seem to be getting much of a temp decrease..

It will take a while for it to settle and do its job, anywhere from a couple of days to a week.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: jediknight
I did what they said as well.. perhaps I did something wrong, but I don't seem to be getting much of a temp decrease..

You didn't do anything wrong in all likelyhood The fact is all these reports of 5-10c+ temps drops by swapping T.I.M. are nonsense. I was told by some Gurus a ways back that the most I'd see is a couple C and all my testing and experience with various products has bore that out. People who get big temp drops and accredit it to their new T.I.M. had factors beyond the switch involved wether they realize it or not. Yeah I know some sites show significant changes in temp between products, but they often are getting paid to pimp, and some of them have testing methodology which is poor too.

The best reasons for using a quality T.I.M. are how well it resists "pumiping out" and drying up, How easy it is to work with, that it isn't messy or hard to clean up, cost per gram, lack of potential conductivity or capacitance, and does it have a long shelf life or begin to seperate? Does it void your warranty? at least IMO. I gave up on silver based products long ago because they failed badly in the mess and clean-up area as well as shelf life, and AS1&2 dried out on me too. I overclock so warranty is irrelevant for me.

I prefer Shin-Etsu products and some of their products are AMD approved so your warranty is protected. In fact the retail A64 coolers have G751 for the T.I.M. CoolerMaster Premium which is Shin-etsu based is good but hard to spread like most Shin-etsu products are, and the cost per application is high for both.

I have found the best overall for me is Ceramique' excluding lidded CPUs which I had the adhesive effect with. Some say you can use a twisting technique to break the lock but that wasn't the case for me. I could not lift the cooler far enough to get any kind of degree of rotation as it would have pulled the CPU out of socket because the mounting bracket for my A64 prevented rotation almost completely. Nor could I get anything under it and between the bracket and cooler to pry it off with without lifting too much. For lidded CPUs I'll stick to CoolerMaster Premium because once you get the technique down for applying it it's great stuff and cools well, plus it's cheaper per app than Shin-etsu.

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Anybody have any techniques for spreading AS-5 so that you can get a thin layer? I end up applying so much of the stuff that it oozes over the edge of the processor. I use my finger wrapped in a plastic baggie turned inside out and let the heat from my finger soften it a bit as I spread it around. AS-3 and everything else I've used is way thinner and easy to spread with the edge of a card, but this stuff is like bubble gum.

I've tried the plastic baggie thing, but don't really like it.

The easiest for me is to use a piece of plastic (cut up credit card or some plastic off the cpu case etc) as a small putty knife and I can spread it real thin that way.

 

[randomlinh]

razor blade works real well for spreading

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: lnguyen
razor blade works real well for spreading

Yeah, it does. But I still like the plastic better. Especially the clear plastic like the cpu box. It's flexible and I can see through it. I can really work the AS5 that way.

I like to use a razor blade to lightly drag over the HS (tilted, kinda like I was sharpening the blade, but the edge trails. If you sharpen a knife with a wetstone you'll prolly know what I mean I can tell if the HS surface is perfectly flat or not. I can't tolerate a rough surface on my HS.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: lnguyen
razor blade works real well for spreading

Exactly what I've always used. It's never failed me.

 

[D1gger]

I like to use an old credit card with the arctic silver 5. I is stiff enough to use as a trowel to spread the compound in a nice even layer and is wide enough to overlap the entire surface of the CPU.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: D1gger
I like to use an old credit card with the arctic silver 5. I is stiff enough to use as a trowel to spread the compound in a nice even layer and is wide enough to overlap the entire surface of the CPU.

i dunno, i guess i just like the really thin edge of the razor blade

 

[SickBeast]

I usually wrap my finger in saran wrap for spreading.

 

[Kabob]

Quick slightly off topic question for y'all (well, not completely off topic)

I need to purchase some CPU thermal compound for my new rig, which is an Athlon 64-M 3200+. What would you all suggest for the compound? I keep hearing these raves about AS-5, but I've never used the stuff. Any suggestions?

Here's a pic of my processor (well, it's a DTR chip, but same thing)

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=19-103-443&depa=1

Any thoughts??

-Kabob

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: kabob983
Quick slightly off topic question for y'all (well, not completely off topic)

I need to purchase some CPU thermal compound for my new rig, which is an Athlon 64-M 3200+. What would you all suggest for the compound? I keep hearing these raves about AS-5, but I've never used the stuff. Any suggestions?

Here's a pic of my processor (well, it's a DTR chip, but same thing)

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=19-103-443&depa=1

Any thoughts??

-Kabob

Ceramique' is the best option IMO.

 

[Kabob]

This stuff?

 

[Cawchy87]

I use a small drop and a razor blade to smooth it out.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: kabob983
This stuff?

That's it. I'd get the 22g tube here since after shipping the price won't be much more than the little one. Yeah it's overkill but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it

 

[Kabob]

Ugh...I can get AS-5 w/free shipping for 5.99 at the same place...how much better is this stuff??

-Kabob

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

Ceramique' is definatly not better than AS5, at all. It may be easier to apply and remove,but honestly, how often does one have to do that? AS5 consistantly get 3-5C lower temps over Ceramique', I have a tube of each, the Ceramique is collecting dust.

The quality of the application, and the material can make a world of difference for CPU temps.

 

[ponyo]

Originally posted by: AWhackWhiteBoy
Ceramique' is definatly not better than AS5, at all. It may be easier to apply and remove,but honestly, how often does one have to do that? AS5 consistantly get 3-5C lower temps over Ceramique', I have a tube of each, the Ceramique is collecting dust.

The quality of the application, and the material can make a world of difference for CPU temps.

Something is definitely wrong if you're getting 3-5C lower temps using AS5. AS5 is not miracle compound.

 

[Don66]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
I have always just put a small rice-grain (I mean small rice grain) sized blob of Arctic Silver in the center of the chip, and allowed the pressure of the heatsink to squish it out. Might not provide the greatest performance, but it seems to work. I do allow about a minute before powering on though to allow for sufficient squishage to occur.

Exactly

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

Originally posted by: Naustica

Something is definitely wrong if you're getting 3-5C lower temps using AS5. AS5 is not miracle compound.

Personal experience across many computers, most AS5 reviews agree, also.

 

[klah]

Toothpaste

http://www.dansdata.com/goop.htm

 

[Kabob]

Wow, I love his link to the liquid nitrogen cooled computer lol! OC'd a P4 2200MHz to 3675MHz!! Most impressive.

-Kabob