I've had reports of some bad experiences using arctic silver. Anyone can add anything to this? Has anyone used it extensively and can say otherwise? Thoughts on the subject would be appreciated.
Arctic Silver- is this stuff dangerous?
- Thread starter Shaftatplanetquake
- Start date
hmm I think you are refering to electricaly conductive silver paste. arctic silver is not electricaly conductive. It does not dry either so you cant realy have a probelem with it sinc you could submerge your mobo in it and it would stil be fine.
How sure are you about this Dark?
It destroyed my AMD duron chip. I applied a small amount to the die of the chip, and placed it on the board. Put the heatsink on and it did not post. Took the heatsink off and noticed that when the heatsink went flat on it, it had squirted out the edges and a very very very tiny bit of it touched one of the caps that's crowded on the side of the die. It contacted one end of the cap to the other. Needless to say, it was a short. I tried cleaning it up, but to no avail.
Of course, this chip was working very well for the past week, while I waited for the arctic paste to come in. Luckily, I had a second duron 600 available (buy.com deal) and used it being careful this time by putting some tape over the row of caps. Works like a charm this time around.
It destroyed my AMD duron chip. I applied a small amount to the die of the chip, and placed it on the board. Put the heatsink on and it did not post. Took the heatsink off and noticed that when the heatsink went flat on it, it had squirted out the edges and a very very very tiny bit of it touched one of the caps that's crowded on the side of the die. It contacted one end of the cap to the other. Needless to say, it was a short. I tried cleaning it up, but to no avail.
Of course, this chip was working very well for the past week, while I waited for the arctic paste to come in. Luckily, I had a second duron 600 available (buy.com deal) and used it being careful this time by putting some tape over the row of caps. Works like a charm this time around.
Arctic Silver is only conductive in small amounts under extreme pressure. I read an article that did a conductive test on it and it was found to be absolutely nonconductive. (Is that a word, hehe). Can't remember the webpage but will post it if I find it again. I have used Arctic Silver while building several systems and while I am a bit clumsy, never had any problems with it what-so-ever.
If that's true, how did my chip croak? I was careful, like I always am. I mean, I only handled at least 10's of thousands of cpu's when I used to work at a pc shop for the past 5 years...
Of course, I grounded myself by touching my pc chasis and then removed the chip. Hard floor, and no cat in the room.
Of course, I grounded myself by touching my pc chasis and then removed the chip. Hard floor, and no cat in the room.
who has a multi-meter that can test it out right now? 
)
I'm too lazy to run to the basement for it and then dig through the parts box for the paste. I need someone to do a continuity test on this stuff.....
)I'm too lazy to run to the basement for it and then dig through the parts box for the paste. I need someone to do a continuity test on this stuff.....
Thermal paste wil not crack your chip. A bad heatsinc(like golden orb) would do that. Thermal paste cant physicaly damage the chip.
I don't think arctic silver is conductive, either. I used to mess my t-birdies with those silver jam all over(I got fat fingers, hehehe), haven't seen any problem so far.
i was told there used to be a Cautery guy, loved to post very long-winded pointless Prof. Dicklike acdemic paper here. He has been a hardcore arctic silver defendent. A couple weeks ago, after apperantly being a deeply upset pissant (may caused by domestic pressure), he quit this forums. So sorry, no "official voice" anymore...
may search for the forums to see if there is any left in DB...
i was told there used to be a Cautery guy, loved to post very long-winded pointless Prof. Dicklike acdemic paper here. He has been a hardcore arctic silver defendent. A couple weeks ago, after apperantly being a deeply upset pissant (may caused by domestic pressure), he quit this forums. So sorry, no "official voice" anymore...
may search for the forums to see if there is any left in DB...
it's not electrically conductive. I've had some spill out to the edge of the cpu and it didn't short anything.
Our contribution to this subject.........
Ran a test over 2 years ago on Circuit Works' CW7100 Silver Grease,
predecssor to Artic Silver, to see if the stuff had any tendency to "run/flow" when heated. Mocked up a "joint" with alum and stainless plates lightly clamped and set vertically. Then heated with heat gun on one side to over 107C on other side. Inspected joint perimeter with 5X loupe periodically over about 4 hrs. No running, nor did a swab of the material placed adjacent to perimeter run either. Only some material placed as a "drop" ran 5/8 of an inch, then stopped as mass spread out.
So the stuff does not "run", and if you use "normal care" in applying to only the chip/hs surfaces, the issue of conductivity, shorting various electrical components, is moot.
John C.
Ran a test over 2 years ago on Circuit Works' CW7100 Silver Grease,
predecssor to Artic Silver, to see if the stuff had any tendency to "run/flow" when heated. Mocked up a "joint" with alum and stainless plates lightly clamped and set vertically. Then heated with heat gun on one side to over 107C on other side. Inspected joint perimeter with 5X loupe periodically over about 4 hrs. No running, nor did a swab of the material placed adjacent to perimeter run either. Only some material placed as a "drop" ran 5/8 of an inch, then stopped as mass spread out.
So the stuff does not "run", and if you use "normal care" in applying to only the chip/hs surfaces, the issue of conductivity, shorting various electrical components, is moot.
John C.
Eug
Lifer
- Mar 11, 2000
- 24,000
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As people have said, it is not electrically conductive. It has been tested by a couple of sites which have verified this with a meter. CircuitWorks Silver Paste, OTOH, is electrically conductive.
Arctic Silver is VERY good, but you pay for it. Then again, the CircuitWorks stuff costs just as much, and is potentially dangerous for a CPU.
Arctic Silver is VERY good, but you pay for it. Then again, the CircuitWorks stuff costs just as much, and is potentially dangerous for a CPU.
You can't snort this stuff. It's kinda pasty. You gotta burn it and inhale the vapors...
Huh, I wonder what killed the chip then.... that've very odd....
Huh, I wonder what killed the chip then.... that've very odd....
Bartman39
Elite Member | For Sale/Trade
- Jul 4, 2000
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Little green men have killed your cpu Dude... More than likely it was one to many times of remove and replace the heatsink and it cracked internaly (dont go screaming I was careful!!!) It happens to the best of us, I really dont think Artic Silver killed your cpu... I used a digital multimeter (fluke 73) and got no conductivity...
BTW use carb cleaner to get a better effect (thin`s it too...)
BTW use carb cleaner to get a better effect (thin`s it too...)
I just used some yesterday (had to get an old broadband server up and running again and its heatsink/fan was dead so I replaced it). I've read Artic Silver isn't as electrically conductive as standard silver compounds. But if you pretend it's lethal, and be extra careful during application, you'll no doubt see best results. Heat transfer is much better, btw. Good stuff if expensive!
Damn little green men. I thought St. Patricks day was during spring time... What are they doing out so early?!?
And yeah, I pulled out the ol Fluke 89 IV and it seems you dudes are right....
And yeah, I pulled out the ol Fluke 89 IV and it seems you dudes are right....
Artic Silver does have some electrical conductivity but not much. I'm using it right now with an Alpha PAL6035 HSF and it works great. My CPU temps are always below 50 C.
You should apply it in very small amounts. If you put too much on then it may start conducting. I haven't had any problems so far fortunately.
You should apply it in very small amounts. If you put too much on then it may start conducting. I haven't had any problems so far fortunately.
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