Artic MX2 Users: Thoughts...

[chucky2]

This is the first time using something different than Artic Silver 5 (AS5). I ordered this because after reading some quick NewEgg reviews, it sounds like it sets up a little thicker than AS5, which in the use I'm using it for is desirable - using it in notebook for CPU, GPU main core, and northbridge.

The CPU and GPU main core I could have used AS5, however the northbridge has a small gap between the heatsink portion and the die, so I wanted something that would setup thicker than AS5.

My question to those that have used it is...

...did you indeed find this to be the case? And, do you have any other comments on it that you'd feel would be good for me to know?

Thanks in advance!

Chuck

 

[blastingcap]

I don't think MX2 is particularly thick but I have never used AS5 so others can compare that for you. I do know that study after study has shown that MX2 is slightly better than AS5 and doesn't have AS5's drawbacks like long curing times and capacitance. Plus MX2 is cheaper if you wait for a sale, and sometimes even when you don't.

As for thickness you just need about 1-2 rice grains of MX2 in the middle of the heatspreader, press down and tighten whatever mechanism you use for the cooler. Done.

 

[Vesku]

In my experience with MX2 it does seem I can get away with using a bit less of it by volume than most other pastes I've used. IMO, it is a bit on the goopy+thick side of the thermal pastes.

 

[KingFatty]

How thin/thick is that gap you are filling? Maybe it would be better to use a thermal pad/tape? You can buy it in different thicknesses. I'm just concerned that over time maybe the paste would migrate if the gap is too thick and the heat cycling moves things around over many cycles.

 

[superccs]

I know the issue you are having and I would not trust thermal paste to thermally couple across gaps like the one you are describing.

To fill that gap, I would use multiple sheets of aluminum foil. This method will make it so that the 2 surfaces are actually smashed together and can better transfer heat.

thermal paste is only for filling small surface irregularities not for acting as a conduit between 2 distant surfaces.

 

[chucky2]

In my experience with MX2 it does seem I can get away with using a bit less of it by volume than most other pastes I've used. IMO, it is a bit on the goopy+thick side of the thermal pastes.

Actually, I'm thinking of using more of it to sort of make up a small gap between heatsink and northbridge.

How thin/thick is that gap you are filling? Maybe it would be better to use a thermal pad/tape? You can buy it in different thicknesses. I'm just concerned that over time maybe the paste would migrate if the gap is too thick and the heat cycling moves things around over many cycles.

Yes, this is starting to worry me also. It's hard to get a guage on how large the gap is...I can't tell if it's paper thinkness or multiple pieces of paper. Going to pop the bad motherboard out of the notebook chassis today and hold it up in front of a light, maybe that'll show how much it's off by.

Do you know if there are like known good thermal pad material?

I know the issue you are having and I would not trust thermal paste to thermally couple across gaps like the one you are describing.

To fill that gap, I would use multiple sheets of aluminum foil. This method will make it so that the 2 surfaces are actually smashed together and can better transfer heat.

thermal paste is only for filling small surface irregularities not for acting as a conduit between 2 distant surfaces.

I'd be worried about the Al foil migrating away as much as I'd be worried about the thermal paste migrating away.

This isn't a massive difference, but it doesn't touch for sure as I cleaned up both the northbridge and heatsink, then put a very light smear of petroleum jelly on the northbridge, then mounted the heatsink fully. Took it off. Pet jelly clearly on both the CPU and GPU die heatsink parts, nothing on the northbridge part of the heatsink. Maybe I'll retry with a slightly thicker layer, see if that works...

Chuck

 

[chucky2]

I don't think MX2 is particularly thick but I have never used AS5 so others can compare that for you. I do know that study after study has shown that MX2 is slightly better than AS5 and doesn't have AS5's drawbacks like long curing times and capacitance. Plus MX2 is cheaper if you wait for a sale, and sometimes even when you don't.

As for thickness you just need about 1-2 rice grains of MX2 in the middle of the heatspreader, press down and tighten whatever mechanism you use for the cooler. Done.

Neither of the locations I'll be definitely using MX-2 on (the CPU and GPU die) look to have heatspreader...they are just the core itself. I'll have so much more MX-2 than I need, I'll likely do a live run test fitting to make sure I'm using enough/not too much.

Chuck

 

[blastingcap]

Neither of the locations I'll be definitely using MX-2 on (the CPU and GPU die) look to have heatspreader...they are just the core itself. I'll have so much more MX-2 than I need, I'll likely do a live run test fitting to make sure I'm using enough/not too much.

Chuck

In that case, I concur with King/Super that the thermal pad or the aluminum strip idea is better. Paste is just for microscopic gaps, not big ones.

 

[chucky2]

Sh1t. This is what I was worried about. You say Al foil also. Is this some trick that I've not heard of that actually works? So: Put MX-2 on northbridge, apply Al foil, put MX-2 on heatsink, mount heatsink? Something like that?

Chuck

 

[KingFatty]

To check thickness of gap, you can use a crush strip thingy (forget official name). I guess you could approximate that by using a soft deformable material that will pancake as thin as the gap if you install it as though it were the thermal tape.

There are several sources of ordering thermal tape, you can buy online just search. However, you could be sitting on your own supply.

Do you have a video card? They often use thermal tape for the VRMs and memory. However, they usually use a big long strip to span across several discrete components, so you get wasted pad material that goes unused in the gaps. You can slice it off with a blade, if that's enough to cover your area.

Is the gap area about the size of a memory chip of a video card? Then this scavenging technique should work.

 

[chucky2]

This is a good idea. And Yes, the video card has thermal tape on it still on the RAM and whatever else, and, one strip is actually way too long and just hanging way over. That may be sufficient for what I need it for.

Still hoping I can MX-2 the northbridge...we'll see tonight when I can screw with it more.

Chuck