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Good thermal tape?

Synomenon

Synomenon

Lifer
Anyone here have thermal tape that you could recommend? I need this to stick a new heatsink onto my southbridge chip. I don't want to use Arctic Silver's adhesives though since they're all permanent.
 
Why on earth would you remove the heatsink when you put it on? And why do you even need to cool the southbridge anyway, how big an overclock are we talking here and on what board?

Getting thermal tape in itself is going to be a bit tricky. Getting good performing thermal tape is impossible. They're all pretty much crap. Again, I can't imagine you need much performance from it for a southbridge heatsink, though. Anything you can find should do the trick.

This is all assuming you're also using a fan on the southbridge. Without a fan moving air over it, the TIM you use is going to be pretty much useless anyways. The high performing stuff all needs airflow around the heatsink for it reach its potential.
 
The southbridge in my Shuttle gets pretty hot. I'm replacing the stock southbridge heatsink with an Akasa southbridge heatsink with fan. I guess I'll just go to Fry's tomorrow and buy whatever thermal tape I can find.
 
does it have some sort of mounting hardwear? if so use as5 or other TIM that is nonadhesive. otherwise look for the thinnest thermal tape and use it in a few places on the HS, use thermal compound around the rest of it.
 
Originally posted by: herm0016
otherwise look for the thinnest thermal tape and use it in a few places on the HS, use thermal compound around the rest of it.
Click to expand...
You're not saying use the thicker (by comparison), thermal tape and the AS5 at the same time... like on the corners of the HS? :shocked:


 
Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi
The southbridge in my Shuttle gets pretty hot.
Click to expand...

That doesn't mean it needs a heatsink though...

I have replaced a southbridge heatsink before, but that was an attempt to fix stuttering sound in games, and it didn't really help.

I'm replacing the stock southbridge heatsink with an Akasa southbridge heatsink with fan. I guess I'll just go to Fry's tomorrow and buy whatever thermal tape I can find.
Click to expand...

There is a reasonable chance of this making it worse - most thermal tape is so bad that just blowing air over the bare chip will actually keep it cooler.

You want my humble suggestion? Take the current heatsink off and clean the chip well, then cover *most* of it in a very thin layer of normal arctic silver, leaving a small corner (maybe 2 corners) completely clear. Then put a little superglue or thermal adhesive in the clean corner(s) and stick the new heatsink on. Make sure it makes good contact all the way round and is not just stuck to the glue bits and lightly touching elsewhere. Do not use too much adhesive or it will spread out under the pressure of you putting the heatsink on and you'll end up with it covering the whole underside of the chip - exactly what you don't want.

This should allow you to break the heatsink off with a bit of a twist and pull when you need to.
 
Theta ~ L/ KA

where L = tape thickness
K = thermal conductivity, per unit volume
A = area comprising heat sink bottom/tape/SB (tape hanging over edge
doesn't count)
and theta = thermal resistance, degrees C/ watt, for example.

if you do the numbers, you will find that good old fashioned RTV
silicone will work just fine - "L" will be .001 inches or less, it
maintains adhesion over the temperature range, etc.

at that thickness & heat output, you would need some pretty
good measuring equipment to measure the temp. diff. between
RTV and the more expensive thermal adhesive & thermal tape.
 
Originally posted by: wwswimming
at that thickness & heat output, you would need some pretty
good measuring equipment to measure the temp. diff. between
RTV and the more expensive thermal adhesive & thermal tape.
Click to expand...

http://www.techwarelabs.com/reviews/cooling/thermal_paste/index_3.shtml

This test measures a difference of greater than 15 degrees C between generic silicone paste and a well known silver compound under load. A 25% difference. I could measure that with my finger, let alone pretty good measuring equipment, LOL.
 
Originally posted by: Atheus
You want my humble suggestion? Take the current heatsink off and clean the chip well, then cover *most* of it in a very thin layer of normal arctic silver, leaving a small corner (maybe 2 corners) completely clear. Then put a little superglue or thermal adhesive in the clean corner(s) and stick the new heatsink on. Make sure it makes good contact all the way round and is not just stuck to the glue bits and lightly touching elsewhere. Do not use too much adhesive or it will spread out under the pressure of you putting the heatsink on and you'll end up with it covering the whole underside of the chip - exactly what you don't want.

This should allow you to break the heatsink off with a bit of a twist and pull when you need to.
Click to expand...
Seconded, although my preferred adhesive for this sort of application is epoxy.

 
Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi
I was about to buy that Antec SpotCool fan, but I don't think I have space for it in my Shuttle.
Click to expand...

Bummer. 🙁

That being the case, are we to assume your motherboard doesn't have screw holes around the southbridge, and that's why you need to use a thermal taped cooler rather than one that mounts with screws? 'Cuz if your motherboard has mounting holes around the SB for a cooler, maybe something on this page would work for you?
 
Yeah, there aren't any mounting holes around the southbridge. The stock southbridge heatsink is on stuck on with some pink gunk.
 
So what secures it down onto the SB then?

Here's some thermal tape that might work for you (if the surface of your SB is plastic). And it looks like you can even request a sample on this page. I've never used this product, so I'm not endorsing it -- just lettin' you know it exists. It looks like it might be what you're looking for?

EDIT: Fixed second link.
 
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: wwswimming
at that thickness & heat output, you would need some pretty
good measuring equipment to measure the temp. diff. between
RTV and the more expensive thermal adhesive & thermal tape.
Click to expand...

http://www.techwarelabs.com/reviews/cooling/thermal_paste/index_3.shtml

This test measures a difference of greater than 15 degrees C between generic silicone paste and a well known silver compound under load. A 25% difference. I could measure that with my finger, let alone pretty good measuring equipment, LOL.
Click to expand...

that's for an Athlon CPU, the 462 pin version, not a southbridge.

depending on how it's OC'ed (or not), the CPU will generate 50-125 watts; the Southbridge, 5 watts - or less.

the article also doesn't say how thick the interface layer is.

.001 inches of RTV silicone with a K of .02 [ watts/in - degree C ] will perform similarly to .010 inches of thermal epoxy (for example, epoxy with an aluminum nitride or aluminum oxide filler) with a K of .2.

maybe a good subject for an Anandtech article.
 
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