GPU Thermal Paste Roundup - Xbitlabs - Arctic Silver 5 you are way past your prime!

[RussianSensation]

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/thermal-interface-roundup-1_12.html#sect0

If we discount TG-2 as an outlier, there is about a 6*C differential between the common AS5 and the more modern Tuniq TX-3/4 thermal pastes. That's a lot of difference for thermal paste alone. :thumbsup:

 

[smakme7757]

I use Noctua NT-H1 which isn't listed there (unless i missed it) it seems to work well. Interesting to note that the newer compounds are the way to go and AS5 is showing its age. I appreciate the information!

 

[Aristotelian]

Interesting results. I wonder why they didn't include pastes such as the one smakme7757 mentioned, and say, IC Diamond stuff.

 

[fffblackmage]

Doesn't AS5 have a longer break-in period than just 1 hour?

 

[Soccerman06]

Doesn't AS5 have a longer break-in period than just 1 hour?

I thought it was 200 hr cure time.

 

[dawp]

Indigo Xtreme isn't listed either. bit of a pain to apply but it seems to beat all else:

http://skinneelabs.com/indigo-xtreme/3/

and it's a bit more expensive, $20 for 2 applications.

 

[RussianSensation]

It's true that they should have included IC Diamond among some others. At least I hope some people who are running GTX480 or other hot videocards may consider this fairly inexpensive method to improve their temps.

 

[Aristotelian]

I'm breaking in my new build (EVGA 580 SC SLI) and the overclocking on the cards is a breeze, but the cooling on the top card is significantly impaired by the presence of the card beneath it. I am actually considering trying to trade mine for the watercooling versions and just building a watercooling setup for the cards (and then reusing that setup for future gpus that include waterblocks).

In the meantime, I wonder if it's worth it to use some of my IC paste on these cards to see if there's a difference. I get a small number of artifacts at 900Mhz core (stock voltage), 1 artifact using EVGA's oc scanner with 3 hours of use, and the temperature on the top card hits around 87C at peak, with the bottom card being a whopping 14 degrees cooler.

 

[Krynj]

I use Noctua NT-H1 which isn't listed there (unless i missed it) it seems to work well. Interesting to note that the newer compounds are the way to go and AS5 is showing its age. I appreciate the information!

Same. I used AS5 for about a week and wasn't satisfied with the temps. Then I decided to apply the NT-H1 that came with my NH-D14, and temps were much lower. I was pleased.

 

[CitanUzuki]

Aristotelian, the stock paste on the 580's is really good. I believe it's shin etsu x23, which is about as good as it gets without going liquid metal. I've changed mine to IC with multiple mounts and saw little to no difference(keeping tight control of ambients, fan speed, load times). I would say the only reason to change would be if you think one of the mounts is bad.

 

[Aristotelian]

Thanks CitanUzuki (it's always nice to see a Xenogears reference, I'll probably replay that sometime soon). I don't think that the mounts are bad, it's just that my top card is significantly warmer than the bottom card (and thus limits my overclocking potential, I'd say).

I saw pictures of your setup, by the way, and your case is much sexier than my haf-x. How are the temps on your cards?

Since Corsair are providing self-contained watercooling setups for CPUs, I wonder how far away we are from finding self-contained GPU watercooling setups like that.

I'm happy with my build, but part of me wishes I had gone for two of those single slot watercooled gtx 580s. Or maybe I have upgradeitus now.

 

[aigomorla]

meh

lemme say it once and once again.

The difference in paste is 75% traced to its application.

Meaning, the way you apply the paste can greatly affect its performance more so then the type of paste.

That being said go with whatever YOU ARE MOST COMFORTABLE with.
If AS5 is a habit, keep using AS5.

i personally use MX-2, not MX-3 or TQ.
Why? cuz its the easiest for me to apply.
I always get the most consistent mounts with it, and it lasts a while and u can buy them in 20g tubes.

True its not the best, but im the most comfortable with it.

So use WHAT your comfortable with the most b4 u go after the best.

 

[Castiel]

No MX-4 in the review? Its all i use

 

[Zap]

AS5 is showing its age.

A decade from now people will still be posting "I hear AS5 is the best..."

my top card is significantly warmer than the bottom card

That is normal in an SLI configuration. The top card not only does more work than the bottom card (by a hair?) it also sucks in warm air from the bottom card as well as not having as much airflow.

You can probably decrease temperatures below what different thermal compound would give you just by sticking an extra fan somewhere next to the cards, blowing on them to force more air between them.

Since Corsair are providing self-contained watercooling setups for CPUs, I wonder how far away we are from finding self-contained GPU watercooling setups like that.

CoolIt Omni ALC

maybe I have upgradeitus now.

I think it is a common affliction. I may have come down with a case of it recently.

The difference in paste is 75% traced to its application.

Meaning, the way you apply the paste can greatly affect its performance more so then the type of paste.

I think HardOCP's most recent TIM roundup tried different methods of application and did see measurable changes in results.

i personally use MX-2, not MX-3 or TQ.
Why? cuz its the easiest for me to apply.
I always get the most consistent mounts with it, and it lasts a while and u can buy them in 20g tubes.

I also have my "favorite" due to ease of application, ease of cleanup and cost. Mine is Arctic Alumina.

 

[aigomorla]

The top card not only does more work than the bottom card (by a hair?) it also sucks in warm air from the bottom card as well as not having as much airflow.

My top card idles much colder then my bottom card of a much lower class. :\

ahhaha... sorry zap.. call it a habit.
You can probably tell what isnt watercooled huh?


But yeah zap is correct, the top card does tad bit more work cuz it does display.

I also have my "favorite" due to ease of application, ease of cleanup and cost. Mine is Arctic Alumina.

:O blasphemy!

not Ceramic?
I still use AS Ceramic... the white stuff... i use it on my TEC's.

 

[CitanUzuki]

Thanks CitanUzuki (it's always nice to see a Xenogears reference, I'll probably replay that sometime soon). I don't think that the mounts are bad, it's just that my top card is significantly warmer than the bottom card (and thus limits my overclocking potential, I'd say).

I saw pictures of your setup, by the way, and your case is much sexier than my haf-x. How are the temps on your cards?

Since Corsair are providing self-contained watercooling setups for CPUs, I wonder how far away we are from finding self-contained GPU watercooling setups like that.

I'm happy with my build, but part of me wishes I had gone for two of those single slot watercooled gtx 580s. Or maybe I have upgradeitus now.

Always great to find a Xenogears fan(there are so few!).

My temps are pretty good. Not a huge drop from my other case as it had two 120mm fans at the intake blowing directly across the cards(HD caddy removed). The main difference is that they do stay around the same temp as one another, but I never had a 14C delta.

I was thinking of doing a mod like this before I switched cases.
http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.aspx?m...igh=bracket+mo
Might help with the temp disparity.

87C really isn't that high though, I think you may have just hit the OC limit with that card. Do you still get the artifacts with the cards at 100% fan speed?

 

[Howard]

Always great to find a Xenogears fan(there are so few!).

My temps are pretty good. Not a huge drop from my other case as it had two 120mm fans at the intake blowing directly across the cards(HD caddy removed). The main difference is that they do stay around the same temp as one another, but I never had a 14C delta.

I was thinking of doing a mod like this before I switched cases.
http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.aspx?m...igh=bracket+mo
Might help with the temp disparity.

87C really isn't that high though, I think you may have just hit the OC limit with that card. Do you still get the artifacts with the cards at 100% fan speed?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDFKkDOiVAU

 

[Blain]

Interesting results. I wonder why they didn't include pastes such as...

It's common practice among reviewers NOT to conduct exhaustive comparisons.
It's sad, but it's the world we live in. :\

 

[Zap]

:O blasphemy!

not Ceramic?
I still use AS Ceramic... the white stuff... i use it on my TEC's.

Arctic Alumina is also white stuff, but thinner than Ceramique so easier to apply and easier to clean up. Oh yeah, cheaper too. Both are made by Arctic Silver (the company).

 

[Termie]

I didn't realize AS5 was so far behind. Apparently this is nothing new, because a number of reviews had found this to be true previously.

Here's a review of the Gelid Extreme: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gelid_Solutions/GC-Extreme/4.html

Here's another: http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/28...eme_cutting_edge_thermal_compound/index5.html

The second review also includes the Noctua grease a number of you have mentioned. Looks like Noctua is about equivalent to Arctic MX-2, so it's good but wouldn't be at the top of xbit's chart.