HELP!!! Artic Silver with Alpha

[jebus]

OK, here's the newest news on my ever pursuit to achieve 1 GHz with my Duron 600.

I bought the Artic Silver after reading and hearing all the good news of bringing the temperature down at least 4-7 degrees. I just received it yesterday, and that's when all the trouble started (wonder if it's related to the date?)

Before with the Alpha and the goop that came with it, I was averaging around 44-48C. Pretty good since before it went all the way up to 54C. I didn't do anything, just doesn't go up that high anymore. Probably because these days weren't as hot as before, and I wasn't encoding DiVX.

Very excited with receiving my Artic Silver, I took off my Alpha, and wiped it clean with alcohol. Then took out my Duron from it's socket and proceeded to clean it up with alcohol also. After getting it as clean as possible (there was still gunk on the sides of the core and a few spots around the chip), I applied the Artic on it.

The tube of Artic was so difficult to press. Unlike the cheap generic goop that came with the Alpha, I had to press down hard on the tube. And even pressing hard, it was still difficult. Only after pressing on it very hard did it finally burst out.. and burst out too much that I end up wasting most of it. Does anyone else have this problem with their tube or am I just unlucky?

So I applied a generous helping (since it just bursted out.. didn't know it would be so much) and started to make it flat with my plastic knife. All the extra goop I wipped it off with a napkin. The resulting layer wasn't very thin, but wasn't very thick either.. something in between.

So I put my CPU back into it's socket, put the Alpha back on and booted up. I went into the KT7's BIOS and checked out the temperature. 39C, 40C, 45C, 48C, 49C, 50C, ... WHAT!!! I quickly turned my computer off. After waiting a few minutes to cool down, I tried it again. This time, my computer boots up and tells me a BIOS check sum error. Please insert boot disk. WAHT!!!

Well to make a long story short (sorry about the long intro), I reapplied Artic again, but with a thin layer, but the same results. After I applied my generic goop and everything worked back to normal. However the temperature is now not even close to my original. Instead it goes to 50C and continues on.

What did I do wrong? I followed all the steps in applying Artic Silver. Could it be that I have to completely clean all traces of goop from the CPU? I already chipped my core (two corner edges) doing that before so I'm scared of trying to clean everything and chipping more off the core. Does chipping the core destroy the CPU? Perhaps I should repencil the L1 bridges?

All help, suggestions needed and appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Mikewarrior2]

How did you chip your core?

 

[jebus]

I guess I was wipping too hard.. other than that, no idea.

 

[Mikewarrior2]

What mb? Also, did you move the thermistor underneath the socket at all? Even moving it a little bit will throw temp readings off.


Mike

 

[han888]

artic silver? all the site review the artic silver is bullshit! i just have one 2 days ago, and apply it into my system, and nothing different!

 

[TuffGuy]

worked fine for me. dropped my temp by 3c. but then again so many factors can be factored in that the exact effect of the paste can never be 'truly' determined. thickness of the layer applied, pressure of the heatsink on the cpu, etc. maybe your clip was a little looser when you put the heatsink on again? maybe the layer was too thick? or maybe your setup was perfect before and there's no more room for improvement. who knows...

it is ridiculously expensive though...

 

[Mikewarrior2]

I got my first tube onto almost 40 applications, so it isn't that expensive for the quality of grease you get.

As always, you get what you pay for. I have seen the temps drop on every single system I have put it on. I really don't understand all the application problems, personally.


Mike

 

[TuffGuy]

you're totally right, and i have never regretted buying it.

 

[jebus]

I definitely regret buying this, along with my Alpha. I got equal and stable performance with the HSF that came with the Duron fan. Right now I gave up on this crap and am using the generic compound that came with the Alpha.

 

[Mikewarrior2]

calling Artic silver crap is plain wrong. YOu are using a socket A motherboard which has immeasurably horrible temp reading. The fact that moving the thermistor while you were moving/reinstalling the cpu could have altered temperature greatly. It has nothing to do with artic silver being a bad grease.

When using internal diode readings, on the same cpu(to elimiate diode to diode variables), i have seen a temp drop on the following heatsinks. Taisol SocketA(on a p3), Golden ORb, 2 Generic Heatsinks, A pal6035, a PEP66. I have seen it work on countless other systems, ranging from Celeron 366s to p3-450's at 600 to even some socket A systems.

Might I add that chipping the core removes that much more of an already very limited heat contact surface. Say you chip just a smidgen. That may mean your surface area for heatsink contact would be only 95% of what it used to be(resulting in warmer cpu temps).


Mike

 

[Packet]

It has worked great for me as well, 7c under load

not bad for $13.

I used a very thin layer, rather than a in between. From what I hear, putting a dab in the middle and letting the heatsink flatten it out works pretty well too.

 

[Gametime69]

A little off topic but close enough... I was wondering for the alpha heatsink for a thunderbird or duron is a copper spacer needed or highly recommended? I have the Artic silver but no the cpu yet and wondering if the spacer is needed. I mean on diffrent sights they have "copper spacer" for the thunderbird or duron.

 

[jebus]

Mike, I understand your concern over the inaccuracies of the temperature readings. I've read your posts on this topic many times in the past over other threads. I personally do not care about it. All I wish is for my CPU to perform it's best, or at least to what it was before. If previously I could get 968 with everything perfect around temp 44-48C using generic compound, then all of a sudden everything stops when I apply AS, I HAVE TO assume it's AS that caused it. I did not change anything else, did not touch anything else. Then when I revert back to my generic compound, everything works again, albeit higher in temp, wouldn't that confirm my assumption?

Well I have given up on AS. I even tried AS on my other new Duron CPU and that still didn't work. This time I tried applying a thin layer, but still no good. So I've resulted back to my generic compound, and wishing I had never bought AS nor the Alpha fan, wasting over $40.

 

[Mikewarrior2]

What that confirms for me is that you are doing something wrong.

Why almost everyone else has no problems with it and you have issues is beyond me. Again, for you to call it junk is complete crap.


Mike

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Also,

did you ever check to make sure you got a pal with a SOCKET A COMPLIANT clip. NO, the one 3dfxcool sells is not socket A compliant no matter what 3dfxcool says. It does not provide enough pressure to compress the pads to allow proper contact between heatsink and cpu. Without this, artic silver isn't going to work effective, nor is any grease gonna work effectively.


Mike

 

[Bad Dude]

Hey Jebus,
If you don't want the arctic silver anymore, would you consider selling the tube to me? How much do you have left in the tube?
Please email me if you want to sell.

 

[jebus]

Mike, I'm not trying to have an argument with you. Can I not have my own opinion? Is it against the law for me to think crap of it? I'm not trying to change your mind, I'm just stating what I think of the product.. is free speech against the law here on the boards? can we not live in peace with different opinions? as long as i'm not doing any harm to you or anyone else on this board, I don't see why I can't voice my own opinion.

I admit I don't know what I'm doing. If I did, I wouldn't have posted this question in the first place. The only reason why I posted a question is to seek help. I love these boards because people always help each other for the general good. Instead of criticizing my opinions, why not help me out? By helping me out and solving the problem, I will naturally tend to agree with you that this product is the best, not to mention think highly of you for your assitance. So why instead are you criticizing my opinions? I never did anything to you, so why are you doing this to me?


bad, Since everyone thinks I applied it wrong, I will try it again. If nothing goes right, then I will send you an email. It is still completely new with at least 90% or more left. I'm also willing to sell my Alpha with Sunon fan if you would like that also. Once again, completely new except with a few days of use.

 

[Bad Dude]

This post is just too sensitive for me guys
I am out of here now.