Originally posted by: Sekkai
Interesting... I'll have to look into those pastes.
That was an extremely detailed reply... thank you so much. Unfortunately now I feel like I have to start buying more stuff (I need to somehow remove the AS5 on the heatsink/possibly get some Yate Loons/reorganize the orientation of my heatsink/get new compound).
you are welcome. as for buying better fans, what are you using now, it might be just fine. i got the yates cause they are cheap and quiet, and i was already using all the nexus fans my step dad gave me in my 690
What do you think of OCZ Freeze?
i have heard mixed reviews about it. some places say it is great, others say that AS5 is better. the one thing i do know about it is that it is less viscous than AS5, and it is a very good TIM either way, which puts it in the category of worth a shot. however, if you dont already have any, try tuniq TX-3. im using TX-2 with the best results of everything i tested (AS5, Chillfactor 1 and 2, the goop that came with the megahalems, and TX-2, and TX-3 is an improved formula over it, for a reasonable price
I also don't know what you mean by bottoming out the bolts, but I tightened everything as hard as I could.
this is exactly what i mean. tightening the screws until you cant tighten them any more. make sure you use a PH-2 (phillips head size 2) screwdriver with good grip and a firm press so as to not strip the screw when turning it. some computer kits come with one that is supposed to be PH-2, but it is really about a 1.9, and i have stripped many screws with these off size screwdrivers. if it isnt snug, dont use it, and turn it until it physically stops turning, you wont strip the socket. i used an extended bit with an electric drill to mount mine lmao
Right now I've got a Slipstream and a Kaze-something push-pulling through my vertically-mounted Megahalem. Thanks for that insight about the vertical orientation, btw. All over Google, people had said the vertical orient was better, but your graphics-card heat argument makes a lot more sense to me. I figure that heat is far worse than the offset from convection.
make sure your fans both have roughly the same CFM or it can result in weird results in temperatures depending on the design of the cooler. if the fans are to far apart in CFM it can even result in the fans working against each other. if you must use 2 different speed fans, try to get them as close together as possible in CFM, and put the one with the higher CFM in pull, so as to pull extra air in from places the pushing fan may not be blowing air in from. as the megahalems is split down the center, this leaves a large gap in which a fan in pull could take air in onto the fins, that the fan in push may not achieve on its own. this will also pull air through tight areas in the metal and improve over all performance, though it is preferable in my experience to match your fans
Also, wow 4.2 Ghz and still sub-70 under load? Jealous 🙁
my ambient when i test are around 68f since i test at night with the window open. if i test during the day, heat builds up in my room and my temps skyrocket, giving me funky results. given, the only time they even go this high is when im testing, but its better to get reproducible results in a nonstandard operational environment than to have your temps fly all over in a hot room with constantly rising ambient air temps past 80f. welcome to sunny california
Will I be able to take off the Megahalem/reapply paste/reorient it/etc without taking out my mobo again?
YES, this is one of the many great things about the megahalems mounting bracket, besides being extremely easy to pressure mod, and even easier to install. once the screws are holding the back plate in place, all you need do is remove the cooler retention bar, and move the supporting bars from a left to right orientation for vertical mounting, to a top to bottom orientation, for horizontal mounting.
