Interesting ASII problem, and I did it right

[teddymines]

When I put together my comp 7 months ago, I put on the ASII compound exactly according to the directions that came with the tube. A few days ago, it was really warms outside and my computer room was around 85F, and I started getting stability problems. MBM said my core temp was 60C at idle...ouch.

I took the machine apart last night and noticed the ASII was pretty much dried up and not uniformly covering the core! So I cleaned with goof-off, and then reapplied it with a thin layer on the sk-6 and a thin layer on the core (spread evenly with a razor). Initial tests show idle temp around 40C, and prime95 pushes it to 50C.

I bought ASII because I heard good things about it, but am wondering if heat and high airflow dry it out over time. Could it also be that the sk-6 is copper and absorbs the ASII? Has anyone else seen this problem?

 

[Witchfinder]

AMD claim that heating and cooling of the die forces thin compounds like ASII out to the edges resulting in a loss of cooling properties near the centre of the core, Hence they recommend using a Pink pad of death instead - now as we all know, the PPOD has the heat transfer properties of an old innertube and is NOT the best way to make the most of your new Heatsink.. I personally think that the AMD theory though probably not total bunkum is just THEM erring on the safe side of overcaution..

AS claim that over a period of 72 On-Hours their Silver-II /III improves thermal conductvity though I`ve used it many times and only have ever noticed the temps RISE by 1 or 2 degrees rather than lower..

AS`s site`s instructions say to do the thin-layer Razor trick on the CPU, the HS itself just needs rubbing with the stuff with your finger in a bag and cleaning off with a lint-free rag - they also say that AS never dries out unlike some of the silicone compounds which DO

 

[mindslash]

<AMD claim that heating and cooling of the die forces thin compounds like ASII out to the edges resulting in a loss of cooling properties near the centre of the core, Hence they recommend using a Pink pad of death instead - now as we all know, the PPOD has the heat transfer properties of an old innertube and is NOT the best way to make the most of your new Heatsink.. I personally think that the AMD theory though probably not total bunkum is just THEM erring on the safe side of overcaution..>

Or if you are a conspiracy theorist, then it IS bunkum, and they want us to fry our chips (if oc'd) and be forced to buy new ones 😛

 

[SuperPickle]

teddymines,
Two things. First, did you disturb your SK-6 at all along with the rise in room temp? I have seen temp increases of a few degrees if I mess with the HSF after the ACII has 'settled'. I usually reapply, and reseat then, mostly 'cause I have nothing better to do. When I take the HSF off, there does seem to have a sort of 'foil' layer and I can always read the CPU markings on my HS.

Second, ambiant temp affects CPU temps greatly. A few months ago, here in the midwest, our appartment was always kept colder than most people like. I could run SETI all day@1.61GHz at temps sub-40ºC. Tuesday, it got into the mid 90's F and I was running idle@1.33 and my temp was 42ºC (including HS disturbance).

Hot in the room means hot in the box means hot in the chip.

 

[duuuma]

what if I didn't wipe off all of the ASII on the heatsink? I used a paper towel and just wiped it down a few times....I didn't realize that it works like waxing a car...that I'd have to wipe it until it was gone.

what might happen? I just installed a new cpu and volcano6cu tonight.

 

[teddymines]

The sk-6 has not been disturbed from day one. I have MBM tell me the temps in the system tray, but I don't watch them like a hawk. This particularly hot day made my system unstable and when I thought of heat, I noticed 60C temps.

My guess is that the instructions that come with ASII don't apply fully to T-birds. I did the finger in the bag and razor thin layer thing and the heat cooked what little ASII was there. I put a thin layer on the sk-6 and a thin layer on the core and it looks better now.

On the side, I have 2 intake fans (12v and 6v) and 1 12v outtake fan in addition to the psu fan. I ducted one of the 6v intake fans directly onto the hsf, and have noticed the temps dropped a few degrees.