Lesson learned with Arctic Silver 3!

[NokiaDude]

Well after several attemps at getting lower temperatures with my toasty roasty AMD "Thunderbird" 1.33Ghz with the sacred AJHYA stepping I learned the following. Artic Silver 3 ownz, it is the best thermal paste on the market. But it can easily be mis-judged by appling too much!!! Only a paper thin application is required to reach optimal temps during CPU operation. The first time I had applied AS3, I had thought a little AS3 had been smudged off the core when appying my huge Taisol heatsink. Well I was wrong, temps were at 55C under full load, safe but now the way I wanted it. So I cleaned up the previous application of AS3 and then applied a new layer of AS3 to my CPU. I had put too much, but hey, no one can have too much right? So I boot up into Windows XP to find that temps were @ 60C under full load and rising!! So I quickly shut off and took the heatsink off, to my belief there was way too much AS3. I wiped the AS3 off the base of the heatsink and smoothed out what was remaining on the core. I booted up and came into Windows XP with temps @ 51C under full load as I am talking. Perfect! Now hopefully after 72 hours of SoB my CPU should be running under 50C @ full load.

Nokiadude's Teaching: Apply only enough AS3 to make a paper thin layer between the heatsink and one's CPU core.

 

[SuperSix]

Originally posted by: NokiaDude
Well after several attemps at getting lower temperatures with my toasty roasty AMD "Thunderbird" 1.33Ghz with the sacred AJHYA stepping I learned the following. Artic Silver 3 ownz, it is the best thermal paste on the market. But it can easily be mis-judged by appling too much!!! Only a paper thin application is required to reach optimal temps during CPU operation. The first time I had applied AS3, I had thought a little AS3 had been smudged off the core when appying my huge Taisol heatsink. Well I was wrong, temps were at 55C under full load, safe but now the way I wanted it. So I cleaned up the previous application of AS3 and then applied a new layer of AS3 to my CPU. I had put too much, but hey, no one can have too much right? So I boot up into Windows XP to find that temps were @ 60C under full load and rising!! So I quickly shut off and took the heatsink off, to my belief there was way too much AS3. I wiped the AS3 off the base of the heatsink and smoothed out what was remaining on the core. I booted up and came into Windows XP with temps @ 51C under full load as I am talking. Perfect! Now hopefully after 72 hours of SoB my CPU should be running under 50C @ full load.

Nokiadude's Teaching: Apply only enough AS3 to make a paper thin layer between the heatsink and one's CPU core.

Correct - as indicated by the instructions.

(sorry, couldn't resist.)

 

[THUGSROOK]

well yea but some ppl just plain dont realize how thin, thin needs to be

we are talking paint thin here ~ just enough to color the core/heatspreader, no more.

 

[ChampionAtTufshop]

what i do:
put a little bead on hte core, take a plastic bag and put it over my finger and rub it out evenly
then i take wahtever residue is left on the bag to the base of the ehatsink where it will make contact and rub it in nicely

 

[caboob]

Originally posted by: ChampionAtTufshop
what i do:
put a little bead on hte core, take a plastic bag and put it over my finger and rub it out evenly
then i take wahtever residue is left on the bag to the base of the ehatsink where it will make contact and rub it in nicely

 

[Mangler]

nah, I just gobber a bunch out and let the hsf flatten it out for me...the more the better..

haha

j/k listen to the posts above!

 

[Malignant]

*takes notes*

 

[dripgoss]

I don't know why, but this post reminded of the guy on H who took his garden hose, sealed up his case with superglue and proceeded to fillup his case with water (hard drive and all) because he wanted a water cooled system! He was still alive to post about his mishap, so at least he had the smarts to not have the machine plugged in... talk about funny stuff! I could just see someone with a two-liter bottle full of AS3 trying to squirt it all inside their case!! haa

Sorry, it just brought to me a fresh chuckle and I had to share..

Great suggestions guys!

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: dripgoss
I don't know why, but this post reminded of the guy on H who took his garden hose, sealed up his case with superglue and proceeded to fillup his case with water (hard drive and all) because he wanted a water cooled system! He was still alive to post about his mishap, so at least he had the smarts to not have the machine plugged in... talk about funny stuff! I could just see someone with a two-liter bottle full of AS3 trying to squirt it all inside their case!! haa

Sorry, it just brought to me a fresh chuckle and I had to share..

Great suggestions guys!

It was a joke, he didn't really do it, but it's amazing how many people bought into it

 

[KF]

>put a little bead on hte core, take a plastic bag and put it over my finger and rub it out evenly

Recently, I used the plastic wrap technique. It seems to get an even coat on thinner then by using a credit card.

Since I have taken the HS off and on quite a few times in the last several weeks, it is very obvious that the AS mostly squeezes out in a few days, and the coating left is very easy to see through. I wouldn't dare try using that amount to start with. You couldn't tell whether you really had any on. I think the idea of AS is that it is thick to start, so you don't squeeze it all out by the time you wrestle the HS on. Over time it oozes out to form a thin coating.

 

[MrCraphead]

Hmmm, I don't doubt that a paper thin amount of AS3 is all you need, but I don't think putting on an excessive amount will affect the CPU temperature to that degree. The sheer weight and pressure of the heatsink being attached to the motherboard will most definitely spread the AS3 out into a thin coating.

While I was reading your problem, I attributed the increase in your CPU temperature to an improperly mounted heatsink? I don't think applying an excessive amount of AS3 will cause the CPU temp to raise to 60C and continue rising.

I don't mean to be an ass, just making an observation. You're making a causation out of an incident, when it very well could be merely a correlation.

Anyway, I could be completely off, oh well. Just wanted to voice what was on my mind. But yes, I agree, only a paper thin layer is enough. ;p

 

[THUGSROOK]

Originally posted by: MrCraphead
Hmmm, I don't doubt that a paper thin amount of AS3 is all you need, but I don't think putting on an excessive amount will affect the CPU temperature to that degree.

nope ~ too much AS can cost you 4-6*C in many cases :Q

 

[zettler]

Originally posted by: THUGSROOK
well yea but some ppl just plain dont realize how thin, thin needs to be

we are talking paint thin here ~ just enough to color the core/heatspreader, no more.

Jeez!

I just built my second system and put so much AS3 on the Athlon that it squirted my son in the eye like a grapefruit when we clamped the HS on it!
.
.
.
.
Not really squirted but we did put a glob on. My average temps run around 96 to 98 degrees F. I just hate to take the SLK-800 off, as it took a number of tries to clip it on. And it sure felt tight!!

Your never too old to learn.

 

[clicknext]

Originally posted by: caboob

Originally posted by: ChampionAtTufshop
what i do:
put a little bead on hte core, take a plastic bag and put it over my finger and rub it out evenly
then i take wahtever residue is left on the bag to the base of the ehatsink where it will make contact and rub it in nicely

 

[Baileybbk]

Anybody every try Nanotherm XTC? I've read that this is even better then AS3.

 

[ChampionAtTufshop]

i have some thermagic here as well
havnt tried it out yet (on this computer i have built i have an aluminum heatsnik....and i heard thermagic + bare aluminum = no no so im not going to try it lol

plus i got this installation of as2 and heatsink right on the money (35C idle, 42ish load) with a swiftech mc370-oa and pabst 60mm fan
...i shoulda done something about the northbridge, but oh well heh
its not MY computer

//edit
nwe idle temp, 29C !
...which makes me think somethings up with this a7n8x lol

nope, jst chekced with a couple other apps
...its lower than my mobo (which is 32C lol)
wowzaz

 

[MrCraphead]

Originally posted by: THUGSROOK

Originally posted by: MrCraphead
Hmmm, I don't doubt that a paper thin amount of AS3 is all you need, but I don't think putting on an excessive amount will affect the CPU temperature to that degree.

nope ~ too much AS can cost you 4-6*C in many cases :Q

really? do you have any tests or test results that can prove it? Just asking for legitimate evidence, not trying to be an asshole. I suppose I should try it myself........hmmmm.........

 

[THUGSROOK]

no sorry ~ its not one of those "i have proof positive!" statements, just something that ive seen.....

another reason to use as little as possible is that p4 heatspreaders can easily become stuck to the HSF (like a muddy suction effect) and will rip the cpu out of the socket when trying to remove the HSF :Q
using less minimizes that potential hazzard for ppl that swap out cpus rather often.

....thats really how i started realizing my temps were much lower using less.

 

[Mikki]

Originally posted by: MrCraphead

Originally posted by: THUGSROOK

Originally posted by: MrCraphead
Hmmm, I don't doubt that a paper thin amount of AS3 is all you need, but I don't think putting on an excessive amount will affect the CPU temperature to that degree.

nope ~ too much AS can cost you 4-6*C in many cases :Q

really? do you have any tests or test results that can prove it? Just asking for legitimate evidence, not trying to be an asshole. I suppose I should try it myself........hmmmm.........

Consider it verified...the temp difference was 5c. Paper-thin folks....

edit: What a lot of folks fail to realize is this stuff is supposed to aid in the fast transfer of heat from the heat spreader to the heat sink, it's just supposed to fill all the microscopic crevices in order to get the best heat transfer possible...

 

[FluxCap]

Well, I applied my first AS3 last night and man did I have a time deciding if I put too much or not. Does paper thin look "splotchy" like a really fast application of paint on a wall with a roller?? Or should you not be able to see any of the metal color underneath? Also, do you really rub it to the very edges of the chip? I am holding at 53 after intense gaming of over an hour so not sure if I need to do it again. My heatsink/fan is really generic so that could be part of the reason I am not below 50 like I want on full load.

Add: Does AS3 or any of the AS products really "work" themselves in and get slightly cooler after a few days? (if properly put on I assume) Is it really possibly with no case fans, old case with not much airflow(besides the sides being off) to overlock a 1700+? I realize it probably won't happen with this generic setup I have and I intend to get a slk800 but I was just wondering.

 

[Smilin]

Yes they do work themselves in so to speak. AS3 will actually "cure" over about 3 days. There are some very specific instructions on how to use it on their website.

People swear by AS3 and I think it's good stuff too but just remember it does NOT transfer heat as well as the heatsink itself. The idea is to get the heatsink flatly touching that core/spreader. The as3 is just to fill in the pores and machining groves in the heatsink and cpu.

I rub it into both the heatsink and cpu and then scrape it off with a credit card. Whatever is left is enough generally.

 

[FluxCap]

Thanks Smilin. By what you said I wonder if I actually put too much on. It was somewhat "caked" in spots. Kinda like the look over the older sytle ceilings with the little bumps (if you know what I am talking about). I guess it will be a learning process for me. I will see how the temps report after 3 or 4 more days and then with a few hours of Prime95 and then pull the heatsink off to see how much squirted out.

 

[THUGSROOK]

"caked" doesnt sound right.

"barely covering it" would be a better discription

 

[eklass]

i've got as3 between my volcano9 and my tbred 2000 and when my comp crashes (Due to overheating crap geforce2 mx) i drop into the bios and temps are right at 42C

i never followed any damn instructions.. i just put a bead on the core and spred it out with a business card or something... stick on the hsf and off you go!

 

[THUGSROOK]

the "open core" cpus wont be as effected by too much A.S. as a p4 w/heatspreader will.

the heatspreader is pretty big and too much A.S. can create a hydroplaning effect.
(not to mention the removal hazard)