Phase change pads..where to get 'em?

[MDesigner]

OK, I'm dumping Artic Silver III as my cooling solution (especially since I don't overclock). I read some really convincing articles from some hardware/CPU gurus.. they found problems with thermal compounds (Arctic Silver and others), some of which go over my head. But one of the issues is that the constant pressure of the CPU die against the heatsink presses the thermal compound out the sides, and so it's not really doing a good job of cooling anymore.

Now I'm not sure how accurate that info is.. I wish I had a link to the article handy. Anyway, I'm now hearing that unless you're overclocking, phase change thermal pads are the best way to go for AMD CPUs. Where can I get these, if I don't buy an AMD retail box?

Thanks.

 

[mechBgon]

I emailed AMD to ask them that, once. They told me, but it's been a long time and I don't remember anymore, so you might email them and ask.

 

[Jhhnn]

Get free samples from www.chomerics.com.

 

[Lord Evermore]

If your system is turned on and off a lot, then compounds might be squeezed out. But if it's always on and not changing temperature much, it's probably not going to be an issue. Certainly it's not going to result in sudden failure of the cooling setup, and unless it's been in place a very long time, a significant change in cooling capacity is more likely due to some other issue.

http://www.atexelectronics.com/GC.htm#44 --- Type 44 compound (at the bottom) is apparently quite good and good for long term use. Directron also sells small packets of it or a large 2.5oz tube. http://www.directron.com/ther.html

 

[Bleep]

someone seems to misunderstood what the thermal coumpound does. It is not ment to be a pad that protects the cpu from the hsf pressure.
sure it squeezes out, there is only supposed to be enough to fill the imprefections in the mating surfaces causing a complete contact between the hsf and the cpu. If both surfaces were perfectly flat and true giving 100% contact you would not need anything.

Bleep

 

[Lord Evermore]

Yeah but AMD claims and has lots of backup data that compounds will still be squeezed out over a long period, even from the imperfections that are meant to be filled and wouldn't be necessarily squeezed closed due to heat expansion. I personally would think there's a limit to how much squeezing can push out, and I'm not exactly rushing to change out my AS3 in every place I use it. Anybody who's likely to change their heatsink within once a year is probably pretty safe.

 

[0roo0roo]

http://www.dansdata.com/powerdev.htm

 

[redhatlinux]

I e-mailed AMD quite a while back regarding PCTC. Chomerics T75 ?? was one of the recommended pads. The original pad is fused to the hsf, i think the replacements are fused to a foil backing which you 'stick' to the hsf. High temps and high pressure will dry out many silicone based thermal greases, thats the claim to fame of PCTC, Chomerics has a write up on their site.