Should I use CLP/CLU between IHS and cooler?

[freinando]

Hi, wondering if this will help lower my temps. 4770k and h110, im not planning to delid. I will use the thermal paste between the ihs and the h110 copper surface. What product you gyus recommend liquid pro or liquid ultra? Is it safe? Thx

 

[caution]

Hello there

There are at least three good threads around for you to check, but first of all: are you going to overclock a lot?

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Doesn't matter what you use. Liquid pro and ultra are quite liquidy though. The stock paste should be fine.

 

[freinando]

Im currently at 4.4ghz 1.26v. I would use it just lo lower the temps a bit if it helps. Although @yamamoto says it wouldnt matter so now im confused.

 

[EliteRetard]

Im currently at 4.4ghz 1.26v. I would use it just lo lower the temps a bit if it helps. Although @yamamoto says it wouldnt matter so now im confused.

The limiting factor is the heat transfer between the die and IHS. Almost any decent cheap paste will be as good or better than that connection so it doesn't really matter how much better other pastes are, they will waiting for the IHS to do it's job. If Intel had better manufacturing on these chips then a high end paste may be useful, but currently the IHS has gaps over the chip and lower quality TIM inside. Even sanding/polishing the IHS doesn't change the issues inside...really the only way to "fix" this is to delid it.

So basically there's only two ways to lower temps once you have a decent cooler, that's to lower your voltage/clocks or delid. Otherwise you are stuck with the temps you got.

Unless you want to brute force it with dry ice, phase change, etc.

 

[caution]

The stock H110' paste is quite decent.

Noctua NT-H1 or Prolimatech PK-1 might get you two degrees below - but would that make a difference? I doubt it.




edit: +1 @ EliteRetard

 

[xeledon20005]

The stock paste is really quite good I have h80i. It is the same shit on the h110, if you really want that lower temp you will have to delid.

 

[Concillian]

I wouldn't use the liquid options unless the surfaces are very smooth. Lap both and the liquids should be better, but if there are significant imperfections, then regular paste is better, IMO.

Given the amount of gain is small compared to the work put in, I'd just use paste. My de-lidded IB and soon my Haswell will use Liquid on silicon to IHS, but Noctua paste from IHS to HSF.

 

[freinando]

Thanks for the input!

 

[Idontcare]

CLU/CLP and IC Diamond will all stain the CPU's IHS which then invalidates your warranty (even the performance tuning warranty) so don't use those TIMs if you wish to retain the option of RMA'ing your processor at some point in the future.

A modern paste-TIM like NT-H1 or MX4 will accomplish nearly the same cooling results without disfiguring your CPU's IHS markings, so may as well go with one of them.