what's the best thermal compund?
- Thread starter techronin
- Start date
nanotherm pcm+ has been rated the highest. however nothing wrong with the AC3. Also ceramique dosn't conduct ellectricity however its not as good as the other compounds.
Shin etsu has been shown to be the best. But some Caveats it is extremely hard to work with. It will come out of the syringe watery and you need to work it into a clay to use it; and it is very sticky.
I ordered mine from Taisol and got a patch of the Shin etsu to try and I am glad I did. The patch was enough to cover one Barton and one XP. It was much easier using the patch than out of the tube. The temperature drop I got over the AS3 was 2C with an AMD Barton at 12@205 at 1.92 Volts with and SLK 800 and Toranado 80mm fan. Anyway just a heads up that if you can order both; get the patch to try.
I ordered mine from Taisol and got a patch of the Shin etsu to try and I am glad I did. The patch was enough to cover one Barton and one XP. It was much easier using the patch than out of the tube. The temperature drop I got over the AS3 was 2C with an AMD Barton at 12@205 at 1.92 Volts with and SLK 800 and Toranado 80mm fan. Anyway just a heads up that if you can order both; get the patch to try.
I am not an overclocker but I have used a metallic based automotive anti-seize compound which works better than those thermal pads ( take a look here for several types - http://www.mscdirect.com/PDF/PDF02/2815.pdf - maybe the food grade stuff is non-conductive ) . I used the copper containing past from NAPA which was about $6.00 for 4 oz bottle with brush ( about a lifetime supply for me ) . I is conductive so you you have to use it sparingly in the same careful manner as arctic silver.
Jeff7181
Lifer
- Aug 21, 2002
- 18,368
- 11
- 81
That doesn't sound like a good idea... that stuff separates very quickly. I've used 4-5 different kinds of automotive anti-seize compounds, and they all separate quite a bit after even a week. Also, that's designed to be put on the threads of a nut or bolt, where tolerances are greater, and somewhat larger or more abrasive particles aren't a concern. It's also a bitch to clean up... worse than AS3 if you were to get it on your hands.
Texun
Platinum Member
- Oct 21, 2001
- 2,058
- 1
- 81
I had read some months ago (haven't a clue now where it was) that the nanotherm, while performing better than AS, did have a problem with drying up over time. Not sure how much time but it was enough for one site to pull the product.
Anyone else hear of this??????
- Aug 22, 2001
- 31,102
- 29,356
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The coolermaster premium works just as well as the shin-etsu as I've used both extensively now. I'm currently evaluating Ceramique and the only test left is longevity which will be months before completed 
Other than longevity it is providing the exact same temps as the Coolermaster premium did in the exact same system with the exact same room temps after 1 week of use. In fact the only variable in the test so far has been the compound used so it's a pretty well controlled experiment me thinks.
Are my temp readings somewhat inaccurate, yes more than likely, but since the same method of measuring the core and die temps is being used it should provide consistant data. The Ceramique is very elastic and sticky, and during my first test I attempted to wipe it off the core and die which I intentionally smeared too much on. It came off with just the use of a lint free cloth just as the Shin-etsu and Coolermaster did, although it took more swipes to remove it all. However, it's far easier to apply than the shin-etsu based compounds, there's no waste, and it's far less expensive than the shin-estu or Coolermaster since I was able to purchase 2 22gram syringes of Ceramique from SVC for 20$ shipped to my door.
Personal conclusion Ceramique is the best price/performance compound I've used to date and I highly recommend it. BTW, I've read those few reviews where the Shin-etsu and Coolermaster clobbered the competition but after personally using all the top performers from those reviews except the new nanotherm, which is next on my list, I can state that IMO they are filled with FUD. I've applied multiple applications of each, both as directed and what I believed to be too much compound and still could not reproduce their results with the incredible temp differences they report.
Sorry for the long post, I'm just tired of the AS3 mantra in every forum I visit
and with Ceramique being priced the way it is I can't see any reason not to recommend it over it's stablemate. :beer: I highly recommend the shin-etsu based compounds as well if you don't need much compound in your situation E.G. only swap CPUs every 6-12months, only have 1-2 systems, since it doesn't breakdown even under months of 24/7 F@H and SETI load temps, cools as well as AS3 (in my case 1c better) and is easy to clean up, which makes up for the more difficult application.
Other than longevity it is providing the exact same temps as the Coolermaster premium did in the exact same system with the exact same room temps after 1 week of use. In fact the only variable in the test so far has been the compound used so it's a pretty well controlled experiment me thinks. Are my temp readings somewhat inaccurate, yes more than likely, but since the same method of measuring the core and die temps is being used it should provide consistant data. The Ceramique is very elastic and sticky, and during my first test I attempted to wipe it off the core and die which I intentionally smeared too much on. It came off with just the use of a lint free cloth just as the Shin-etsu and Coolermaster did, although it took more swipes to remove it all. However, it's far easier to apply than the shin-etsu based compounds, there's no waste, and it's far less expensive than the shin-estu or Coolermaster since I was able to purchase 2 22gram syringes of Ceramique from SVC for 20$ shipped to my door.
Personal conclusion Ceramique is the best price/performance compound I've used to date and I highly recommend it. BTW, I've read those few reviews where the Shin-etsu and Coolermaster clobbered the competition but after personally using all the top performers from those reviews except the new nanotherm, which is next on my list, I can state that IMO they are filled with FUD. I've applied multiple applications of each, both as directed and what I believed to be too much compound and still could not reproduce their results with the incredible temp differences they report.
Sorry for the long post, I'm just tired of the AS3 mantra in every forum I visit
^^when you apply compound - how much do you use?
do you use a guitar pick/something straight or smear it on with a plastic glove?
do you use a guitar pick/something straight or smear it on with a plastic glove?
- Aug 22, 2001
- 31,102
- 29,356
- 146
Depends on the compound being used and you should always follow the manufacturer's directions for installation/application. The Coolermaster premium comes with a credit card and template for applying it, and you can use a similar plastic device for the Shin-etsu. The arctic silver products can all be spread using some plastic wrap over your finger.
I haven't tried the Shin-Etsu or the Coolermaster (but have no reason not to trust Dapunishers results about them), but I have just recently been using the Ceramique and I really like it. It seems to make a better overall connection between my waterblock and P4 heatspreader than my previous installations of AS3. When I removed the heatsink from the AS3 installations there were 2-3 distinct areas that looked as if the majority of the silver had migrated away, while other areas seemed to have an abundance. When I remove the waterblock with the Ceramique applied, it appears to be a very even coat with little tiny mountains all over where the compound was still wanting to stick to the core. Unfortunately, this was only after a week or so as I have been figiting with my watercooler lately (busting my video card with the waterblock kind of figiting - ). I just (2 days ago) reapplied and I am going to let it run for several weeks. I am then going to try AS3 for several weeks and then probably Nanotherm (not PCM as I don't have any) and then back to Ceramique probably.
BTW - Nice post Dapunisher........
). I just (2 days ago) reapplied and I am going to let it run for several weeks. I am then going to try AS3 for several weeks and then probably Nanotherm (not PCM as I don't have any) and then back to Ceramique probably.BTW - Nice post Dapunisher........
I bought a bunch of Shin Etsu G751 , and also X23-7762 for my own use and to sell.
While I can't pretend to be an expert , I'm learning. I started with CoolerMaster, switched to Ceramique, and then bought the Shin Etsu.
The Artic Silver Ceramique is a good compound, as is the CoolerMaster premium compound which contains some Shin Etsu material. I haven't tried AS3 or X23-7762, so the G751 and Ceramique are my favorites. I will buy some AS3 or AS5 and try that soon, but only in applications where the compound's capacitance isn't a concern..
The G751 is my first choice for Northbridge and GPU chips since it seems to outperform other compounds when the chip surface is concave, convex, or shimmed.
On CPU's joined to good quality and well finished heatsinks, or on lapped core and lapped sinks.....I think that it very hard to tell which compound will perform best or be the ideal choice.
There are too many variables to predict a compound's performance or prescribe the ideal compound. I'm starting to think the best way is to try a few and see what works in an application.
I think that all of the top thermal compounds are good quality, and that surface finishing , compound application techniques, choice of heatsink and fan, and case ventilation are more important.
But when a compound allows a major drop in chip temperature, it is a very cost effective improvement.
For a while, I'm going to stick with AS3, AS Ceramique, AS Alumina adhesive, and Shin Etsu G751 and X23-7762...and learn when and how to use each of them best.
While I can't pretend to be an expert , I'm learning. I started with CoolerMaster, switched to Ceramique, and then bought the Shin Etsu.
The Artic Silver Ceramique is a good compound, as is the CoolerMaster premium compound which contains some Shin Etsu material. I haven't tried AS3 or X23-7762, so the G751 and Ceramique are my favorites. I will buy some AS3 or AS5 and try that soon, but only in applications where the compound's capacitance isn't a concern..
The G751 is my first choice for Northbridge and GPU chips since it seems to outperform other compounds when the chip surface is concave, convex, or shimmed.
On CPU's joined to good quality and well finished heatsinks, or on lapped core and lapped sinks.....I think that it very hard to tell which compound will perform best or be the ideal choice.
There are too many variables to predict a compound's performance or prescribe the ideal compound. I'm starting to think the best way is to try a few and see what works in an application.
I think that all of the top thermal compounds are good quality, and that surface finishing , compound application techniques, choice of heatsink and fan, and case ventilation are more important.
But when a compound allows a major drop in chip temperature, it is a very cost effective improvement.
For a while, I'm going to stick with AS3, AS Ceramique, AS Alumina adhesive, and Shin Etsu G751 and X23-7762...and learn when and how to use each of them best.
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