What's the Difference Between RAM With Heat Spreaders and RAM Without?
- Thread starter MrControversial
- Start date
There was a good post about heat spreaders the other day here, I can't find it now though, hopefully that poster will chime in.
It said basicly, RAMBUS memory needed heat spreaders because of how it operated. DDR memory doesn't really need them, but since manufacturers saw it as one way to market the memory, they added them to some modules and raised the price.
Some users have reported a performance increase by removing the spreaders on their DDR ram too.
It said basicly, RAMBUS memory needed heat spreaders because of how it operated. DDR memory doesn't really need them, but since manufacturers saw it as one way to market the memory, they added them to some modules and raised the price.
Some users have reported a performance increase by removing the spreaders on their DDR ram too.
I thought heatspreaders made them overclock better? Can I still overclock with Corsair Value Select RAM?
RadiclDreamer
Diamond Member
- Aug 8, 2004
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About $10
Seriously, not much, they look kinda cool but I dont think there is any real benifit to it.
Seriously, not much, they look kinda cool but I dont think there is any real benifit to it.
I don't think it makes them "overclocker better". It's more or less an attempt @ thermal dissipation from the DRAM chips onboard. But, it really isn't all that neccessary if you have a good amount of positive pressure going across that area of the board.
The whole idea of heatspreaders came from Rambus RDRAM modules. RDRAM had it because of its natural high clock frequencies. So it was a must to add some form of cooling addition to the RDRAM modules. Or else they wouldn't stability @ their frequency they were bred @. With DDR it isn't really necessary unless you're taking it beyond 233/433mhz out of spec.
The whole idea of heatspreaders came from Rambus RDRAM modules. RDRAM had it because of its natural high clock frequencies. So it was a must to add some form of cooling addition to the RDRAM modules. Or else they wouldn't stability @ their frequency they were bred @. With DDR it isn't really necessary unless you're taking it beyond 233/433mhz out of spec.
A heat spreader keeps all the chips on the module at almost the same temperature by cooling the hot chips and warming the cool chips!
This will be pointless if all the chips are already at the same temperature.
If they are not and one chip is really hot, that may limit the overclock even though the rest of the chips still have room for higher frequency. But, the bottleneck is the hottest chip. So, it makes sense to spread the heat if the chips are not at the same temperature already.
But, a heat spreader is not a heat sink. So, a heat spreader is not going to cool down the module. It is only going to even out the temperature on the chips.
I read once that on the current modules in the market, all the chips are accessed evenly. So, there is no reason for only one chip to heat up while the rest are cool. If that is true, heat spreaders are useless!
This will be pointless if all the chips are already at the same temperature.
If they are not and one chip is really hot, that may limit the overclock even though the rest of the chips still have room for higher frequency. But, the bottleneck is the hottest chip. So, it makes sense to spread the heat if the chips are not at the same temperature already.
But, a heat spreader is not a heat sink. So, a heat spreader is not going to cool down the module. It is only going to even out the temperature on the chips.
I read once that on the current modules in the market, all the chips are accessed evenly. So, there is no reason for only one chip to heat up while the rest are cool. If that is true, heat spreaders are useless!
RadiclDreamer
Diamond Member
- Aug 8, 2004
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Heatspreaders are pretty much only for looks. As for what memory I use, I have 2x512mb of kingmax hardcore PC4000 in my HTPC, I have 2x512mb of PQI turbo PC4000 in my main rig, I have 512mb of Centon PC2100 cas2 ram in my quiet rig, and I have 4x256mb sticks of Kingmax PC3500 sitting on the motherboard for my 3.06ghz northwood rig which is currently out of action till I get my taxes back and rebuild it.
Actually not.
RDRam was designed so that 1 module heated up very fast on access while the other modules were basically unscathed. The heat-spreader was there to spread the heat so that module wouldnt acquire as much heat. In the end, on average, it was no hotter than regular SDR.
SDR/DDR is designed so that ALL the modules heat up equally, so the point of a heatspreader is semi-moot. In most cases, it is there to look pretty (aka ricing) and serves no real purpose.
The irony is when that RDRam first introduced heat-spreaders, a lot of Rambus haters bashed on how stupid it was, etc etc. Now I bet you those very same people think it to be rather cool to have these heat-spreaders (some even come LED activity lights).
Appledrop
Platinum Member
- Aug 25, 2004
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also lets you pick up the module without worrying too much about static damage to modules [actually hmm, would it? i always thought it would, but then.. if the heatspreaders are touching the modules then the static charge would probably conduct to the module and therefore my argument sucks :l]
Just read all of Zebo's thread on the CPU boards. Wow! That thread saved me $80. I also find it interesting that all the people with the insane RAM (PC 4000) are mostly Intel owners. I'm sticking with 1GB of GEIL RAM which incidentally has heatspreaders. I bought it not for the HS, but for the fact that it's only $114 at SVC. I was about to blow $180 on some expensive Mushkin for maybe 2% performance increase.
True. Ram under constant usage will heat up to the point you can't touch it. Anybody who wants to test it can run memtest86 for an hour and then go back and feel the ram. Heatspreaders don't help performance but they don't hurt it either. Heat kills electronics as most know and if it keeps my ram down 10 degrees over 3 years, it might be that little bit that keeps it from dieing. A $6 investment per stick of ram for a longer lifespan is nothing to cry over. Just take a little of the money you spent on your overkill psu and hsf and you shouldn't even notice the difference.
That's the point, it doesn't!
A heat sink would cool down your RAM. A heat spreader does not.
When you use a heat sink, you rely on the extra surface of the heat sink to provide excellent cooling for the sink. Then, you do your best to provide a very efficient heat transfer from the chip to the heat sink. In reality, the transfer of heat from the chip to the sink is never perfect. But, the extra surface of the sink should make up for it. So, overall, the heat sink cools down the chip.
In case of the heat spreader, you still have the imperfect contact between the chips and the heat spreader metal. But, what is missing is the extra surface on the heat spreader. Overall, a heat spreader does not cool down your chips. It may actually raise the heat.
The only time heat spreaders are beneficial is when some chips become much hotter than the other chips on the same module. Then, the cool chips act as cooler for the hot chips through the heat spreader. This provides a balance for heat so that all the chips warm up together instead of one of them heating up and limiting the performance of the whole module.
The science behind heat sinks is heat displacement. The heat spreader pulls the heat from the chip to itself and might transfer that heat to the other chips but most of the heat stays in the metal mass of the spreader. Why there are heat spreaders instead of heat sinks for ram is the fact most builders run more than 2 sticks of ram and the spacing and strength of the ram slot keeps from true heat sinks being installed. There are actual chip heat sinks available but you rarely see them used. In the absence of fins, the next best object to cooling is mass and airflow, one is practical in the heat spreader and the other is up to the user. If a heat spreader is installed right, you will have 90%-100% contact on each chip. I've done several of my own test using temperature probes and found the ram stick as a whole is 10-20% cooler than without a spreader.
mooncancook
Platinum Member
- May 28, 2003
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I think your argument is good since there is a layer of non-conductive thermal adhesive between the spreader and the chips, static charge shouldn't be able to conduct.
When I touch the heat spreaders they can feel very warm (at stock speed). They should somewhat help release the heat to the cooler surrounding better since spreader increases the contacting surface area, though the effect is not as dramatic as heatsinks. If you touch the video rams you know rams can run really hot. For OC it is even better to add ram sinks since you would probably increase voltage to the module which will generate more heat.
VirtualLarry
No Lifer
- Aug 25, 2001
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Correct!
But they were useful for RDRAM, as I understand it. They are also very useful if you are in the business of selling "designer overclock" memory to naive "enthusiasts", and wish to cover-over the actual mfgs of the PCBs/DIMMs/chips used in the modules, lest they find out that they are paying double for the same memory with a $2 piece of metal slapped onto each side. (You can tell I'm not exactly a fan of that sort of product, right?
"Extreme Voltage"? Ha! Crap-Silicon, more like.)What would be more interesting, would be actual DIMM heatsinks. For the crazy ones running 3.4v vDIMM, they might actually be useful. I envision something like a metal mesh, but with raised "waves", kind of like a flat pasta noodle, and a lasagna noodle on top. But it would be done in alternating rows, kind of like scanlines, and each row of "waves" would be offset/out of phase by 90 or 180 deg. I think that would cool reasonably well, it would have at least double the surface-area of a normal flat metal DIMM heatspreader, while hopefully allowing enough clearance to place DIMMs side-by-side. Another possibility, would be to have the majority of the cooling element only on one side, and have enough metal-to-metal contact (clips holding both sides on?), to give enough thermal transfer between both sides, so that one side with increased surface area could effectively cool chips on both sides of the module.
Btw, for those that don't believe that heatspreaders are just for show - consider this - nearly all of the first-tier memory DIMM mfgs (those that also mfg DRAM itself, and then produce and sell their own-made boards), do NOT use heatspreaders on their premium-quality 1st-tier DIMMs. That should tell you something right there if they are really truely needed or not. (Plus, they would make the DIMMs less price-competitive, those heatspreaders do cost a bit extra. But for those companies that are charging an arm and a leg premium anyways for their re-labeled RAM, what's a couple of bucks for a colored strip of metal with their logo on it?)
VirtualLarry
No Lifer
- Aug 25, 2001
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Hey, if my DIMMs can look like K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, or the Cylons from B.G., then so much the better. Way cool, man! I'm waiting for them to play different styles of music, depending on how they are accessed or at what temperature they happen to be running at. Maybe a little Dukes of Hazzard theme when you're overclocking them, or something. (You know, because they always crash eventually. Good thing they had a good budget for cars for that show.)
beatle
Diamond Member
- Apr 2, 2001
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I think most manufactuerers use it for looks. They also conveniently hide the chips that the manufacturer uses. My TwinMos PC3200 uses Winbond BH-5 chips, but they were significantly cheaper than the Corsair and HyperX BH-5s that were the cat's pajamas of 2003.
From the explanations I've been able to get from the manufacturers its more about ensuring even temps than improving cooling, though the surface area of the heat spreader is probably a bit more than the actual surface area of the chips. Anyhow, you're usually paying more for the premium memory than you are for the heat spreader. Looks better too, but I dunno about the some of the stuff like the Corsair Xpert modules with the LED's... that's a bit more like a huge wing on a crappy import car.
*shrug* I went with the Hyper-x to be safe in case I eventually ditch this intel board for something I can tweak a bit. That and 200 didn't seem that outrageous for a DDR2 1GB dual channel kit
*shrug* I went with the Hyper-x to be safe in case I eventually ditch this intel board for something I can tweak a bit. That and 200 didn't seem that outrageous for a DDR2 1GB dual channel kit
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