arctic cooling mx-3 opinions

C64 · 3 Jun 2010 at 20:04

I just just spent the day reseating a q6600 with mx-3 using the horizontal line method.

Yesterday I did the central blob method and temps were worse than horizontal line method.

Did it about 5 times and each time I took the heatsink off the mx3 looked like it had made an atrocious contact was blotchy all over and the consistency of blutac.
I tried just seating it keeping the tuniq tower still and screwing and tried the twist method before screwing on.
I am seriously not impressed with this paste at all will be going back to mx2 or arctic silver 5 in future methinks.

I just think you have to strike it lucky with this stuff to get a good contact is all and it's just too inconsistent.

If you are using mx3 next time you take heatsink off take a look at whats left think you may see the same as I did.

Or am i missing something here maybe mine is a dogy batch that's just too thick and pasty ?

Sukh · 3 Jun 2010 at 20:16

Do an X with the points of the X pointing towards the corners

Clicky

setter · 3 Jun 2010 at 20:22

I did find it a bit thicker than as5, used a small blob in the middle and let the heatsink pressure spread it out. Ive never removed the heatsink to check the contact but temps have always been pretty decent, only rising a few degrees due to the warmer weather.

Temi_D · 3 Jun 2010 at 20:44

I usually spread it thinly with a card (much better than blob imo)

RJC · 3 Jun 2010 at 20:52

I tend to spread with my finger in cling film.

AS5 I do the line method.

C64 · 3 Jun 2010 at 22:02

How do you spread this stuff it's like putty do you use a hair drier to heat it up ?
Will try the X method next time as well as spreading.
Maybe I am bunging too much on I am used to spreading a thin layer or centre blob with dual cores.
I am doing a horizontal line in the middle a bit longer than the text in middle and a line as it comes from the syringe.

C64 · 3 Jun 2010 at 22:05

Sukh said:
Do an X with the points of the X pointing towards the corners

Clicky

Mx2 is more similar to arctic silver I heard in terms of consistency, mx3 is like putty at times.

Sukh · 3 Jun 2010 at 22:09

I dunno, I use an X and get excellent temps

Higadeb · 3 Jun 2010 at 23:05

Hmm, I'm intersted in what you guys find out! I'm currently using the line method, my temps are acceptable but I do wonder if I could get it better...

NathWraith · 3 Jun 2010 at 23:15

as long as the paste is spread evenly it doesn't usually matter which way the paste is spread.

Swifty123 · 3 Jun 2010 at 23:40

Wow I think I'll use the X method next time

PermaBanned · 4 Jun 2010 at 00:03

I really don't think it makes any noticeable difference, unless you put too much on.

Just out of curiosity, what were the ambient temperatures for these tests?

Shakeel · 4 Jun 2010 at 00:18

i just put a blob in the middle and the cooler spreads it out

chaotic_uk · 4 Jun 2010 at 00:28

C64 said:
mx3 is like putty at times.

it also sticks to your fingers if you forget to put some gloves on

rjk · 4 Jun 2010 at 00:32

NathWraith said:
as long as the paste is spread evenly it doesn't usually matter which way the paste is spread.

this is the rule of thumb for mx2/mx3

tipes · 4 Jun 2010 at 14:42

FWIW I use the X method and seems to work well for me.I think the important thing to remember is less is more, in other words don't overdo the amount of paste used.

Mark

pastymuncher · 4 Jun 2010 at 19:09

Personally i think MX-3 is overpriced. You can get two tubes of MX-2 for the same price and it's not that far behind MX-3 in terms of performance.

setter · 5 Jun 2010 at 03:41

pastymuncher said:
Personally i think MX-3 is overpriced. You can get two tubes of MX-2 for the same price and it's not that far behind MX-3 in terms of performance.

Agree, ive used mx3/2, as5 thermalright chill factor arctic ceramique, people tend to read into paste reviews to much, its all nonsense, any compound will do the job, at best they offer 1-2c difference, hardly worth bothering about imho. Whack it on and off you go is my approach.

C64 · 5 Jun 2010 at 13:54

I did couple more reseats yesterday and same thing the mx3 was still putty like and blotchy not sure this stuff is ok.
Going to try my q6600 under arctic silver 5 today if the temps are dramatically lower then I know the mx3 is dodgy.

Does nobody else think this stuff is too blutac like ?

xekki · 6 Jun 2010 at 01:19

I have a 930 stock with venomous x in push pull. room temp 20 degrees ath the time.

I've just finished by first ever build and used mx-3. Granted i'm new but i thread lots and watch lots (on youtube) about application. I first tried the blob method and tried to spread. I couldn't spread as it was too thick. Each mini swipe resulted in the pase on my bag. I tried spreading by card but itjust stuck to the card. I can't remember the temps but i thought that if i was to OC this, it'd be high.

So, i googled and came across this thread.

I use a hairdryer and used a blob as per the directions in the above link. It came out easy but i maybe have a beginner's bad eye in judging blobs and i kept on wondering how high the blob should be lol. Anyways, my several reseats resulted in mid 30 - very low 40'd degrees. One reseat was in it's 50's (i put a bit more than 5mm) and putting a tiny rice grain shot it up into the 80's. On one occasion i did a blob poss slightly smaller than 5mm and got low 30's. That was my best but unfortunatly, due to the several reseats, i realised that the bios recognised 4gb of the 6gb, so i had to rma the board.

I havent managed to match that temp and i'm getting mid 30's plus again with this board. So annoying but then again my room temps is about 25 degrees.

I'm on my second tube of mx-3 (i thought i'd be used to it by now) BUT i think this second tube is thinner. The tube now has several holes at the bottom and i think it's slightly thinner. Maybe it's just me.

So yeah, to the OP, it's a bugger! When i take my cooler off to see the marks, its blotchy. I don't think it spreads well even though i've pushed my cooler down, and if i try to coutner it by putting a bit more on, it seems it's a bit too much! I have bought some OCZ Freeze extreme as i dont want to buy a 3rd mx-3.....does anyone know whether ocz freeze is thinner? I'm going to try again tomorrow and may just give up on it.