No its fine, it just stains the copper more permanently due to galvanic reaction than it would on nickel plating.Is this a problem? Someone tore down Xtreme Waterforce RTX 5090 AIO and Liquid Metal was applied on bare copper instead nickel plated. This is bad, right?
Reddit - The heart of the internet
www.reddit.com
-
Competitor rules
Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.
I read this:
Liquid metal (gallium-based) reacts with bare copper, forming intermetallic compounds (like CuGa₂). This causes surface corrosion, pitting, and degraded thermal performance over time.
Safe only on nickel-plated copper surfaces.
Using it on bare copper will damage the surface and reduce cooling efficiency.
Liquid metal (gallium-based) reacts with bare copper, forming intermetallic compounds (like CuGa₂). This causes surface corrosion, pitting, and degraded thermal performance over time.
Safe only on nickel-plated copper surfaces.
Using it on bare copper will damage the surface and reduce cooling efficiency.
I stand corrected in this case! But my search pulled this up:
Liquid metal (primarily gallium) stains and subtly pits bare copper due to a chemical reaction called galvanic corrosion, but this damage is typically insignificant to the performance of a copper heat spreader or heatsink. The reaction involves gallium forming an alloy with the copper, creating a permanent stain that is difficult to remove. While some sources recommend using liquid metal on nickel-plated copper for better durability, it remains acceptable on bare copper for heat sinks, though reapplication may be needed over time.
Understanding the Reaction
- Gallium's Role:
Liquid metal thermal compounds often contain gallium, which acts as the primary agent that reacts with copper.
- Ion Migration:
Due to the differing electrical potentials between gallium and copper, gallium ions migrate into the copper.
- Alloy Formation:
This migration creates a fusion of the two metals, forming an alloy and resulting in a distinct stain or discolored spot on the copper.
- Pitting:
This process can also cause minor pitting on the copper's surface.
- No Significant Degradation:
Despite the staining and pitting, the thermal performance of the heat spreader generally remains consistent. - Alloy Stops the Process:
The reaction primarily occurs at the surface and stops once a layer of the gallium-copper alloy forms.
- Seal the Liquid Metal:
For applications like CPU heat spreaders or direct-die cooling, the liquid metal is usually contained under the heat spreader to prevent contact with other surfaces.
- Reapplication:
For bare copper heat sinks, it is sometimes recommended to reapply liquid metal after a few months or years to maintain the seal and potentially re-establish the initial alloy layer.
- Consider Nickel-Plated Copper:
Some manufacturers recommend liquid metal only on nickel-plated copper heatsinks, as nickel is more resistant to liquid metal corrosion.
Last edited:
Gigabyte lists the following on their website for the Xtreme Waterforce.
Liquid metal thermal grease for GP
Server-grade thermal conductive gel
360mm radiator with three 120mm ARGB fans
Liquid Metal thermal grease - I don’t know if they use real Liquid Metal
Liquid metal thermal grease for GP
Server-grade thermal conductive gel
360mm radiator with three 120mm ARGB fans
Liquid Metal thermal grease - I don’t know if they use real Liquid Metal
It's a composite. Debaur did a video on it under the microscope.
Did u buy a Waterforce?
It's the same paste though. You can see it on the AIO breakdowns.
I can't imagine that a big company like that doesn't discuss this in design phase and engineering doesn't look at it. Then then produce a composite, with some liquid metal in it. Easier to manufacture for sure.
Have u bought the AIO or still considering it?
Yeah, quite impressed with the Suprim Air, just squeezes in my case, longer than Astral. Quite during gaming on performance bios and no fan tuning. About 8-10 c higher than AIO's but good temps in general. Coil whine on Timespy very similar to Waterforce IMO, present but not that loud, defo quieter than Astrals. I haven't heard any coil whine on actual gaming...
Guys, I see that lot of ppl have the RTX 5090 AORUS Master in their builds, despite the leaking thermal gel. Is that no longer an issue? Has it been resolved? I have the option to buy it and install it horizontally, but I’m worried the gel might gradually leak out over time. Also, the AORUS has a lower chance of coil whine. That’s quite appealing to me.
I haven’t had any luck with MSI. The SUPRIM had terrible coil whine, even with the closed case.
I haven’t had any luck with MSI. The SUPRIM had terrible coil whine, even with the closed case.
From what I've read on other forums, appears to have been the earlier production runs and there were batch codes listed. I had an Aorus Waterforce vertically mounted for a couple of months, no visible leakage.
Same gel/paste/stuffI thought that this problem didn’toccur with the Xtreme Waterforce.
...
Associate
- Joined
- 13 Nov 2020
- Posts
- 5
I just found this thread and wanted to post my RTX 5080 FE coil whine. It's kinda unbearable, I can even hear it when I'm scrolling through a web browser. I'm in contact with Nvidia hoping I can RMA it, I will try undervolting.
Last edited:
Associate
- Joined
- 18 Jan 2024
- Posts
- 82
- Location
- Ireland
A friend sold me his Asus 5080 Noctua edition. He never did his research and can't get on with the size of it. I got it for a really good price.
I have to say it's silent, zero coil whine and even running any of the 3d mark benches the fans never go over 500rpm.
I have to say it's silent, zero coil whine and even running any of the 3d mark benches the fans never go over 500rpm.
