Why does my paste keep failing on my r9 290

[mmj_uk]

It doesn't explain why I get good temps for a few hrs after I have applied the paste, then the temps go down hill....Im thinking about buying a different cooler for the 290?

Why doesn't it? by using the spread method you trap pockets of air which later expand when heated, when the hot air expands it makes the amount of area bridged by the TIM even worse. It might not happen instantly but obviously the higher and more prolonged the GPU temperature is the more rapid the decline will be.

GPU manufacturers and OEM's all use the blob method which is why you always see lots of overspill, do their products have problems with the performance of the paste getting worse after only a few days/weeks?

In my opinion it's better to use a tiny blob that doesn't even cover the whole area than to spread the TIM over the whole area and have lots of air trapped, the majority of the heat is at the centre anyway. Obviously it's better to use a blob size that spreads over the whole area though even if there is overspill.

 

[b00merang69]

Time and money (a human is not going to sit and spread every GPU when a machine can put blob on them faster), the OEM's use a TIM that is hardish and will last for many years till card dies as does not suffer from pump out like wetter/better aftermarket TIM.

Again if you leave any part of the bare DIE uncovered on the GPU you run the risk of it dying unlike a CPU IHS to Heatsink and many reviews state.

I can see by removing my cooler(s) there is no air holes so not sure what is so hard about learning to spread something as it takes a little practice, blob is for ease of application so anyone can do it but it may no get you better results.

At the end of the day I have did this 100's of times since 2001 (when got into PC's) and I get better results spreading and if other want to do pea/grain of rice/blob that is there choice and does not effect me.

From now on its only Liquid Metal for me so spreading or should I say pushing/swirling with supplied cotton/foam bud) it will remain. as to strip something down that far and get same or sometime worse results is a waste of my time

 

[Len Dananey]

Tbh I have used the spread method many times and all of the others, never made a difference in the slightest from my testing and this is over 20 years pasting cpu's.

 

[Rroff]

Tbh I have used the spread method many times and all of the others, never made a difference in the slightest from my testing and this is over 20 years pasting cpu's.

There is nothing wrong in itself with the spread method and some pastes will work well with it, some even designed primarily to be used that way (if you look at the appropriate Gamers Nexus videos they found some pastes fall down badly with hand spreading while in other cases they did well with spreading).

But AS5 isn't a paste that is best used in many cases by hand spreading - the original application guide used to state explicitly not to hand spread it except in direct-die application (where they recommended spreading with a razor blade or similar) though they've removed that in the latest update and added tinting as an optional step but still recommend a line or dot method for most applications.

AS5 isn't really a great choice for GPUs either - the datasheet warns against use in multiple square inch interface application though mostly in respect to cases where there is potentially more of a gap between the 2 surfaces than typical with a CPU.

I would recommend people take Armageus's advice near the start of the thread and make sure the GPU has a good covering of MX-2 or MX-4 which will provide a good long term cooling performance (IIRC MX-2 tends to be a bit better for long term stability on large contact areas).

 

[b00merang69]

AFAIR early on (AS or AS2) recommended applying with a fingertip in plastic bag to "tin" the Heatsink as well as spreading on the CPU die, then with newer revisions (AS3-AS5 (there was no 4 it was the Grain Of Rice method orientated X or Y way dependant on the type of CPU used (photos showed where the Die was under IHS for Intel and AMD CPU's).

 

[Phil2008]

Well I have given it another go today and I have taken it further apart but Im still none the wiser, but the heatsink is definitely not sitting right on the gpu, because everytime I remove the cooler the gpu has a patch with no paste on.

Anyway I have just got the pc up and running and just like last time the temps are in the high 70s(nice and cool for a r9 290) but I can almost guarantee it will increase as the day goes on. If temps do increase again, Im going to buy a gtx 1060 as I haven't really got £300 to buy a nice rx 5700. But saying that a 1060 is still about a 10fps increase over my r9 290

 

[Phil2008]

Well the temps are still ok, but I have been thrashing it too hard on furmark, been given it 10-15 mins runs. As Im thinking the paste might need a few days to bed in. Famous last words.

 

[b00merang69]

You need to stop using that is as it is pointless as the card will throttle when they detect such apps and have down for generations now.

If you are intent on using such apps use the one that is an add-on to EVGA Precision or MSI Afterburner.

My advise though you seem to have not listened to any so far is to use Heaven and valley and normal games.

 

[Phil2008]

You need to stop using that is as it is pointless as the card will throttle when they detect such apps and have down for generations now.

If you are intent on using such apps use the one that is an add-on to EVGA Precision or MSI Afterburner.

My advise though you seem to have not listened to any so far is to use Heaven and valley and normal games.

It only throttles at 94c and I did run valley and heaven ages ago and the temps were near enough the same as furmark. Games such as dirt rally gets the temps into the high 60s, low 70s when the paste is working properly, if not, they increase into the low 80's.

 

[Kelt]

Furmark is a cancer for GPU's.

You really should stop using it as others have recommended.

If you carry on using it, then I'm not surprised your card is behaving erratically.

You've basically exposed it to a GPU virus.

 

[gpuerrilla]

Something isnt right if your reapplying paste and over such a small period of time.

 

[Armageus]

Something isnt right if your reapplying paste and over such a small period of time.

The spring screws have likely lost there spinginess by being removed so often