More TIM is good!

[andymac]

I built my PC about 18 month ago, spec as sig. The Q6600 has always run hot, I assumed this was just because it was a hot chip, it registers about 50-60 degrees when working hard etc.

I hadn't built a PC for a long time when I built this one, and after scouring the forums for the current advice, I used Arctic Silver 5 and applied using an old credit card, a nice thin sliver of AS5 and then my Zalman cooler.

Then, as the hot weather crept up on us over the last few weeks, the temps have been getting into 70s. This was way too high for my liking.

I pulled off the cooler and applied a bigger dollop of AS5 to the heatspreader, a good broad bean sized lump, I then re-installed the coooler. The temps are now sitting at around the 35degrees mark, the fan on the cooler isn't spinning up as much, and the PC seems happier.

Just thought I'd share my finsings, sometimes, more is best!

Andy

 

[andymac]

Accepted, but the mounting system for my heatsink is to screw it down to a pre-installed base. I think the advice to use such a small amount of TIM isn't as good as the advice on the AS5 package which is to apply a blob in the centre of the heatspreader and then put the cooler on to spread the mix. I've just been stress testing my PC, overclocked to a stable and reliable 3.2 GHz its only been on an hour and a half and temperatures are holding steady at 52 degress C running Prime, the fan is up to mid speed, the air temperature is 23 degrees C in the room, and measuring 30 degrees C on the M'Board temp monitoring chip.

So, advice for people running a hot chip, try adding more TIM, it can't hurt! If it doesn't lower temps, then remove some!

 

[andymac]

In which case, I clearly have a very lumpy surface, I've just posted this as many bods report temps higher than I am now getting with better heatsinks, I'm suggesting that if the temperatures are getting as high as 60 degrees C or hotter overclocked to a gentle, non-extreme margin, then maybe a bigger dollop of the TIM would assist. I think I was far too tight with mine, when I pulled the heatsink off the chip to investigate, the TIM was literally just a silver grey smear all over the heatspreader, it was in contact with the heatsink fully as it was left roughened and dimpled as I removed the heatsink.