More TIM is good!

andymac

andymac

andymac

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Joined
17 Oct 2004
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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
 
Could be other things too like your heatsink wasn't seated on properly, the flatness of it's base or the surface of the CPU chip itself.
 
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!
 
There's definately a balance to be found, although there are plenty of other possible factors - perhaps you just had an air bubble under the hsf?
 
andymac said:
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.
Click to expand...

Thats why they recommend doing it that way. It reduces the chances of air bubbles a lot.
 
You don't get air bubbles between the chip and HS. If adding more TIM ment better temps it's due to either your CPU or HS base not being flat and they weren't actually touching.
 
I found the same thing with my Intel stock HSF reseating attempts. The first attempt I applied a small amount like the manufacturer said, then just seat the HSF, no spreading of TIM, but was seated firmly. TIM was MX-2.

That gave me terrible temps, so I applied a dollop twice the size and spread it with a business card and the temps were 10 degrees lower. Absolutely amazing. So I think there is a grain of truth in what the OP has said.
 
More is never better then just right when come to TIM. As people said prob better seated. Best thing i have learnt about TIM is it not supposed be a layer between the cpu and Heatsink but just a tiny amount that fills all the tiny holes that you cant see with the naked eye :eek:
 
^^What he said! With regards to TIM less is more!

The best heat transfer is to be had between the conductive metals of your cooler and CPU. This is why lapping increases the flatness of the surfaces thereby increasing the contact surfaces and thus maximising heat transfer. TIM should be applied sparingly (no more than grain of rice size) to provide heat transfer between the remaining tiniest of surface imperfections.
 
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.
 
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