The HardwareLogic Thermal Compound Round-Up

[screwballl]

Originally Posted by Mondoman

I agree. Personally, most of the people I'm talking with about TIM on forums are newbies who haven't quite properly attached their Intel LGA775 hsf pushpins and have no TIM on hand and need something quick so they can try to get their system working properly, but that's certainly not the target audience for reviews such as this.
Anyway, enough of my bloviating -- time to try to generate some data.

Thats part of the problem... get them started on the GOOD stuff to start with (especially since it costs the same or less) and you never have to worry about technical postings about cure time and cause more questions. It is better to give them the path of least resistance and just not suggest AS5 for even new builders. This way once they are more familiar with a system build and technical terminology and practice, THEN they can learn about cure time as an after thought, not as a pre-build thought.

[Capper]

Actually, all thermal compounds are going to suffer some breakdown....the heat is going to remove some of the liquid content........you should see the Zalman compound after a day of 100% load (60C)...it looked like talcum powder.

[Stormcrow]

I've been wanting to try out one of those phase-change pads like the kind Coollaboratory make. Stick on a metal plate, and it melts into grease when heated up and returns to a solid when cooled, awesome stuff.

[Capper]

I have a little follow up in the works with the Coolabs stuff....It performed very well, but they argued it should have performed better (as did a few companies).....the big problem with it is that its a horrendous pain in the ass to apply, and removes any chance you have at a processor RMA should you run into problems....it also erodes aluminum, and I'm sure isn't particularly healthy for copper over time.

[oldman_gamer]

Originally Posted by Capper

I have a little follow up in the works with the Coolabs stuff....It performed very well, but they argued it should have performed better (as did a few companies).....the big problem with it is that its a horrendous pain in the ass to apply, and removes any chance you have at a processor RMA should you run into problems....it also erodes aluminum, and I'm sure isn't particularly healthy for copper over time.

If it erodes aluminum,wouldnt that mean that it has some type of "metal properties" involved in it? From past work expirience as an off road and commercial tire tech,I saw every day, what happens when you put steel next to aluminum. OR,could it be caustic....like an acid?

[Capper]

Its actually 100% metal.......looks and acts like mercury. I'll post up some pics and stuff today showing it off, and explaining why, while it performs really well, I would not recommend it.

[azianai]

My E6550 after 4 months of AS5

Scythe Ninja cooler after the same 4 months.
( think there's something wrong with my digicam )
Anyway, it just crumbled off, i put the Articlean on, but it kinda washed itself off without even needing to wipe. That can't be good. On the flip side, IC7 took like 3 applications of Articlean 1 & 2 to completely remove it from processor.

[screwballl]

heres my E6600 after a few months under a Scythe Ninja and AS5... see the traces or "city blocks" in the top?