Hi Jim

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: inkleput{at}isp.com
> I touched my Thermaltake CPU cooler while watching the "health meter,"
> and the temp jumped.  I pressed it against the CPU and it dropped 10 or
> 15 degrees.
> 
> There is dark grey substance spread on the bottom of the cooler.  It is
> thin, pretty hard and doesn't impress me as a good transfer gook.
> 
> Is the kind of thermal transfer gook to use important?  Should such
> stuff be relatively soft?  Like wax?  Harder - like this stuff?  I know
> there are silicone gooks and some that have metalic powder.  Any
> recommendations?  Do any local sources normally carry it?
> 
> Jim L, via eCS 1.15 version of OS/2
> -- 

  We are again on optional or conditional grounds since given that a system
runs it isn't urgent that it have anything done to improve cooling, at
least to those less obsessive than me.  So this area too is rife with
opinion and if it works for you, it's valid.  Here's mine. 

  Although I do tend to overclock some even with silicon that just won't go
the distance and must be run at stock or very close I am always interested
in better cooling.  When I repair a system I will sometimes go to the below
mentioned lengths to improve cooling (and therefore longevity and
subjective experience through stability) on *any* system I build not only
do I refuse to use the "dual-sided'"thermal"-tape" but
after I have razored it off I always grind the heatsink and often the CPU
heat spreader as well on a thick mirror and then polish it till they are
nearly indistinguishable.  I do not worry about exotic thermal pastes since
I have yet to see an independant test that shows any but nominal gain in
heat transfer over *properly applied* (read "very thin") standard
white electronics grade silicone thermal paste.

  Your experience is very telling imho in that if one can achieve what is a
substantial differrence such as is 10-15 degrees C, then there is
considerable room for improvement that shouldn't be too large an investment
of time and effort to achieve.  That you get that degree of differrence
tells me that system is not properly mated.  Either the retainer spring
system is too loose, the mating surfaces are too "off" from each
other (you might be amazed at how far off I've found many to be) or there
is either no or way too much thermal compound in play.  I do often get
differrences of that degree but frankly I'm pretty happy with 5-10 C Delta
T's, depending on the existing range of course since I am after absolutes
as well as relatives here.  For example I really try hard to achieve idle
temps under 40 C no matter what the specs considering that air-cooled
systems generally withstand a good 12-18 degree C rise at heavy loads. 
Approaching 60C at any time is unacceptable to me.

  So you might conclude that yes, thermal paste is important both in what
quantity and at which quality, but there is room for a little carelessness
on one extreme and obsessiveness on the other without being accused of
being bonkers.

Jimmy

  PS since some people grow tired of opinionated long threads and begin to
ask the "OT" question I'd like to weigh in and say that the full
title of the group is OS/2 Hardware and since I assume everyone is using
OS/2 at least part-time here, any hardware questions and answers are OK by
me.


 
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