Athlon Cooling Choices

[BigBlue66]

Hey Peoples,

OK, so I am totally confused. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/confused.gif I have heard recommendations that only Phase Change Thermal Tape, or something like that, should be used for Athlon processors.

However, I always see articles that talk about using thermal grease, the most popular of which is Arctic Silver and Arctic Silver II.

So what gives? Can I safely use the thermal grease to cool my 1.0GHz and 1.2GHz Athlon processors?

Enlighten me.

Cheers,

Big Blue 66


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This space reserved for highly intelligent observations and witty remarks.

[Rick]

The Arctic Silver works best for me.
I have it under every cpu in the family. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif
Yes I use it on the kids Intel’s and My AMD Tbirds 1.0 + 1.2

If you use the white paste.
Don’t use to much of it.
It can cause a heat shield or insulation and not allow the heatsink to do it’s job.

I never had any luck with the Thermal tape and always ended up removing it.
GOO GONE works best for me. Then a little water and dry it

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To ERR is HUMAN
To REALLY screw things UP, YOU NEED a COMPUTER !

[YODA74]

I Know some one here had a link saying that Athlon said they recomended Tape.but i can't find the link,but this Guy here has a good gripe on all of it. http://www.electronics-cooling.com/Resources/EC_Articles/SEP96/sep96_01.htm

personally I would think that tape and pads would leave gaps, while the grease would fill the voids and improfections.Grease would not be conveniant for assembly line computers but is good for doing right.

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Treading,Troden,Trails
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[fixrupr]

Hey Blue,
Just used Arctic Silver II for the first time.
New PC w/ Duron 1000
Got sub 40 degree temps
Found this (http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm) very helpful

Or you could take the heater core outta the blue beast, add a few hoses and with a little Wisconsin ingenuity could extract some useful BTU’s from that snowbank outside your window. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif


[This message has been edited by fixrupr (edited 01-03-2002).]

[BigBlue66]

Hehe, Fixrupr. Believe it or not, we only have a piddlin amount of snow here in the Dairy State. Pretty much all around us is getting hit but we've been lucky so far.

Thanks for the link and thanks Yoda for your link as well.

Cheers,

BB 66

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This space reserved for highly intelligent observations and witty remarks.

[diurnal]

I would use the same ole white thermal grease. I ve used both the artic silver and the white grease and got the same results so it doesnt really matter. I may have got 1 to 2 difference if you call that improvement. I think like 10 degrees is substantial if you ask me.

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Sledgehammer will save the day!

[iisbob]

I agree with Rick here; i use Artic silver myself-but anykind of thermal grease is IMHO better than the tape they stick on at OEM manufacturer's.



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iisbob

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Customer: "I don't have a right button."
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[fixrupr]

Blue,
Pondering further re your original post prompts this:

From what I have been able to discern from many sites, the proper application of the paste/grease is critical, whereas a novice cannot easily screw up with the tape.

I therefore surmise, that (from the supplier’s perspective) fewer replaced CPUs damaged due to inept installation, take precedence over a few degrees operating temp.

Instructions at the previously mentioned site tell that a microscopic contaminant will have an effect on results.

My lack of geekiness did not prohibit me from concluding that AMD, and supplier instructions are dollar driven.

[mjc]

AMD does recommend the tape, but not just thermal tape, it has to be a phase change tape (and they even gave product numbers for it...it is in that other thread and I can't find it either...and it was mine) and I'm not entirely sure that is not dollar driven, but the AMD tech I talked to said that is what they support and no Orb type coolers either, said something about the base putting to much stress on the processor...

But, my take is if you want full warranty support go with what they recommend...if you are comforatble and confident in your abilities do it however you want.

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[BigBlue66]

Hey thanks everyone. So the bottom line is, do whatever I want but also run the risk of voiding a warranty? Where can I find that Phase Change Thermal Tape?

I have been using HSFs that are AMD recommended and come with their own goop on the bottom. I have assumed that since it's AMD approved, that "goop" is most likely phase change thermal tape.?

Anyway, my Athlon 1.2 runs at around 45-47 Celsius at idle. Gets up to 50 with any kind of load. I just thought maybe I could reduce those temps a bit by using the grease.

I realize that a lot of this heat issue depends on the HSF itself. So, I have ordered what I think are a couple of better ones than what I'm using.

I probably wouldn't have been concerned, except that my P4 1.7GHz processor on my main machine here at work runs at a cool 33 Celsius and no more than 37 under a load. I know I have to keep the P4's superior thermal design in mind, but I just love to tinker, so thought I would play with the Athlons a bit. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

If anyone knows where I can find the phase change thermal tape at a good price, would be much obliged. I would like to give that a go and see if it's any better than what is supplied on an AMD approved HSF.

Cheers,

Big Blue 66


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This space reserved for highly intelligent observations and witty remarks.

[mjc]

Extra Crispy Athlons (http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/000386.html)...the numbers for the tape aren't in there....didn't check the other links...but I would think that if you have an OEM chip then the warranty is probably past (90 days and in some cases 1 year)...

I am more and more inclined to think the whole thing is a liability issue...they (AMD) don't want to have to deal with all the different methods of installing a CPU so they have a set of minimum standards that they support and say this is the recommended method.....and that is what there recommendations look like minimum standards.....

I just wish that they would come out and clearly state all of this...yeah they have the "approved" list of coolers and such but no real details on the whys and what-fors....

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.