Is ceramique better than Arctic Silver 3?

[GeoffP]

1. Is ceramique better than Arctic Silver 3? I will be cooling 2 8800GTS's and a E6600 CPU.

2. I read in one thread that a user only used ceramique on one side of the gpu block and another type of heat transference compound on the other?

[KaptCrunch]

ceramique is non-electric conductive where AS-5 is for uses silver particles, thus why use it for safer results with no shorts

[jmilcher]

AS5 applied correctly will create no problems, I have used it on GPU's, CPU's and all types of other coolers... (except memory.. I'd use ceramique for mem)

[Cupcake]

Generally AS5 is not conductive

it uses little particles of silver held together with cheaper thermal paste

unless the little particles of sliver miraculously allign it shouldnt short anything

I got a blob of AS5 on my naked X2 3800 and it worked fine

[jmilcher]

As to the arguement which is better, it depends on what reports you believe.. most say the AS5 has a slight edge over the ceramique.. a few degrees

[GeoffP]

Thanks,

I am very careful when applying it to the CPU.

I am going to use a full body EK block for the GPU. If I am careful is it OK to use on the memory chips as well as the processing unit on the GPU Card?

Or is it better to use a non conductive thermal transference paste (like Ceramique) on the memory chips?

[serialk11r]

Hmmmm... Recalling the results from that other thread:
Isn't Arctic Cooling MX1 better than ceramique or as5? Its not conductive too.

[Bloody_Sorcerer]

i suppose its mostly a matter of preference. I prefer ceramique because it's WAY cheaper (22g syringe for like 10 bucks), performs (IMO) just as well, and also does super-cold temps better.

[epion2985]

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=135359

[safan80]

you can apply AS5 to the ram on the video card just don't make a mess.. I don't use AS5 I use ceramique myself. AS5 costs more and has silver in it, so there is a risk of shorting things out. most people that use AS5 don't have any trouble with it. personally I don't think it's worth the extra money it's more of a bragging rights thing.

[mcoffey]

Generally AS5 is not conductive

it uses little particles of silver held together with cheaper thermal paste

unless the little particles of sliver miraculously allign it shouldnt short anything

I got a blob of AS5 on my naked X2 3800 and it worked fine

it is non conductive, but has a certain amount of capacitance which can store up a charge, and cause a short if coming in touch with a trace or pins if you get unlucky.

The stuff is 99% silver, it has nothing to do with the "liitle particles" as you call them lining up miraculously, which is one of the funiset things I've ever seen posted here. The little particles are always in contact with each other to a certain degree. It's just that they are suspended in the grease, and the grease is the non conductive component.

You'll either get lucky and not toast something, or you won't.

Bottom line, don't use any AS5 around something that could short out. And the independent tests show AS5 and ASC performs the same. So there's no use. A little dap on a CPU is safe if applied correctly, but be carefull when you un mount and clean the AS5 off the CPU, because if gets pushed down to the pins and becomes lodged, could really fry a proc.

andyc

[dinos22]

i suppose its mostly a matter of preference. I prefer ceramique because it's WAY cheaper (22g syringe for like 10 bucks), performs (IMO) just as well, and also does super-cold temps better.

my thoughts exactly :toast:

[GeoffP]

OK. Point taken :p:

Only asked cause I still have some AS3 in my drawer, also I was totally unaware of the possible capacitance capabilities of the AS3 paste. I will be extra careful when cleaning of the exiting AS3 paste from my CPU.

To be on the safe side I will get some non-capacitance paste when I order my water cooling parts.

Also, thanks for the link epion2985 - poses more questions.

All the pastes listed as better performing than ASC, are they all non-capacitance pastes?

[mcoffey]

MX-1 is probably the best non conductive paste, safe to use on anything. Better performacne than AS5 or ASC so the tests say. I'm getting some MX for my proc and GPU. Be intersting to see the results. Other seem to say MX wins out based on there experience. So I'll give it a whirl.

andyc

[teko]

Does this mean that you may never use a heatsink without thermal paste?

[KaptCrunch]

The stuff is 99% silver, it has nothing to do with the "liitle particles" as you call them lining up miraculously, which is one of the funiset things I've ever seen posted here. The little particles are always in contact with each other to a certain degree. It's just that they are suspended in the grease, and the grease is the non conductive component.


best medicine laughter

mcoffey
question will you take a dremel (http://66.77.255.87/Images/DREMELTOOLS/400_D/WEB_PD/400_hires_pd.jpg) to your case with MB still inside.

the liitle steel particles will float away(suspended in air) then forum dust on your exposed contacts?

note whats heavyier silver or grease

Silver (Ag)
Atomic Weight = 107.8682

lube
atomic weight 28.06

[mcoffey]

best medicine laughter

mcoffey
question will you take a dremel (http://66.77.255.87/Images/DREMELTOOLS/400_D/WEB_PD/400_hires_pd.jpg) to your case with MB still inside.

the liitle steel particles will float away(suspended in air) then forum dust on your exposed contacts?

note whats heavyier silver or grease

Silver (Ag)
Atomic Weight = 107.8682

lube
atomic weight 28.06


nope, no dremeling on the case or even close to it when the rigs up and installed.

andyc

[lowfat]

i suppose its mostly a matter of preference. I prefer ceramique because it's WAY cheaper (22g syringe for like 10 bucks), performs (IMO) just as well, and also does super-cold temps better.

exactly. With those prices I see no reason to go with AS5.

[MRBIGSHOT]

i used to use as5, i have sence switched back to ceramique. it seems after 6-8 months as5 would get super thick and gummy, it because almost impossiable to remove the heatsink inless you could twist it (damn near 180 degrees). on my 754 epox there was no room to twist so i tried my best and still pulled the cpu out of the locked socket. no harm done but a few easily bent pins. i know there are many here that have had simular experences.

it might be worth a few degrees in the cooling department but the hassle isnt worth it. 2c isnt going to change your overclock any.

[serialk11r]

[sigh] Guys, there's tons of paste that's actually a good bit better than either AS5 or ceramique! Well maybe not tons, but like several types. MX1, for example, is cheap and performs well, a few C better than either AS5 or ceramique as that test goes. AS5 and ceramique got the SAME temps.

[Fossil]

Nobody here has ever confirmed that test, so we are still guessing to a great extent. As for AS3, it wasn't even in the test, but I like to imagine that they improved things when they went to AS5.

I can't seem to find anything other than AS5 and ceramique products here anyway.