Some good thermal paste I found.

[Yerg2k]

I found some great thermal compound. It really beats radio hovel silicone-based compound and probably does nearly as good as arctic silver. I don't care what people say about the "quality" of AS5, it's really expensive and I believe it couldn't be worth it.

What I got: Permatex Anti-Sieze lubricant. The goop is not very thick but also not runny. It is primarily silver; I wouldn't know how fine it is except that you cannot see any particles in it; rather, it just seems like a silver paste. I don't know what holds the silver, but I imagine something good due to the warnings not to get on your hands or in your eyes. Then again, that may just be the silver.

Anyhow, judging by how it says "do not store in temperatures in excess of 90 deg. F", I would assume that the paste dries out leaving a layer of silver powder between your two surfaces (processor and heatsink, for example). We've been using it for a few months with no problems, and only recently did I figure it might be something similar to that expensive stuff.

Maybe it doesn't have three sizes of silver particles; I'de imagine it has a range of sizes. Still, at less than $5 for a 1oz/28g weight tube (a lot of it), I can't complain.

I'll have to see how lower my temps are with this stuff, currently I just threw on some rat shack thermal compound (that's all that was available at the time), between the proc and a copperblock. I may also test silicone thermal compound next to this stuff and AS5, on a few different processors with stock HSFs.

Anyone use this stuff for heatsinking compound?

[Karnivore]

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9653&highlight=Permatex

there are some others, but thats one of the bigger ones...

[Yerg2k]

Wow, guess someone beat me to testing it. Cool! So it's as good as AS5?

Edit: The person who started that thread took back what they said, and said it's no good because it dries up.

I can see, if there's space between the processor and heatsink, due to some unevenness or bowed surfaces. But the anti-sieze compound has particles in it that fill the gaps. Even after drying out, the powder still remains, ensuring transfer.

The question is, how typical is perfect level mating of processor and heatsink? I can see problems if there are larger air gaps between the two, but if they are both flat then I can't see why you would use AS5, when anti-sieze has similar components. Copper, Silver, and graphite. AS5 does have ceramic, but I'de really like to see an assessment of viability for both TIMs for short- and long-term use.

[_Eduard_]

nothing beats AS5. And $5 is expensive for like 10 or more cpu's, while each of them may cost like $400 each? hahaha...

[STEvil]

permatex is ok for a direct die approach but its horrendous for heatspreaders.

Good to see someone else playing with alternatives though ;)

[echow87]

heh....i dont use thermal paste at all :rolleyes:

but then when i used it, it lower temp by 15c~