Coolaboratory Liquid Pro Vs Artic Silver 5 Test results

[Martinm210]

Have heard a mixed bag of good and bad through my searching, but overall it seems like it could be worth a couple of degrees over AS5, so I had to try it myself.

The fact that some people won't touch it saying it's a total PITA to install was almost appealing...ahh a new challenge..

This is the package that you get, a very small siringe with a hypodermic needle. Careful you don't want to stick yourself with this thing, or leave it out where kids can get to.


Installation:
It's a very time consuming PITA, that's for sure, but it's also very important I think that you take your time and rub the stuff onto the surfaces well enough to break the surface tension and gain bonding. Expect a good half hour just to install, and also expect you will have to remove the processor and waterblock to apply properly in good light.

Here is a bead on the IHS:


Spreading the stuff around, working my way from the center out:


IHS done and installed:


Block coverage:


So far, I'm very impressed, 2.5C drop in idle and 3.4C drop in TAT 100% load temps is very noteworthy for a simple TIM change, although it doesn't come without some negatives. I've heard several people complain that the stuff has a tendency to want to glue your block to the chip, or that it's difficult to remove the paste from the chips/blocks. The CLP brochure does come with notes that removal may require a metal polish to remove the paste, and it's very explicit about NO ALUMINIM! coolers period...it will eat aluminum. Regardless, I'm all for the added risk and difficulties involved considering the outcome, that's a substantial improvement IMHO.

Below are water to core temperature differences. Note these temperatures were all recorded using TAT's log function and actual core temperatures. Core temperatures on my 680i are typically around 5C higher than the motherboard temperature. For example at 20.3C ambient that I currently have my MB temperature is 31C, and my TAT core temperature is around 36C. Also I used TAT 100% load which is the most extreme loading tool available and much more intensive than any other program including orthos small ftt, real world loading is normally half that amount. I'm charting water to core temperature because it takes out the variable of radiator performance as well as ambient temperature changes. My air to water temperature at load is right at 4C at TAT 100% load if I let it load for 10 minutes.
Idle water to air temp difference is usually just under 3C. This is with my CPU only loop on an MCR320, D5 variable, with Yate Loon D12SL12 fans on a 1/2" foam fan shroud.

All of this is done with fairly inexpensive digital aquarium probes that are nothing fancy. I try to improve accuracy by taking alot of measurements and I think this gives me a good "relative" comparison, but actual measurements could be off slightly due to the equipment used.

Enough of that, here are the Final results:
(Update 9-23 after 40 Hrs Cure Time)
Data:
Each test case number was done by logging TAT core temperatures for 10 minutes while manually logging air and water temperatures on my digital probes. What you see in the test line is the average TAT logged temperature (usually 100 or so results), and my average of 10 air and 10 water temps.


Graph:


Also testing on my 8800(Stock non-lapped IHS), but I've noticed it doesn't like to bond nearly as well with the nickel plating as it does pure copper, so I'm thinking you see the greatest benefit with a lapped IHS where you end up with a Copper/CLP/Copper sandwich.