Innovation Cooling's Diamond 7 TIM test results

[Das Capitolin]

I suggest as a pure measure of conductance is to take the TIM's away from PC applications, and measure its effectiveness on between a heat loaded alumnium, and refrigerated copper. And push the evelope in to a delta of at least 100C at what ever wattage it takes to maintain this delta.

This is something that I have discussed with others in the past, but do not have the test equipment to accomplish. I agree with this test method completely, and it was my first wish and desire. But then I began to feel it out, and after a while I was resigned to keeping the tests more "real-world" so that the "reader" would be able to make a connection to familiar equipment.

My first design was to run a C2D 6320 with a stock Intel fan, as to find the widest thermal delta between the two components. There wasn't much heat generated by this processor, but at the same time it hit home with most readers. The real problem was in the stock cooler, which uses push-pin mounting clips. The surface is ideal (1.5" round copper core) and would allow a consistant material spread in every test, but the mounting force would not be even because of four-corner push-pins. This is what led me down the road to the socket 478 setup with swing-arm coolers that equalize contact compression. I also liked the smaller contact area, which focuses the contact conductivity measures to a 1" radius.

To extrapolate more clearly for the intended target(s) here, some fo us can appreciate with metals for example that as the TDelta gets bigger, the Heat Conduction increases rather linearly for a wide range of temperatures.

However. TIM is not a metal, and I'm am not conviced TIM would exibit such ideal relationships between TDelta and conductance.

So to give any such TIM test the rigour it so plainly deserves, one would have to look at the conductance of the TIM at different steady state temperatures. We all know that here on XS, there guys cooling 160W processors at -50C and others cooling 160W processors at +50C. The question that you may ask is well, how does the conductance of the TIM vary, as operational steady state temps vary. Will the TIM at -50C work better than TIM at 50C?

So.... this brings us back to the Test setup. If you use a STOCK 478 HS, you will only get temps that are on the high end of the spectrum. ANd you results will only matter to those who run STOCK 478 coolers. Or at least crap coolers that maintain TIM at high temperatures, becasue, like I said, TIM may behave differently at different temperatures.

My ultimate goal is to hit the middle of the target audience with the most accurate information I can get. Polls have shown me that most users who purchase aftermarket TIM usually overclock their CPU and cool with an aftermarket air cooler. This data is my driving force towards remaining realistic in approach. I am trying to remain on the high-side of temperatures, because most enthusiasts run in the 45-55C range when fully loaded, and not the negative inverse. My own tests on the 478 platform reach into the 70's C, but only to arrive at a wider thermal delta.

There was a comment made here that made me think a little:
"If the heatsink you use is not capable of moving enough heat, then the best TIM in the world will not have a chance to perform."
This really is the point to dwell on.

While this is a true statement Movieman, I would be more willing to accept the arguement if there was some data to prove the point. Just because the Intel cooler is not the most ideal, does not automatically make it unable to perform the duty Intel designed it for.

Now for me personally, I greatly appreciate the time and effort you put into this testing and I can see that you did all you could to make it as scientific as possible but for this group that testing would have made more impact had you used a TRUE HS and not the stock Intel HS.
These guys work machines that are tweaked to the top tier my friend.
The only time you'd see a stock HS on their systems is when a TRUE was backordered and that is really why you ran into difficulty here.
It wasn't that your data was wrong, it was the parts used.

Ahh, the TRUE. This is getting off topic, but I've never seen so many people hellbent on learning thermal dynamics and yet idolize one of the worst specimens of thermal cooling I've found. Nickel plated heat-pipe rods? Better look up the thermal conductivity of nickel people, because it's essentially trapping the heat inside the rod and doesn't transfer as well as bare copper to the heatsink fins. Surface finish? I've seen roads that were smoother. Seriously, it's a scientific marvel that it could ever be held so popular, which makes it all the much better than I've found six other coolers that all perform on a higher level. But I digress, your point is taken. If they'll adore the TRUE, then who knows what else they'll buy into.