How Often Do I Replace Thermal Compound?

[laezyre]

I haven't done this in over a year. Does it degrade? Thanks.

 

[AmberClad]

I'd be more worried about the dust that has built up in your heatsink and fan in the space of a year.

 

[snakeye]

If you applied the compound properly it should last you many years. Any reason why you think you need to replace it?

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: laezyre
I haven't done this in over a year. Does it degrade? Thanks.

Depends on the TIM, naturally, but the vast vast majority of your typical brand-name TIMs (AS5, TX-2, etc) are oil-based and do NOT evaporate or lose thermal conductivity with time and use.

As AmberClad says, the dust and fuzz building up on your Heatsink is doing more damage to your thermal conductivity than anything else.

 

[Turbonium]

Generally speaking, never, except for when you re-seat or remove the HSF.

btw, shouldn't this be posted in the Cases & Cooling section?

 

[seemingly random]

I used to take the cover off the pc, take it outside every spring and give it a blow job. I used a small leaf blower. A too powerful one might damage the fans when they spin > 10k rpm. Probably should have done it more often.

 

[Turbonium]

Originally posted by: seemingly random
I used to take the cover off the pc, take it outside every spring and give it a blow job.

Sigged tbh.

 

[laezyre]

I cleaned the dust out, but didn't want to remove my entire mother board and scrape the cpu if I didn't have to. I have to get a case that has a removable tray next time.

It just seems like my fan kicks into high rpm mode more often recently when I'm just surfing the web. My temps have been low 40's C idle and about 50 during games.

 

[habbakuk87]

Originally posted by: Turbonium

Originally posted by: seemingly random
I used to take the cover off the pc, take it outside every spring and give it a blow job.

Sigged tbh.

ROFL

 

[ch33zw1z]

Originally posted by: laezyre
I cleaned the dust out, but didn't want to remove my entire mother board and scrape the cpu if I didn't have to. I have to get a case that has a removable tray next time.

It just seems like my fan kicks into high rpm mode more often recently when I'm just surfing the web. My temps have been low 40's C idle and about 50 during games.

What's the rest of your rig? Room temp?

 

[poohbear]

actually, Arctic silver recommends u replace the thermal paste every 6 months (for AS5). Not sure if that's so customers use up their paste and buy new ones, but i doubt that's the reason cause even if u replace ur thermal paste every 6 months w/ a regular tube of AS5 there'd still be enough to last u for 3-4 years ( u only use a tiny bit for cpus).

 

[laezyre]

I used AS5. Maybe it's time to replace it. Last I read, using a plastic scraping device and rubbing alcohol and q-tips worked. My room temp is warmer now in the spring. It's about 75-77 F, and this winter it was about 70-72 F. I'm going to do a better job of dusting this weekend. With my setup, what core temps should I expect?

One final disclosure: After I applied the AS5, it appeared that I had used too much. I used a clean paper towel(I know, stupid move) and wiped off about half. That was in April of 2008.

Thanks for the help.


E8400 cpu with vendetta II with AS5 thermal paste
and bolt thru kit
msi 8800 GT
G-Skill 4 gig memory
WD 250 gig sata HD
MB ga-p35ds3l rev. 2
psu 430 Watt (can't recall, but good brand)

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: poohbear
actually, Arctic silver recommends u replace the thermal paste every 6 months (for AS5). Not sure if that's so customers use up their paste and buy new ones, but i doubt that's the reason cause even if u replace ur thermal paste every 6 months w/ a regular tube of AS5 there'd still be enough to last u for 3-4 years ( u only use a tiny bit for cpus).

I've looked for, but cannot seem to find, this recommendation on the AS5 product site and in the pdf manuals.

Can you tell me where this recommended replacement policy is stated?

 

[Modelworks]

Compound should never need to be replaced once installed. If they tell you to replace it every 6 months they are trying to increase sales.
I've worked on equipment that was 30 years old that the compound was still working fine.

 

[Turbonium]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
Compound should never need to be replaced once installed. If they tell you to replace it every 6 months they are trying to increase sales.

Agreed. Sounds like a really dishonest way to boost their sales.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

To me, the extra expense is just the price of being an aspiring "Hot-Dawg," but I gave up AS-5 two years ago, because . . ..

"Diamonds are Forever"

AS5 is supposed to slowly degrade over time, but I doubt this would require attention to "replacement." Even so -- the IC7 never degrades, and it is marginally better, even for being a slight irritation to spread the stuff.

[Somehow, these worries remind me of my mother. She spends every waking moment inventing things to worry about -- stuff most people wouldn't think of. "Acute Anxiety Disorder?" Dunno. But if I could sell her worries, I'd prosper in this Depression-II economy . . . ]

 

[Erif]

How does Arctic MX-2 compare to AS 5?

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: BonzaiDuck
AS5 is supposed to slowly degrade over time, but I doubt this would require attention to "replacement."

According to the documents it gets "better" over the first 200hrs. There's nothing on their website discussing replacement period or that it degrades in any manner.

I'm not trying to call shens or BS or anything, I'm just perplexed that if this is true then you'd think the producer would actually have it documented and in their manuals or usage guidance.

And since it isn't there (I've looked, me no find it), it begs the question "who" decided this info is correct and factual?

 

[Matt1970]

999 times out of 1000 you will have thrown out the board and chip for being too old and slow before the thermal paste dries out. Like Modelworks said, I have tore apart some pretty old electronics and the generic thermal paste on the those was still good.

 

[Modelworks]

If you really want the best thermal connection, use what they did on the voyager probe that is still functioning after almost 30 years and billions of light years away.
Gold leaf. Chosen because if they had to switch off heating, normal compounds may freeze in space. Gold leaf conducts wonderfully and you never have to worry about decay.

 

[dennilfloss]

I replace my CPU every three years and that's the only time I apply AS5.

 

[nyker96]

once a year i believe although on my NAS rig, it's been 2 years that sempy still works fine. i doubt I will ever replace TIM for that rig ever.

 

[seemingly random]

I change the thermal compound on my cpu's with the same frequency as I change the air in my truck tires.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: seemingly random
I change the thermal compound on my cpu's with the same frequency as I change the air in my truck tires.

I don't bother changing the air in my car tires. That's because I use NITROGEN! Yup, I make sure that I only put nitrogen in my tires, thus I never need to change it. Oh yeah, for anyone else wanting to try this, make sure that the nitrogen is around 75% pure. That seems to work really well.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: Zap

Originally posted by: seemingly random
I change the thermal compound on my cpu's with the same frequency as I change the air in my truck tires.

I don't bother changing the air in my car tires. That's because I use NITROGEN! Yup, I make sure that I only put nitrogen in my tires, thus I never need to change it. Oh yeah, for anyone else wanting to try this, make sure that the nitrogen is around 75% pure. That seems to work really well.

I personally spend a little extra and go for the 78% purity stuff when it comes to my nitrogen of choice for tire inflation.

Admittedly, and this is really bourgeois of me but please don't think any less for admitting it, I use that really pure stuff for breathing too :laugh:

I know, sickly indulgement of me right? Considering the poverty level of the world and here I am sucking down the premium stuff like it was as common as air or something.