/me quickly wipes off all trace of arctic silver... i didn't do aannything definately seems strange, maybe to cover themselves if some less intelligent individual smears arctic silver all over the top of their processor shorting all the connections on top lol
MY COMMENTS ARE NOT OFFICIAL BY ANY MEANS! I only know what you guys have been reading also, Some of the thermal guys are near me, but they are out to lunch I will ask if they know anymore. I assume it either has to do with one of three things: Either AMD is getting chips back for warrenty repair that have Artic Silver on the resistor banks, or pins. OR some company out there has decided to sell chips pre-overclocked, using Artic silver to cross the jumpers. And AMD is getting those back in repair. OR the Actual grease is really shorting out the die. This is not likley on the back side, but there is an insulation around the edges of the die, if a conductive substance got under that it would ruin the chip. Still unlikley. /Edit, Oh and I just bought a whole tube of AS3 that I am going to use all over my MediaPC. I just thought of one more possibility: The recommended thermal material is a Phase Change material, meaning it turns to a liquid when hot, this fills in even microscopic cracks between the heatsink and die. Thermal goop of anytype relies on a thermal transfer material suspended in a paste. The particals no matter how small could act like sandpaper, when under the pressure and vibration of the heatsink and fan. The back side of the die is not far from the actual circuitry, mabye older systems are starting to wear down the back of the die. But in the end is is probably most likely one of the first two I suggested.
Does that mean that every AMD approved heatsink and fan that comes with thermal paste comes supplied with this specific compound. If not then that would mean that AMD approve of a product which if used, voids your warrenty. Because I haven’t allways seen a manufacturers name on the compound.
amd idiots! what a way to allienate the enthusiast croud - [try to] enforce the use of some crappy thermal paste instead of the post-factum industry standard of arctic silver (or allumina, if you so desire). arrogant fools. this is my kung-fu, and it is strong! who is your teacher? your kung-fu is obsolete! i will destroy you, and take away your thermal paste. don't let the fact that i'm running P4 confuse you - i am a big amd proponent, and this is just plain pissing me off.
Wow, we are pissed. If you are a overclocker and unlock the jumpers you have already voided your warrenty. You are still free to use what ever thermal paste you want, just if you fry your processor, make sure NO thermal paste is left on when you send it back. Don't buy pre-overclocked or unlocked chips. The recommended thermal paste is not crappy by anymeans. No matter what Artic Silver says to protect their own interests. In fact it is not a thermal paste at all. Many mistake the fact that it is thick as an indicator that there is too much on the chip. The recommeded material is a Phase change type, meaning it's particle size is atomic in size, not grainy. It is NOT cheaper in cost than Artic Silver III on a gram-per-gram basis. I fully support Artic Silver III, but saying that it can be the only best is not looking at the whole picture. Artic Silver III is the best thermal paste you can buy. But Phase change materials are still better than paste for ensuring thermal transfer. And to the remarks from "The Core" ----------------- To say AMD is arrogant is very rude. We work very hard to test every appoved heatsink that comes into our labs. The testing is very exact, very precise and certified. We don't slap the CPU on, look in the BIOS, and say "Hey that is two degree's colder!"
Phase change is all well and good but not for some of us who use phase change cooling, but I suppose by the time my Promies been at it the warranty is a distant memory
THESE COMMENTS ARE NOT OFFICIAL Ok I have talked to the thermal guys over in my lab. Steve Knauber (The originator of all of this) has just about as much power to release an official statement as me. Meaning HE HAS NO RIGHT TO RELEASE A "OFFICIAL STATEMENT" (Details here: http://www.xtremetek.com/info/index.php?id=14&page=1) AMD is now informed of this. DCFlex may also be to blame as he said that AMD "Directly confimed" that it would void your warrenty. His statements dont seem to be based on a very scientific basis. "Silver is the best electrical conductor on the planet, and Silver Oxide (Silver Tarnish) is even more conductive. " -DCfluX Until there is a press release on the AMD website it is NOT official. With that said, talking to the guys who work on thermal solutions, in the same lab as me said that Shin Etsu G 749 is not even the best thermal material to use. The best is Shin Etsu G 751. He also said that NO THERMAL PASTES are recommended. (That doesn't mean they void your warrenty) Thermal pastes are not recommended due to the particles in the paste. The particles can actualy cause extra spacing between the CPU and heatsink. Phase change materials become liquid when hot, which is what is best. Since phase change actualy becomes a liquid when hot, it fills in the empty spaces in the heatsink, without adding particles between the CPU and Heatsink. He also said that Artic Silver III is a very good thermal paste, the best they have tested. It is nearly as good as Shin Etsu G 751. So in the end, Pastes, are not recommened, that doesn't mean they void your warrenty.
i've always found that i get lower temps if i scrape off the thermal pad and use some as3 instead. why is that? are the factory pads too thick due to the general process that caters for mass production? I'm assuming that Shin Etsu G 751 is the stuff we get on amd chips from retailers.. ?
DUDE. I bought a RETAIL ThunderBird that came PRE-UNLOCKED. I went to bridge the L1 traces, and found they already were. AMD voided their own warranty. Also whiel yes, phase change is the best, wouldn't teh fact that it becomes liquidic be a problem for leaking ? And being of a msaller make up, then easier to sneak into the chips ? Or is it not conductive ? Or does it only become liquidic to teh poin of being a gel like state, as oppsed to a more water like state ?
there were a few thunderbirds like that. i had one. 1.333 unlocked and it ran aat 1.6 air cooled. no worries
I think youve got to look at the overall picture. I mean, people generally DONT understand how to apply thermal grease that's why they go for pink pads. You are meant to have an ultra thin layer between cpu core and heatsink. Ive seen pics (FROM AMD AS WELL!!) where there has been thermal paste ALL OVER the cpu. Its been lathered on and has subsequently buggered a contact or has impared heatsink contact and screwed the chip.
