Cooling Heatsink paste question for GPU

Hi All,

I heard a rumour here that some people have issue's with heatsink paste on gpu coolers.

Apparently the issue is that some people have noticed major differences in temperatures (positive) when using different heatsink paste for the GPU and Memory modules? Some use Arctic Silver on the GPU and ceramic on the memory modules?

To me this seems strange since all your doing with the paste is ensureing good contact with the heat producing modules, to ensure heat transfer. I cannot see how there could be any difference?

many thanks in advance

 

All I could think of is distance. Since the GPU heatsink is generally a single piece it is fitted for the GPU and uses thermal tape type stuff for the RAM. Different thermal compounds have different transfer rates over different distances. Other than that I can't think of anything, and the former would only work really for stock sinks, not aftermarket.

 

I think it's something to do with the fact that the AS5 conducts electricity while ceramic doesn't. The area around the GPU itself is sealed with no exposed electrical components, however the memory packages have transisters and all sorts of exposed things around them, and so using a non conductive TIM is preferable.

 

That's great guys.

Thanks a lot for the info. I was going to go with the Coollaboratory Liquid Metal, and even bought a syringe of the stuff but I found some interesting reading today, so I have canned that idea.

Many thanks for the help.

 

^yup

and yes that TIM isnt the best stuff to use. ceramique for the win