Thermal Grease Compound

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mr Koko
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Mr Koko

Is dielectric grease the same as thermal grease , and can I use it instead?
I already have dielectric grease is why I ask.

Mr Koko
 
Ok, I get the message.
Let me ask this... Is the thermal tape better than the compound?
I read somewhere that trying to take apart a heatsink from cpu after a while that had the "grease"
was difficult because it kinda baked together and you could possible separate the chip. The tape is
suppose to come apart easier. Any thoughts?

MrKoko
 
Lordy said:
why not? *playing Devil's Advocate*

why not?
simple, it's not the same stuff. Although, some thermal compounds may have
some properties of dielectric grease in their ingredients, it's still not
the same.
 
Mr said:
Ok, I get the message.
Let me ask this... Is the thermal tape better than the compound?
I read somewhere

Where? I'd like to see that!
that trying to take apart a heatsink from cpu after a while that had the "grease"
was difficult because it kinda baked together and you could possible separate the chip. The tape is
suppose to come apart easier. Any thoughts?

MrKoko


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Mr said:
Ok, I get the message.
Let me ask this... Is the thermal tape better than the compound?
I read somewhere that trying to take apart a heatsink from cpu after a while that had the "grease"
was difficult because it kinda baked together and you could possible separate the chip. The tape is
suppose to come apart easier. Any thoughts?

MrKoko

Use this:

Heat Sink Grease
$1.99 Brand: RadioShack
Catalog #: 276-1372 Model: 276-1372
 
Mr Koko said:
Ok, I get the message.
Let me ask this... Is the thermal tape better than the compound?
I read somewhere that trying to take apart a heatsink from cpu after a
while that had the "grease" was difficult because it kinda baked together
and you could possible separate the chip. The tape is suppose to come
apart easier. Any thoughts?

MrKoko

Some thermal tapes are excellent while others are not. It depends on what
they are made of. There is one type (can't remember the name) that came with
some heat sinks that was fantastic (not the pink stuff). Furthermore, I've
always had more trouble cleaning off the tape than thermal paste.

Thermal tape in my opinion is defiantly a one use product. In other words,
if you remove the heatsink for some reason you should clean off the tape and
use thermal compound.

I've never seen thermal compound bake the cpu to the heatsink that made it
difficult to remove without doing damage. Some are just harder to clean off
after a while than others and do appear to be hard and sort of baked on I
guess.

I changed a heatsink on a system this past weekend, that I had put on about
two years ago. The thermal paste come off without any trouble at all and
still looked like it did when I first applied it. I wish I could remember
what the hell I used back then.
 
Martin said:
why not?
simple, it's not the same stuff.

Chocolate milk is not the same as water.
Although, some thermal compounds may have some properties of dielectric
grease in their ingredients, it's still not
the same.

If thermal grease were much less expensive and did almost as well as
dielectric grease, then thermal grease would be used but dielectric grease
would be better even though it is different.
 
spodosaurus said:
Where? I'd like to see that!

I wish I could remember, I've been to so many sights researching 'puter parts the past week my head
is spinning!
One of the sites had some building tips, that's where I read it.

MrKoko
 
why not?
simple, it's not the same stuff. Although, some thermal compounds may
have some properties of dielectric grease in their ingredients, it's
still not the same.

I think its time for someone to put it to the test with their A64.
 
Mr said:
I wish I could remember, I've been to so many sights researching 'puter parts the past week my head
is spinning!
One of the sites had some building tips, that's where I read it.

MrKoko

I think it's off base. Personally, I find Arctic Alumina a lot easier to
clean off if I switch around CPUs between my computers here after one
gets an upgrade and the others inherit the better CPUs than I find
scraping off thermal pads.

Cheers,

Ari


--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. To jump to the end
of the story, as a result of this I need a bone marrow transplant. Many
people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please
volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/
 
It sounds as if you first need to learn the principles of
thermal conductivity. For example, too much thermal compound
can create a hotter CPU. If not obvious, then read this
previous discussion about how thermal compound works and why
tape is so much inferior.

What is CPU so 'stuck' to heatsink? With the few
microscopic air gaps full of something that is not air, then
heatsink 'appears' to be 'baked' to CPU. It is not no matter
what others speculated. Again, reasons why it appears 'baked'
is inherent in this discussion in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware entitled Thermal Tape
vs. Thermal Paste on 7 Nov 2004 at
http://tinyurl.com/5vk77

Don't remember is that discussion mentioned it, but if
thermal compound spreads to outer half of CPU / heatsink
interface, then too much was applied - possible increase in
thermal resistance, contamination of CPU electrical contacts,
and other bad things can result from too much thermal
compound.
 
w_tom said:
It sounds as if you first need to learn the principles of
thermal conductivity. For example, too much thermal compound
can create a hotter CPU. If not obvious, then read this
previous discussion about how thermal compound works and why
tape is so much inferior.

What is CPU so 'stuck' to heatsink? With the few
microscopic air gaps full of something that is not air, then
heatsink 'appears' to be 'baked' to CPU. It is not no matter
what others speculated. Again, reasons why it appears 'baked'
is inherent in this discussion in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware entitled Thermal Tape
vs. Thermal Paste on 7 Nov 2004 at
http://tinyurl.com/5vk77

Shouldn't you be out saving the world from electrical surges, lightning, and
improper protection from them? ;-)

Is thermal conductivity your new kick?

I must say, you sure have toned down the rhetoric as of late.

I've always pictured you in a super hero costume and cape with a big S on
the front, for SURGE PROTECTOR!


<evil grin>
 
Mr Koko said:
Is dielectric grease the same as thermal grease , and can I
use it instead? I already have dielectric grease is why I ask.

They're not necessarily the same, but in practice they are the same
among retail products, and if your dielectric grease is opaque white
then it's identical to thermal grease (white is from zinc oxide powder
added to improve heat flow). But there are some commercial thermal
greases that are not dielectric, such as Honeywell Tradeline 107408,
made with aluminum powder, and don't assume that a thermal grease is
dielectric when measured with an ohmmeter because this product and
even silver and nickel laced greases will show infinite resistance.
Is the thermal tape better than the compound?

Almost never for thermal conduction because it's thicker.
I read somewhere that trying to take apart a heatsink from cpu
after a while that had the "grease" was difficult because it
kinda baked together and you could possible separate the chip.
The tape is suppose to come apart easier. Any thoughts?

Tape definitely comes apart easier than it should, and I wouldn't
trust it as the sole attachment unless its adhesive was rated for at
least 200C and then not for anything but the lightest heatsink.
Ordinary silicone sealer (RTV rubber) sticks and conducts better, but
don't bother with epoxy unless you never plan to remove the heatsink
or you're in a hurry.

Very thick thermal grease may seem to stick better than tape, but
don't trust it to hold a heatsink in place because it will gradually
slide off if it's not perfectly horizontal. A hair dryer can help
remove a heatsink stuck in place with thick grease.
 
When buying a new "boxed" Intel cpu w/fan/heatsink dose it come with tape or compound?

I seem to remember one 4-7yrs ago that had a square solid color sticker on (I think) the bottom of
the heatsink or maybe on top of the cpu (also boxed). I remember wondering if I should peel it off
before assembly.... I ended up leaving it on and never had a problem. Could that have been thermal
tape?

MrKoko
 
It first helps to provide some numbers. Was that previous
CPU a 7 watt device or a 15 watt device? CPUs are now
approaching 100 watts. What was good enough then (and in
violation of manufacturer's intent) can now cause problems.
Margins for error are becoming narrower. Ten years ago,
Pentiums could be cooled only by passive heatsinks.

In the meantime, another has suggested applying 'thick'
grease. Again, I refer to the previous discussion with
technical facts at http://tinyurl.com/5vk77 . Thermal
compound must be applied so thin as to not even squeeze out
onto outer half of heatsink mating surface. Too much grease
means a loss of direct 'CPU to heatsink' contact. Too much
thermal compound is undesirable for same reasons that thermal
tape is not desirable.
 
agreed....

so I heard thermal grease cooled things allot, so I filled my PSU with
it and covered the vent holes with thermal tape for extra cooling and
to keep the darn stuff from leaking into my case.. so far so
good..cept for some reason my 'case' isn't cooling as well. I have
now covered the vent holes of the case and waiting for my 5000 1oz
tubes of grease to come. ;^)~
 
JAD said:
agreed....

so I heard thermal grease cooled things allot, so I filled my PSU with
it and covered the vent holes with thermal tape for extra cooling and
to keep the darn stuff from leaking into my case.. so far so
good..cept for some reason my 'case' isn't cooling as well. I have
now covered the vent holes of the case and waiting for my 5000 1oz
tubes of grease to come. ;^)~


Why didn't I think of that!

MrKoko
 
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