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I think the article tells nothing of importance as it is right now. Since when has applying thermal paste been messy and requiring trial and error to apply "cor
by zxcdw 14y ago
I think the article tells nothing of importance as it is right now. Since when has applying thermal paste been messy and requiring trial and error to apply "correctly"?
These days the thermal load(W/cm²) between the CPU heat spreader(the nickel alloy(?) coated copper plate on top of the CPU package) and the heatsink base is so low compared to the thermal load between the CPU core and the CPU heat spreader, that even if you manage to use ten times more efficient interface material in between, the actual heat transfer from the CPU core to the heatsink base wouldn't increase all that much. It's easy to understand, when you consider that the heat spreader has so much more surface area than the actual CPU die.
In simplified layman terms, no matter what you put between the CPU and the heatsink base, you get the same temperature give or take a few degrees celsius. Of course, the thermal compound starts to matter much more when you overclock and the thermal load may double or even triple.
I guess new inventions like described in the article are welcome though, but personally I am no excited at all, regardless of the claimed thermal conductivity and "real world performance".
- mnicole 14y ago> Since when has applying thermal paste been messy and requiring trial and error to apply "correctly"? For people not accustomed to building their own rigs or using thermal paste, it can have a learning curve. Even having done it before, I had an issue two months ago where applying a little too much kept me from entering the BIOS. After some worry I reseated it and it worked fine, but anything that makes the process of building your own system easier should be a welcome change.
- zxcdw 14y agoHow is that even possible? How could applying too much material between the CPU heatspreader and the heatsink keep one from entering BIOS? Even if you spilt it all over your motherboard and socket, it shouldn't do a damn, as (at least most?) thermal pastes aren't conductive enough to cause any short-circuits or other harm.
- mnicole 14y agoI couldn't tell you, to be honest. It was originally an issue with the video card overheating, and I decided to clean and re-organize everything. The thermal was the only thing I wasn't 100% on, and when I reseated it with less paste, it worked again.