Hey everybody. I wanted to share the results of a little experiment I did
Here you will see the results of a little testing I did on some of the most common thermal compounds used in the PC world today.
I will start off with each company and in the end I will do the final conclusion.
Your experience may differ from my results and other different ways of testing can be done.
Method
I start by applying a pea sized dot of thermal paste in the middle of well cleaned CPU and add the CPU water block.
I let prime95 run for 45-50 minutes and then take the temperatures and divide them by all 4 cores and then take the room temperatures to get the delta temperature.
The delta temperatures are the ones that count
Arctic Silver History
The Arctic Silver company was founded by Nevin House in 1999. Headquartered in Visalia, California, USA, House's original product was a custom modified version of HP's Turbocooler heatsink design from servers and workstations. That experience led to research in thermal compounds, and their material composition. House experimented with silver based solutions, and success with improved formulas led to a change in business focus, to thermal interface compounds. A succession of silver formulations were its leading products in the mid-2000's, as is the current Arctic Silver 5. Other developments include ceramic (non-conductive) compounds as well as thermal interface epoxy adhesives for use where permanence is desirable, or where no other heatsink attachment method is available.
About Arctic Silver 5
With its unique high-density filling of micronized silver and enhanced thermally conductive ceramic particles, Arctic Silver 5 provides a new level of performance and stability. Available at Arctic Silver resellers worldwide. Arctic Silver 5 is the reference premium thermal compound. Arctic Silver 5 is optimized for a wide range of bond lines between modern high-power CPUs and high performance heatsinks or water-cooling solutions.
Arctic Silver, Inc.
The arctic silver 5 was applied to the CPU and then kept under full load for about 50 minutes. These are the results after that time:
Core 0: 56°C
Core 1: 63°C
Core 2: 63°C
Core 3: 53°C
Total: 235
Divided by 4 cores: 58.75°C
Room temperature at the time was 25°C so the Delta temperatures are 33.75°C
On to Arctic cooling MX-4
Arctic Cooling History
The increased heat emission of modern computers has put the production of powerful and quiet coolers beyond the means of most manufacturers. The raised noise levels of PC systems have a negative impact on productivity, since a quiet computer is the basis for pleasant working conditions. ARCTIC initiated the trend towards quiet cooling systems for desktop PCs in 2001 and has led the way ever since. When ARCTIC COOLING was founded, we began by focusing on Switzerland and Germany. In 2002 ARCTIC COOLING (HK) Ltd. was founded to develop relationships with our Asian production locations. From 2005, we started to expand business in North and South America and provide optimum service to our customer base there.
ARCTIC is now a leading manufacturer of CPU coolers, GPU coolers and case fans. In recent years we acquired a far-ranging expertise in the field of consumer electronics. The company’s product range has been further enhanced by new lines unrelated to PC cooling which was the reason behind the 2010 change in our brand name and logo: ARCTIC COOLING became the ARCTIC brand umbrella.
About MX-4
The ARCTIC MX-4 is a new thermal compound that guarantees exceptional heat dissipation from components and maintains the needed stability to push your computer system to its maximum. The ARCTIC MX-4 continues to be overclocker’s ultimate choice when choosing thermal compound.
Start******·******Arctic Cooling
The Arctic Cooling MX-4 was applied to the CPU and then kept under full load for about 50 minutes. These are the results after that time:
Core 0: 57°C
Core 1: 63°C
Core 2: 63°C
Core 3: 53°C
Total: 236
Divided by 4 cores: 59°C
Room temperature at the time was 26°C which gives us the Delta temperatures of 33°C
On to Noctua NT-H1
Noctua History
Noctua comes from a cooperation of the Austrian Rascom Computerdistribution Ges.m.b.H. with the Taiwanese cooling specialist Kolink International Corporation, pooling more than ten years of experience in the development, manufacturing and marketing of high-end cooling components. Established in 2005, Noctua took the international silent enthusiasts' hearts by storm and quickly developed into one of the most acclaimed suppliers of premium quality quiet cooling products. Today, Noctua is present in more than 30 countries across the globe and working with several hundred sales partners. Chosen by noise conscious PC users, system integrators and industry clients alike, Noctua has become synonymous with impeccable quality, excellent customer service and class leading quiet cooling performance.
About Noctua NT-H1
Noctua's NT-H1 is a pro-grade TIM solution for enthusiasts who demand both exceptional performance and maximum ease of use: A hybrid compound of different micro-particles allows for minimum thermal resistance, excellent ease of use and outstanding long-term stability.
http://www.noctua.at/
The application of the Noctua NT-H1 can be a little different from the others because the compound is a bit harder than the others. I personally do a thin line in the middle of the CPU and when applying the waterblock, move it back and forward a little to spread out the compound. On bigger CPUs such as 1366 and 2011 socket I personally would use a small plastic spreader to spread the compound on the CPU but everyone has their own way Here are the results after about 50 minutes of full load on the CPU with the Noctua NT-H1
Core 0: 54°C
Core 1: 61°C
Core 2: 60°C
Core 3: 51°C
Total: 226
Divided by 4 cores: 56.5°C
Room temperature at the time was 24°C which gives us the Delta temperatures of 32.5°C
Next the Innovation Cooling Diamond
Innovation Cooling History
Innovation cooling is a privately held company, established in 2007 with a an extensive background knowledge of electronics cooling disciplines related to air cooling, water cooling, phase change cooling, and materials and manufacturing. Innovation Cooling’s principle objective is to develop cost effective, competitive performance products and transition them from lab to market. IC Diamond is the first of a series new products. Other products that are in the pipeline for release are two new compounds that will be introduced Q3 & Q4 this year. This is in addition to a new type of phase change heat sink in Q2 2010.”
Information borrowed from: Overclockers Tech
About IC Diamond
IC Diamond 7 Carat Thermal Compound maximizes thermal heat transfer between the CPU core and heatsink by taking advantage of diamond’s superior thermal conductivity. Purified synthetic diamond has a thermal conductivity of 2,000-2,500 W/mK compared to 406-429 W/mK for pure silver. Diamond’s are five times better thermal conductors compared to silver which makes it a superior heat transfer material for cooling high performance CPUs and is electrically non-conductive and non-capacitive.
Innovation Cooling
The IC Diamond also needs a special way of appliance. You need a little more than usual or about 5-5.5mm blob applied to the CPU and then you let it evaporate for about 10 minutes before you add the waterblock. Here's what we got after about 50 minutes of full load with the ICD
Core 0: 54°C
Core 1: 61°C
Core 2: 60°C
Core 3: 51°C
Total: 226
Divided by 4 cores: 56.5°C
Room temperature at the time was 26°C which gives us the Delta temperatures of 30.5°C
The last one is the PK-3 from Prolimatech
Prolimatech History
Prolimatech,founded in 2008 is headquartered in Taiwan, led by a team of dedicated experts with 22 years of accumulated experience in the field of computer thermal solutions.
Prolimatech stands for Professionalism exceeding beyond all Limits. We are here to challenge any limits that stand in our way to achieve what was thought to be impossible.
Prolimatech incorporates integration of the aerospace resource-saving technology and advanced heat conduction technology to create the best heat absorption and dissipation solutions while pertaining to the science of aesthetics.
Our never-ending quest is to satisfy every computer overclocker’s and every enthusiast’s needs for high quality and performance oriented thermal solutions for their high-end computer components.
About Prolimatech PK-3
Like two hot lovers, a heatsink and the processor want to make full contact. But microscopic imperfections in their craftsmanship create small gap for air. These gaps act as thermal insulators, inhibiting the transfer of thermal energy from your components. PK-3 thermal compound is made up of specially designed nano particles, engineered to correct these imperfections. The nano particles work by filling in the small air gaps and allowing for peak transfer of heat away from your components.
Prolimatech
After applying the PK-3 and running Prime95 for about 50 minutes we get these results:
Core 0: 55°C
Core 1: 61°C
Core 2: 59°C
Core 3: 51°C
Total: 226
Divided by 4 cores: 56.5°C
Room temperature at the time was 25°C which gives us the Delta temperatures of 31.5°C
Now we come to the conclusion. The IC Diamond comes on top with 3.25°C lower temperatures than the Arctic silver 5 so the first place goes to Innovation Cooling Diamond :clap:
List from coolest to hottest
1. IC Diamond - 30,5°C
2. Prolimatech PK-3 - 31,5°C
3. Noctua NT-H1 - 32,5°C
4. AC MX-4 - 33°C
5. Arctic Silver 5 - 33,75°C
Thanks you for reading and I hope you found it useful.
Here is the site I just started reviewing for - For all your PC hardware, mods and gaming news.
The direct link to the main article – Thermal Compound Shoot out!
AciD_RaiN
Here you will see the results of a little testing I did on some of the most common thermal compounds used in the PC world today.
I will start off with each company and in the end I will do the final conclusion.
Your experience may differ from my results and other different ways of testing can be done.
Test setup
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth P67
CPU: Intel i7 2700k @ 4.5GHz – 1.340v
CPU block: XSPC Raystorm
Reservoir: Alphacool Cape Fuzion Core 10 Acetal Black
Pump: Laing D5
Radiator: Phobya G-Changer 360 Ver. 1.2 with Nexus 120MM Real Silent 1000RPM in pull configuration
Cooling by:Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth P67
CPU: Intel i7 2700k @ 4.5GHz – 1.340v
CPU block: XSPC Raystorm
Reservoir: Alphacool Cape Fuzion Core 10 Acetal Black
Pump: Laing D5
Radiator: Phobya G-Changer 360 Ver. 1.2 with Nexus 120MM Real Silent 1000RPM in pull configuration
Method
I start by applying a pea sized dot of thermal paste in the middle of well cleaned CPU and add the CPU water block.
I let prime95 run for 45-50 minutes and then take the temperatures and divide them by all 4 cores and then take the room temperatures to get the delta temperature.
The delta temperatures are the ones that count
Arctic Silver History
The Arctic Silver company was founded by Nevin House in 1999. Headquartered in Visalia, California, USA, House's original product was a custom modified version of HP's Turbocooler heatsink design from servers and workstations. That experience led to research in thermal compounds, and their material composition. House experimented with silver based solutions, and success with improved formulas led to a change in business focus, to thermal interface compounds. A succession of silver formulations were its leading products in the mid-2000's, as is the current Arctic Silver 5. Other developments include ceramic (non-conductive) compounds as well as thermal interface epoxy adhesives for use where permanence is desirable, or where no other heatsink attachment method is available.
About Arctic Silver 5
With its unique high-density filling of micronized silver and enhanced thermally conductive ceramic particles, Arctic Silver 5 provides a new level of performance and stability. Available at Arctic Silver resellers worldwide. Arctic Silver 5 is the reference premium thermal compound. Arctic Silver 5 is optimized for a wide range of bond lines between modern high-power CPUs and high performance heatsinks or water-cooling solutions.
Arctic Silver, Inc.
The arctic silver 5 was applied to the CPU and then kept under full load for about 50 minutes. These are the results after that time:
Core 0: 56°C
Core 1: 63°C
Core 2: 63°C
Core 3: 53°C
Total: 235
Divided by 4 cores: 58.75°C
Room temperature at the time was 25°C so the Delta temperatures are 33.75°C
On to Arctic cooling MX-4
Arctic Cooling History
The increased heat emission of modern computers has put the production of powerful and quiet coolers beyond the means of most manufacturers. The raised noise levels of PC systems have a negative impact on productivity, since a quiet computer is the basis for pleasant working conditions. ARCTIC initiated the trend towards quiet cooling systems for desktop PCs in 2001 and has led the way ever since. When ARCTIC COOLING was founded, we began by focusing on Switzerland and Germany. In 2002 ARCTIC COOLING (HK) Ltd. was founded to develop relationships with our Asian production locations. From 2005, we started to expand business in North and South America and provide optimum service to our customer base there.
ARCTIC is now a leading manufacturer of CPU coolers, GPU coolers and case fans. In recent years we acquired a far-ranging expertise in the field of consumer electronics. The company’s product range has been further enhanced by new lines unrelated to PC cooling which was the reason behind the 2010 change in our brand name and logo: ARCTIC COOLING became the ARCTIC brand umbrella.
About MX-4
The ARCTIC MX-4 is a new thermal compound that guarantees exceptional heat dissipation from components and maintains the needed stability to push your computer system to its maximum. The ARCTIC MX-4 continues to be overclocker’s ultimate choice when choosing thermal compound.
Start******·******Arctic Cooling
The Arctic Cooling MX-4 was applied to the CPU and then kept under full load for about 50 minutes. These are the results after that time:
Core 0: 57°C
Core 1: 63°C
Core 2: 63°C
Core 3: 53°C
Total: 236
Divided by 4 cores: 59°C
Room temperature at the time was 26°C which gives us the Delta temperatures of 33°C
On to Noctua NT-H1
Noctua History
Noctua comes from a cooperation of the Austrian Rascom Computerdistribution Ges.m.b.H. with the Taiwanese cooling specialist Kolink International Corporation, pooling more than ten years of experience in the development, manufacturing and marketing of high-end cooling components. Established in 2005, Noctua took the international silent enthusiasts' hearts by storm and quickly developed into one of the most acclaimed suppliers of premium quality quiet cooling products. Today, Noctua is present in more than 30 countries across the globe and working with several hundred sales partners. Chosen by noise conscious PC users, system integrators and industry clients alike, Noctua has become synonymous with impeccable quality, excellent customer service and class leading quiet cooling performance.
About Noctua NT-H1
Noctua's NT-H1 is a pro-grade TIM solution for enthusiasts who demand both exceptional performance and maximum ease of use: A hybrid compound of different micro-particles allows for minimum thermal resistance, excellent ease of use and outstanding long-term stability.
http://www.noctua.at/
The application of the Noctua NT-H1 can be a little different from the others because the compound is a bit harder than the others. I personally do a thin line in the middle of the CPU and when applying the waterblock, move it back and forward a little to spread out the compound. On bigger CPUs such as 1366 and 2011 socket I personally would use a small plastic spreader to spread the compound on the CPU but everyone has their own way Here are the results after about 50 minutes of full load on the CPU with the Noctua NT-H1
Core 0: 54°C
Core 1: 61°C
Core 2: 60°C
Core 3: 51°C
Total: 226
Divided by 4 cores: 56.5°C
Room temperature at the time was 24°C which gives us the Delta temperatures of 32.5°C
Next the Innovation Cooling Diamond
Innovation Cooling History
Innovation cooling is a privately held company, established in 2007 with a an extensive background knowledge of electronics cooling disciplines related to air cooling, water cooling, phase change cooling, and materials and manufacturing. Innovation Cooling’s principle objective is to develop cost effective, competitive performance products and transition them from lab to market. IC Diamond is the first of a series new products. Other products that are in the pipeline for release are two new compounds that will be introduced Q3 & Q4 this year. This is in addition to a new type of phase change heat sink in Q2 2010.”
Information borrowed from: Overclockers Tech
About IC Diamond
IC Diamond 7 Carat Thermal Compound maximizes thermal heat transfer between the CPU core and heatsink by taking advantage of diamond’s superior thermal conductivity. Purified synthetic diamond has a thermal conductivity of 2,000-2,500 W/mK compared to 406-429 W/mK for pure silver. Diamond’s are five times better thermal conductors compared to silver which makes it a superior heat transfer material for cooling high performance CPUs and is electrically non-conductive and non-capacitive.
Innovation Cooling
The IC Diamond also needs a special way of appliance. You need a little more than usual or about 5-5.5mm blob applied to the CPU and then you let it evaporate for about 10 minutes before you add the waterblock. Here's what we got after about 50 minutes of full load with the ICD
Core 0: 54°C
Core 1: 61°C
Core 2: 60°C
Core 3: 51°C
Total: 226
Divided by 4 cores: 56.5°C
Room temperature at the time was 26°C which gives us the Delta temperatures of 30.5°C
The last one is the PK-3 from Prolimatech
Prolimatech History
Prolimatech,founded in 2008 is headquartered in Taiwan, led by a team of dedicated experts with 22 years of accumulated experience in the field of computer thermal solutions.
Prolimatech stands for Professionalism exceeding beyond all Limits. We are here to challenge any limits that stand in our way to achieve what was thought to be impossible.
Prolimatech incorporates integration of the aerospace resource-saving technology and advanced heat conduction technology to create the best heat absorption and dissipation solutions while pertaining to the science of aesthetics.
Our never-ending quest is to satisfy every computer overclocker’s and every enthusiast’s needs for high quality and performance oriented thermal solutions for their high-end computer components.
About Prolimatech PK-3
Like two hot lovers, a heatsink and the processor want to make full contact. But microscopic imperfections in their craftsmanship create small gap for air. These gaps act as thermal insulators, inhibiting the transfer of thermal energy from your components. PK-3 thermal compound is made up of specially designed nano particles, engineered to correct these imperfections. The nano particles work by filling in the small air gaps and allowing for peak transfer of heat away from your components.
Prolimatech
After applying the PK-3 and running Prime95 for about 50 minutes we get these results:
Core 0: 55°C
Core 1: 61°C
Core 2: 59°C
Core 3: 51°C
Total: 226
Divided by 4 cores: 56.5°C
Room temperature at the time was 25°C which gives us the Delta temperatures of 31.5°C
Now we come to the conclusion. The IC Diamond comes on top with 3.25°C lower temperatures than the Arctic silver 5 so the first place goes to Innovation Cooling Diamond :clap:
List from coolest to hottest
1. IC Diamond - 30,5°C
2. Prolimatech PK-3 - 31,5°C
3. Noctua NT-H1 - 32,5°C
4. AC MX-4 - 33°C
5. Arctic Silver 5 - 33,75°C
Thanks you for reading and I hope you found it useful.
Here is the site I just started reviewing for - For all your PC hardware, mods and gaming news.
The direct link to the main article – Thermal Compound Shoot out!
AciD_RaiN