Best Thermal paste compound?? Silver5 ??

[ChronoReverse]

The differences are unlikely to be too huge. I'd look for something stable instead. I use (my original tube of) Arctic Ceramique because it's less likely to dry up and become crumbly.

 

[Mfusick]

so then what is a safe general use... ok value product ??

I build 20 PC's last year .. and I would like to stock up on some in my tool kit.

Think normal to medium overclocks or stock settings. nothing extreme.

Looking for a product that is easy- simple with consistent results.

I don't want something that is hit or miss.

I'm thinking a budget of $20.

Advice?

(I have used Silver5 previously)

 

[Wangstang]

An often overlooked option is This Arctic product:
http://www.arcticsilver.com/ceramique.htm

I've never seen any comparision tests with it but I've used it on several builds and to glue heat sinks onto chips without retainers and I've never had a problem. It's a bit thicker and it's designed not to not separate, run, migrate, or bleed. If you are ever trying to improve the cooling capacit of a board or chip set that wasn't intended to be run in a hot environment, like a desktop being used in an open automotive shop where ambiant tempratures can be in the 100-110 degree range, this stuff rocks.

Wes

 

[Idontcare]

so then what is a safe general use... ok value product ??

I build 20 PC's last year .. and I would like to stock up on some in my tool kit.

Think normal to medium overclocks or stock settings. nothing extreme.

Looking for a product that is easy- simple with consistent results.

I don't want something that is hit or miss.

I'm thinking a budget of $20.

Advice?

(I have used Silver5 previously)

In that application setting, where the downside risk of trying something new is that you have pissed off customers that cause you to lose credibility, the upside potential of displacing your existing product of choice (AS5) is truly negligable IMO.

You know AS5 works, more to the point you know what it does for you and you are comfortable with what it does. Going with anything else at this point is just going to add risk to your business model, and for what gain? Maybe 2-3C improved temps but at the risk of having your customers unhappy should the temperatures climb 10C in 6 months?

For me, NT-H1 was an ideal replacement of my prior dependence on AS5. The mounts are consistent, it is good stuff. But I can't speak to its endurance to say whether it is better or worse in the long-term than AS5.

I aim to find out, I use it exclusively at the moment, but my downside risk is entirely internallized, no customer exposure should this transition not pan out for me.