Changing Thermal Compound?
13 years ago
Some journals are personal, and some journals are business related for Kinzart. For everything else, I don't care.
Just a quick question out there for the tech-savy individuals ye' be:
I have been using my Geforce GTS 250 OC for the past 2 years and it's been very effective across 2 systems I've used it in. With my second system, which became a first overclocking system to me, I began to get my feet wet in regards to thermal compounds when I realized that Intel likes to cheap out sometimes. I first used Arctic Silver 5 which worked slightly better but it turns out I didn't apply it right (dot method fail). Then I got Antec Formula 7 and applied it right (hey, it came with the applier in the box), with very impressive results (6-8 C drop avg on full load).
Well, after seeing the success with my CPU (Intel i5 3570K), I am now wondering in regards to my graphics card if I could see similar benefits. On idle, my GPU is around 61C and while doing some gaming on it, it will spike to around 80C (versus my CPU which idles at around 30C and 58C on full load). Would taking apart my GPU and replacing its stock compound make any difference or does it even matter that it is going up to 80C?
-Flame
I have been using my Geforce GTS 250 OC for the past 2 years and it's been very effective across 2 systems I've used it in. With my second system, which became a first overclocking system to me, I began to get my feet wet in regards to thermal compounds when I realized that Intel likes to cheap out sometimes. I first used Arctic Silver 5 which worked slightly better but it turns out I didn't apply it right (dot method fail). Then I got Antec Formula 7 and applied it right (hey, it came with the applier in the box), with very impressive results (6-8 C drop avg on full load).
Well, after seeing the success with my CPU (Intel i5 3570K), I am now wondering in regards to my graphics card if I could see similar benefits. On idle, my GPU is around 61C and while doing some gaming on it, it will spike to around 80C (versus my CPU which idles at around 30C and 58C on full load). Would taking apart my GPU and replacing its stock compound make any difference or does it even matter that it is going up to 80C?
-Flame
FA+

If you did change the thermal paste, the best you'd get is 2C or less, that's it.
Your best bet is to have a good case fan blowing on the GPU, or go all liquid-cooling with it, since you want to get your feet/paws wet.
It seems like it is inefficient or poorly cooled, but these modern graphic cards are typically safe between 80-95C and are designed to peak up there toward 90 before it kicks its fans higher, the fans delay and try to keep as low and quiet as it can and prefer to heat up over noise and keeping cool. Typically CPU's do ship with cheap little self applying square pad, and it's usually applied much too thick, GPU's come with a little higher quality paste and are machine applied so they're not so bad, but really, yes, you'd be good to apply some highly Silver+ high silver content rated compound.