A moment of PC geekery - SV650.org

northwind · 29-10-06, 03:02 AM

As an experiment, I just replaced the standard adhesive heat transfer pad on my graphics card with a dab of arctic silver thermal compound... And immediately, before it's even slightly cured, it's shed 6 degrees under load. That's ridiculous! I mean, obviously I'm pleased with the result, but I'm also pretty annoyed that the card shipped so badly set up. (It's a Galaxy 7900GT with a Zalman ZF700 factory fitted, incidentally)

That's probably not even the best result possible, there's way more compound on there than it needs I think.

Anyway. My point (if I have one, it's not clear) is that there's quite possibly a ton of heat reduction available even with stock coolers/factory fit upgrades, just with a tiny bit of effort and expense. Probably even more worth doing on a recent Intel processor with the poor integrated heat sink surface...

29-10-06, 03:08 AM

you mean you don't have an SV radiator attached to the sink? northy, I'm disappointed in you

29-10-06, 04:57 AM

Huh.
That's a lot. That means they could have overclocked the chip a little bit, lashed on the decent compound and been back at the same heat with a faster card.

I suppose... they must know about it. They must have tested it, but just dont think that the cost reward ratio is high enough. There is fierce competition on those things though.

Hard to know really what they are up to.
I opened up a new machine the other day, it was running a bit hot but no big deal. I lashed in another hard drive that I had laying about the lab, and while I was in there, noticed that the main cpu cooler fan, which was a nice snazzy expensive one was completely covered up with a massive ribbon cable, so the fan was blowing air nowhere. I moved the ribbon three inches and zip tied it in place, and the cpu instantly cooled off a few degrees, and is not constantly spinning any more.

That was just some screw up on the assembly line though. Your one is cheaping out at a board room I would guess.

Kylie · 29-10-06, 08:31 AM

Hmmn, my Dell Dimension 8400 got very noisy 6 months after I got it, fan spinning hard at the merest threat of some procesing work. I saw what this guy did http://www.lecodesign.co.uk/zalman/index.html and thought I'd try that myself (Basically take off the old dell heat sink from the pentium and slap on a fancy Zalman sink/fan thing).

Complete disaster, the Zalman is as noisy as the Dell fan and the Pentium gets just as hot as it ever did, probably more so. Wish I'd left all alone....

ethariel · 29-10-06, 09:47 AM

But the secret, as above, is Arctic Silver (I think they are up to 3 or were the last time i bought any). It makes the sticky pads that come as standard look like insulation rather than a conductor.

northwind · 29-10-06, 10:27 PM

Yep, it's good stuff this Arctic Silver. I think when I do the swap onto the new board, I'll fix up the new heatsink with its stock pad, bench it and then refit with the real thing to see how much of a difference it makes...

Kylie, could it be that in your case the fan control isn't working right? On mine, the Dell heatsink and fan is stealthy at idle but extremely loud the rest of the time... And that Zalman's a quiet piece of kit, when it's working right. So I wonder if it's maybe running harder than it needs to?

29-10-06, 11:05 PM

I think that's quite an achievement for 3am

northwind · 29-10-06, 11:14 PM

I do my best work in the middle of the night

Shame my office is shut really...

Anyone know why I can't get my PC to boot off this old drive I just imaged my c:/ onto? It doesn't get detected as a bootable drive but it should be all present and correct...

30-10-06, 01:40 AM

The bios is looking in the right place right?

Red ones · 30-10-06, 06:46 AM

I always found understanding a Scottish accent difficult, but now I am having difficulty understanding even when a Scotsman writes! Is this in tongues?

You are right - it is geekery!

29-10-06, 03:02 AM	#1
northwind Moderator Mega Poster Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In the garage where I belong Posts: 17,083	A moment of PC geekery As an experiment, I just replaced the standard adhesive heat transfer pad on my graphics card with a dab of arctic silver thermal compound... And immediately, before it's even slightly cured, it's shed 6 degrees under load. That's ridiculous! I mean, obviously I'm pleased with the result, but I'm also pretty annoyed that the card shipped so badly set up. (It's a Galaxy 7900GT with a Zalman ZF700 factory fitted, incidentally) That's probably not even the best result possible, there's way more compound on there than it needs I think. Anyway. My point (if I have one, it's not clear) is that there's quite possibly a ton of heat reduction available even with stock coolers/factory fit upgrades, just with a tiny bit of effort and expense. Probably even more worth doing on a recent Intel processor with the poor integrated heat sink surface... __________________ "We are the angry mob, we read the papers every day We like what we like, we hate what we hate But we're oh so easily swayed"

29-10-06, 08:31 AM	#4
Kylie Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Harrow Posts: 305	Hmmn, my Dell Dimension 8400 got very noisy 6 months after I got it, fan spinning hard at the merest threat of some procesing work. I saw what this guy did http://www.lecodesign.co.uk/zalman/index.html and thought I'd try that myself (Basically take off the old dell heat sink from the pentium and slap on a fancy Zalman sink/fan thing). Complete disaster, the Zalman is as noisy as the Dell fan and the Pentium gets just as hot as it ever did, probably more so. Wish I'd left all alone.... __________________ I'm Mike. Kylie is an SK3 with OE lowers, R&G bungs, OE double bubble, Scottoiler, Starcomm, Hamicad tail tidy, bruised and in need of a wash.

29-10-06, 10:27 PM	#6
northwind Moderator Mega Poster Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In the garage where I belong Posts: 17,083	Yep, it's good stuff this Arctic Silver. I think when I do the swap onto the new board, I'll fix up the new heatsink with its stock pad, bench it and then refit with the real thing to see how much of a difference it makes... Kylie, could it be that in your case the fan control isn't working right? On mine, the Dell heatsink and fan is stealthy at idle but extremely loud the rest of the time... And that Zalman's a quiet piece of kit, when it's working right. So I wonder if it's maybe running harder than it needs to? __________________ "We are the angry mob, we read the papers every day We like what we like, we hate what we hate But we're oh so easily swayed"

29-10-06, 11:14 PM	#8
northwind Moderator Mega Poster Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In the garage where I belong Posts: 17,083	I do my best work in the middle of the night Shame my office is shut really... Anyone know why I can't get my PC to boot off this old drive I just imaged my c:/ onto? It doesn't get detected as a bootable drive but it should be all present and correct... __________________ "We are the angry mob, we read the papers every day We like what we like, we hate what we hate But we're oh so easily swayed"

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29-10-06, 03:08 AM	#2
weazelz Guest Posts: n/a	you mean you don't have an SV radiator attached to the sink? northy, I'm disappointed in you

29-10-06, 04:57 AM	#3
philipMac Guest Posts: n/a	Huh. That's a lot. That means they could have overclocked the chip a little bit, lashed on the decent compound and been back at the same heat with a faster card. I suppose... they must know about it. They must have tested it, but just dont think that the cost reward ratio is high enough. There is fierce competition on those things though. Hard to know really what they are up to. I opened up a new machine the other day, it was running a bit hot but no big deal. I lashed in another hard drive that I had laying about the lab, and while I was in there, noticed that the main cpu cooler fan, which was a nice snazzy expensive one was completely covered up with a massive ribbon cable, so the fan was blowing air nowhere. I moved the ribbon three inches and zip tied it in place, and the cpu instantly cooled off a few degrees, and is not constantly spinning any more. That was just some screw up on the assembly line though. Your one is cheaping out at a board room I would guess.

29-10-06, 09:47 AM	#5
ethariel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: London (for my sins) Posts: 806	But the secret, as above, is Arctic Silver (I think they are up to 3 or were the last time i bought any). It makes the sticky pads that come as standard look like insulation rather than a conductor.

29-10-06, 11:05 PM	#7
Ed Guest Posts: n/a	I think that's quite an achievement for 3am

30-10-06, 01:40 AM	#9
philipMac Guest Posts: n/a	The bios is looking in the right place right?

30-10-06, 06:46 AM	#10
Red ones Member Mega Poster Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 1,422	I always found understanding a Scottish accent difficult, but now I am having difficulty understanding even when a Scotsman writes! Is this in tongues? You are right - it is geekery!