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| Home >> Resources | Support >> How to Upgrade Computers >> Improve the cooling of your un-overclocked Thunderbird >> |
VIII. Heatsink Install Tips, and Fan Fan ThroughputImprove the cooling of your un-overclocked Thunderbird by Philip BayerHeatsink Installation Tips Most heatsinks come with a strip of thermal tape pre-attached to the underside which serves as an interface between the CPU and the heatsink. This thermal tape melts on first use, and fills the tiny irregularities of the heatsink surface, resulting in better heat-transfer from the CPU to the heatsink. While the thermal tape is very easy to apply, it is not a very good conductor. Many tests have shown thermal tape to be not much better than using no interface material. A better alternative to thermal tape is thermal grease. Thermal grease is usually a silicon based grease mixed with some metal in liquid form. The cheapest thermal grease contains nickel-oxide, and has a thermal conductivity ten times greater than that of thermal tape. Not all thermal grease is created equal. Arctic Silver thermal compound is made of silver instead of Nickel. Since Silver is a much better conductor than Nickel, the thermal conductivity of the silver compound is much high. Unfortunately, because silver is also a precious metal, the price is considerably higher. You absolutely MUST apply some interface between the heatsink and the CPU. No matter which one you decide upon, be sure to apply a very thin layer, as less is better. Remember that you are only trying to fill the microscopic irregularities which result from machining the heatsink. Since the thermal compound almost certainly has less conductivity than the heatsink itself, adding more than what is necessary can actually decrease your overall conductivity. Finally, be very careful when applying the heatsink not to apply too much pressure to your CPU. If the heatsink spring seems to be too tight, don't force it. With the heatsink far away from your CPU, bend the spring downward a little bit to ease the tension. Repeat this until the heatsink spring clips on easily but firmly to the socket base. As a last note, on first boot (and perhaps for a couple of days), closely monitor your CPU fan and CPU temperature. If your fan is defective, you will most likely notice it right away. Likewise, if the heatsink has been poorly seated, the signs will be apparent from first boot. Fan Throughput in a Nutshell A faster fan is not necessarily a better fan. A fan's throughput is measured in CFM, or Cubic-Feet per Minute. Higher RPM (Rotations Per Minute) will almost always increase a fans CFM, however it will also increase the fan's noise-level, measured in dB-A. More important are design-specifics such as number of fins, does it use sleeve-bearings or ball-bearings, what was done to reduce the amount of friction on the various parts of the fan, etc. As an example, let's look at ball-bearing v.s. sleeve-bearing. Ball-bearing fans contain (usually 2) small steel balls inside on which the fan rotates. By rotating against eachother, the balls reduce friction inside the fan allowing it to run faster, cooler and quieter. Sleeve-bearing fans have a similar effect, except that unlike the steel balls, sleeves wear out over time. As the sleeves wear down, friction is increased, and thus the fan gets hotter, slower and noisier. Most ball-bearing fans have a 100,000 hour guarantee, while most sleeve-bearing fans have a 10,000 hour guarantee. So, if your machine is on all the time, the ball-bearing fan will run for about 11?years, but the sleeve-bearing fan is only guaranteed for just over 1 year! The cheaper models often don't have a guarantee at all. In conclusion, look around before you decide on the fans for both your CPU and your chassis. Don't look at RPMs, but rather compare throughput in CFMs to size and noise-level (dB-A). And, finally, always choose ball-bearing over sleeve-bearing if possible, as the price difference is usually not more than $2-3 USD.  BACK: | Preface and Notes | I. Introduction and Specs| III. Solution 2: Ensure proper airflow | IV. Solution 3: Software cooling | V. Solution 4: Increase Airflow | VI. Solution 5: Case mods for better cooling | VII. Conclusion and updates | | OTHERS: | Go to Top | Directron Home | Other System Manuals | The above information has been provided as a reference only. Directron.com is not responsible for any damage or problem caused as a result of correctly or incorrectly following the instructions outlined therein. (c) Directron.com, All rights reserved If you find this article useful, please create a link to it from your website or tell a friend about it. If you have any comments or suggestions about this article, please email information@directron.us |
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