Bad Thermal Paste?

[nialbu91]

I have a delidded 7700k clocked at 5ghz 1.345v. I just replaced the thermal paste before posting this because it was idling at 40C. It's now idling at 30C. I changed NOTHING besides the paste. Can thermal paste go bad? I have Arctic Silver 5 that I bought over a year ago. The first two times I applied it(yes I'm on the third time now), I used a pea size amount and temps were good for a few months before I noticed them rising. This time I used the grain of rice method.

When I went to wipe it off, it didn't look bad at all and there was an even spread. I checked the water block and it wasn't loose or anything nor was the pump acting up. Should I just stop using the Arctic Silver 5 and buy something from Thermal Grizzly?

To give an idea of how much of a difference there was, I ran Cinebench before and after. Before: it didn't even get halfway done before crashing. After: I got a score of 1063 and temps didn't go past 71C. I should also mention that I can get my cpu to 5.1ghz at 1.38v on a fresh reapply...

 

[EP000001]

How does the paste look before the change? Is it really dry and crumbly sort of?

This is my take on the issue:

I don't think Arctic Silver 5 was made for CPU's operating at 5ghz. Especially to perceive that it would behave as if it was installed on say a 3.2ghz CPU. Even though the temperature is within good tolerance levels, I think that the higher frequency radiation being emitted from the CPU is changing the Atomic structure of the paste. Possibly even joining the Boron, Silver, Zinc etc... into a weird exotic molecule. The molecules are less conductive than single atoms therefore the short lifespan of the paste.

I think what is happening could possibly be a Hutchinson effect on the Arctic Silver 5 paste. Check it out:

https://www.google.com.au/search?client=opera&q=Hutchinson+effect+utube&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

this effect has been known to join/melt wood into metal while in a semi cold state.

I hope you have plenty of good sheilding in the PC as 5ghz microwaves will give you cancer. Especially if you are of the type that likes to use see through perspex PC case paneling to show off the insides of your PC.

A mobile phone transmits around 5 watts max, and we all now they cause brain tumors. imagine what a cpu is transmitting if it is rated at 120watts. How much of that is released as microwaves? Don't forget the components operating at that speed too, and the data buses acting like antennae transmitting radiation.


Weird....

 

[Groveling_Wyrm]

It could be that your AS5 may not have been mixed well and that you got a bad portion. It could be bad heatsink mounting.

Personally, I feel that AS5 is ok, but can have many qualified replacements, including the offerings from Thermal Grizzly.

Be advised, some Thermal Interface material (TIM)s are more dangerous, but give better results if applied correctly; You should know what you are doing when applying those.

 

[nialbu91]

How does the paste look before the change? Is it really dry and crumbly sort of?

This is my take on the issue:

I don't think Arctic Silver 5 was made for CPU's operating at 5ghz. Especially to perceive that it would behave as if it was installed on say a 3.2ghz CPU. Even though the temperature is within good tolerance levels, I think that the higher frequency radiation being emitted from the CPU is changing the Atomic structure of the paste. Possibly even joining the Boron, Silver, Zinc etc... into a weird exotic molecule. The molecules are less conductive than single atoms therefore the short lifespan of the paste.

I think what is happening could possibly be a Hutchinson effect on the Arctic Silver 5 paste. Check it out:

https://www.google.com.au/search?client=opera&q=Hutchinson+effect+utube&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

this effect has been known to join/melt wood into metal while in a semi cold state.

I hope you have plenty of good sheilding in the PC as 5ghz microwaves will give you cancer. Especially if you are of the type that likes to use see through perspex PC case paneling to show off the insides of your PC.

A mobile phone transmits around 5 watts max, and we all now they cause brain tumors. imagine what a cpu is transmitting if it is rated at 120watts. How much of that is released as microwaves? Don't forget the components operating at that speed too, and the data buses acting like antennae transmitting radiation.


Weird....

it looks the same as when it was applied, just spread out. you might be on to something with the higher frequencies, but I'm not totally convinced because my 6600k was clock at 4.6ghz at the same voltage, 1.345, and under the same load, the temps are off by <10C..
as for the whole "microwave" bit, my system puts off a few hundred watts under load and it sits right next to me on the desk and quite frankly, im not worried about it.

 

[nialbu91]

It could be that your AS5 may not have been mixed well and that you got a bad portion. It could be bad heatsink mounting.

Personally, I feel that AS5 is ok, but can have many qualified replacements, including the offerings from Thermal Grizzly.

Be advised, some Thermal Interface material (TIM)s are more dangerous, but give better results if applied correctly; You should know what you are doing when applying those.

I'm kind of hoping that's the case. I'll just buy something from Thermal Grizzly when I have the chance.

 

[EP000001]

How does the paste look before the change? Is it really dry and crumbly sort of?

This is my take on the issue:

I don't think Arctic Silver 5 was made for CPU's operating at 5ghz. Especially to perceive that it would behave as if it was installed on say a 3.2ghz CPU. Even though the temperature is within good tolerance levels, I think that the higher frequency radiation being emitted from the CPU is changing the Atomic structure of the paste. Possibly even joining the Boron, Silver, Zinc etc... into a weird exotic molecule. The molecules are less conductive than single atoms therefore the short lifespan of the paste.

I think what is happening could possibly be a Hutchinson effect on the Arctic Silver 5 paste. Check it out:

https://www.google.com.au/search?client=opera&q=Hutchinson+effect+utube&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

this effect has been known to join/melt wood into metal while in a semi cold state.

I hope you have plenty of good sheilding in the PC as 5ghz microwaves will give you cancer. Especially if you are of the type that likes to use see through perspex PC case paneling to show off the insides of your PC.

A mobile phone transmits around 5 watts max, and we all now they cause brain tumors. imagine what a cpu is transmitting if it is rated at 120watts. How much of that is released as microwaves? Don't forget the components operating at that speed too, and the data buses acting like antennae transmitting radiation.


Weird....

it looks the same as when it was applied, just spread out. you might be on to something with the higher frequencies, but I'm not totally convinced because my 6600k was clock at 4.6ghz at the same voltage, 1.345, and under the same load, the temps are off by <10C..
as for the whole "microwave" bit, my system puts off a few hundred watts under load and it sits right next to me on the desk and quite frankly, im not worried about it.

Could it be that the heatsink base has a flaw, such as a curved surface? Seems odd that the paste would spread out unless there was uneven pressure or too much pressure and the paste is eventually getting spread too thin.

Also 40C does not seem that drastic, CPU are made to withstand higher temps than that. From the research I just did, there seems to be many many many people also having the same issue as you with the 7700k.

Perhaps there is a bad batch of cpu's going around, or maybe the the chipset drivers do not control the cpu correctly and need updating, or the green functions controlled by some driver is not doing it's job.

Do you have all the chipset drivers etc...uptodate as per the 7700k manufacturers specs?


Just one more thing....


This is an information release from INTEL on the 7700k issue....

"Hello Everyone,

We appreciate the feedback you have provided, and your patience as we investigated this behavior. The reported behavior of the 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7700K Processor, showing momentary temperature changes from the idle temperature, is normal while completing a task (like opening a browser or an application or a program).

In our internal investigation, we did not observe temperature variation outside of the expected behavior and recommended specifications. For processor specifications, please refer to the Intel® Core™ i7-7700K Processor Product Specifications.

Most motherboard manufacturers offer customizable fan speed control settings that may allow for smoother transition of fan revolutions per minute (rpm). Please consult your motherboard manufacturer’s manual or website for instructions on how to change default fan speed control settings.

We do not recommend running outside the processor specifications, such as by exceeding processor frequency or voltage specifications, or removing of the integrated heat spreader (sometimes called “de-lidding”). These actions will void the processor warranty.

Kindest Regards,
Ronald M."

 

[Bluesh1ft]

Yes, It can go bad. I've had that happen before recently. Good spread (I spread it out myself before putting the cooler back on) After noticing the temps and taking the cooler off it looked the same as when I put it on. But after replacing it the temps dropped and it was fine again.

 

[nialbu91]

How does the paste look before the change? Is it really dry and crumbly sort of?

This is my take on the issue:

I don't think Arctic Silver 5 was made for CPU's operating at 5ghz. Especially to perceive that it would behave as if it was installed on say a 3.2ghz CPU. Even though the temperature is within good tolerance levels, I think that the higher frequency radiation being emitted from the CPU is changing the Atomic structure of the paste. Possibly even joining the Boron, Silver, Zinc etc... into a weird exotic molecule. The molecules are less conductive than single atoms therefore the short lifespan of the paste.

I think what is happening could possibly be a Hutchinson effect on the Arctic Silver 5 paste. Check it out:

https://www.google.com.au/search?client=opera&q=Hutchinson+effect+utube&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

this effect has been known to join/melt wood into metal while in a semi cold state.

I hope you have plenty of good sheilding in the PC as 5ghz microwaves will give you cancer. Especially if you are of the type that likes to use see through perspex PC case paneling to show off the insides of your PC.

A mobile phone transmits around 5 watts max, and we all now they cause brain tumors. imagine what a cpu is transmitting if it is rated at 120watts. How much of that is released as microwaves? Don't forget the components operating at that speed too, and the data buses acting like antennae transmitting radiation.


Weird....

it looks the same as when it was applied, just spread out. you might be on to something with the higher frequencies, but I'm not totally convinced because my 6600k was clock at 4.6ghz at the same voltage, 1.345, and under the same load, the temps are off by <10C..
as for the whole "microwave" bit, my system puts off a few hundred watts under load and it sits right next to me on the desk and quite frankly, im not worried about it.

Could it be that the heatsink base has a flaw, such as a curved surface? Seems odd that the paste would spread out unless there was uneven pressure or too much pressure and the paste is eventually getting spread too thin.

Also 40C does not seem that drastic, CPU are made to withstand higher temps than that. From the research I just did, there seems to be many many many people also having the same issue as you with the 7700k.

Perhaps there is a bad batch of cpu's going around, or maybe the the chipset drivers do not control the cpu correctly and need updating, or the green functions controlled by some driver is not doing it's job.

Do you have all the chipset drivers etc...uptodate as per the 7700k manufacturers specs?


Just one more thing....


This is an information release from INTEL on the 7700k issue....

"Hello Everyone,

We appreciate the feedback you have provided, and your patience as we investigated this behavior. The reported behavior of the 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7700K Processor, showing momentary temperature changes from the idle temperature, is normal while completing a task (like opening a browser or an application or a program).

In our internal investigation, we did not observe temperature variation outside of the expected behavior and recommended specifications. For processor specifications, please refer to the Intel® Core™ i7-7700K Processor Product Specifications.

Most motherboard manufacturers offer customizable fan speed control settings that may allow for smoother transition of fan revolutions per minute (rpm). Please consult your motherboard manufacturer’s manual or website for instructions on how to change default fan speed control settings.

We do not recommend running outside the processor specifications, such as by exceeding processor frequency or voltage specifications, or removing of the integrated heat spreader (sometimes called “de-lidding”). These actions will void the processor warranty.

Kindest Regards,
Ronald M."

My h115i cold plate is fine. A 10C delta from before and after doesn't seem that great but keep in mind,before replacing it I ran Cinebench and it crashed not even half way through from overheating. After replacing the paste I ran it again and got a score of 1063 with temps no higher than 71C... So there is a HUGE difference. I don't think I have a bad cpu because it can overclock up to 5.1ghz on an AIO. As for the drivers, everything is up to date.