after a million trials and errors and about three burned up durons, i know i've narrowed it down to the last three things...
1. gold foil ~60usd for a really small roll
2. the soldering method
3. the old thermometer solution
so, after this: http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=226879 i've now concluded that basically everything, EVERYTHING, is better than as3, pcm+ etc... (e.g. nyquill, dayquill, vaseline, first aid cream, water, lithium grease, and stuff just like it)
btw, tests were done at an ambient of 20 celcius and with the coolermaster aero 7 (fan at max), a t-bird 1ghz oc'ed to 1.33ghz and an abit NF7-S 2.0 (1.8 bios, august ver board, w/plastic clip handle)
all tests started out with a really cheap duron with 2.0v vcore mod on mb and an old celeron hsf and if it proves that its not going to catch fire then its re-done with a lapped t-bird 1.0ghz oc'ed to 1.33ghz..
all results were the best out of three mounts each for each paste and after every trial the hsf base was cleaned off and relapped with 600 grit sandpaper and the cpu soap and watered... artic silver was tried on first as the control.... temps were all taken from the board bios, v1.8...
so...
first the gold foil http://www.sisweb.com/vacuum/sis/goldmatrl.htm
the thinnest pure gold foil apparently gives about a 2 degree lead over the ceramique on the duron on an older via board, but, i ran out of it for a proper mount of the aero 7.. will have to post updated results after i get some more...
then the soldiering method
i've perfected this now down to the best it can go but its still pretty unsafe cause i lost two durons this way... you'll need a board with a functional thermal shut-down at ~100 celcius, lowest melting solder (preferably foil and you can find stuff that melts at ~105 celcius) and a blow-dryer and a thermometer that goes to 120 celcius
1. freshly lap ur cpu so its not all smooth-ish and also remove the thin plastic kinda coating over it (yes there is one)
2. lap ur hsf to 600 grit and MAKE SURE ITS FLAT (you only have ONE shot at a proper seating and if you screw up its the whole thing over again assuming something hasn't caught on fire yet)
3. apply a THIN layer of solder flux to both the cpu and the bottom of the hsf/waterblock where its supposed to mount on
4. put a piece of the solder foil in between the cpu and the hsf/wb
5. attach clips/bolts /whatever and mount the hsf/wb
6. remove the fan plug its its it
7. use the blow-dryer on the hsf/we and fire up the board and wait till it auto shuts down then measure the hsf temp all the way untill it hits 120 celcius and then quit heating it and let it cool off
8. done
this method apparently gives the best temps, ~5-6 celcius lead over as ceramique on the duron with 2.0v vcore... i also haven't tried this on the t-bird but it should work the same... it all depends on how ur board is responding to the thermal shut down thing...
and now the much easier method
while i was messing around measuring temps and all on the heatsink, i cracked my really fragile thermometer which was bad since it was mercury cause mercury was poisonous, but then with it came the ultimate method of "soldering" ... why not just use the mercury?
and so, with the lapped core and the lapped hsf, it took the longest time to figure out how to actually USE the mercury and get the stuff to sit somewhere AND STAY THERE... man it was a drag cause the stuff would just bunch up and run away if left somewhere then it hit me... drill a small dimple right above the cpu on the hsf and sit the mercury there and then mount the board upside down...
and so even with that dimply of the ultimately uneven contact, the thing beat down any other paste possibly out there and made a full 5 celcius lead over the ceramique...
so there, now i really think everything, EVERTHING is better than as3, ceramique, etc...
1. gold foil ~60usd for a really small roll
2. the soldering method
3. the old thermometer solution
so, after this: http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=226879 i've now concluded that basically everything, EVERYTHING, is better than as3, pcm+ etc... (e.g. nyquill, dayquill, vaseline, first aid cream, water, lithium grease, and stuff just like it)
btw, tests were done at an ambient of 20 celcius and with the coolermaster aero 7 (fan at max), a t-bird 1ghz oc'ed to 1.33ghz and an abit NF7-S 2.0 (1.8 bios, august ver board, w/plastic clip handle)
all tests started out with a really cheap duron with 2.0v vcore mod on mb and an old celeron hsf and if it proves that its not going to catch fire then its re-done with a lapped t-bird 1.0ghz oc'ed to 1.33ghz..
all results were the best out of three mounts each for each paste and after every trial the hsf base was cleaned off and relapped with 600 grit sandpaper and the cpu soap and watered... artic silver was tried on first as the control.... temps were all taken from the board bios, v1.8...
so...
first the gold foil http://www.sisweb.com/vacuum/sis/goldmatrl.htm
the thinnest pure gold foil apparently gives about a 2 degree lead over the ceramique on the duron on an older via board, but, i ran out of it for a proper mount of the aero 7.. will have to post updated results after i get some more...
then the soldiering method
i've perfected this now down to the best it can go but its still pretty unsafe cause i lost two durons this way... you'll need a board with a functional thermal shut-down at ~100 celcius, lowest melting solder (preferably foil and you can find stuff that melts at ~105 celcius) and a blow-dryer and a thermometer that goes to 120 celcius
1. freshly lap ur cpu so its not all smooth-ish and also remove the thin plastic kinda coating over it (yes there is one)
2. lap ur hsf to 600 grit and MAKE SURE ITS FLAT (you only have ONE shot at a proper seating and if you screw up its the whole thing over again assuming something hasn't caught on fire yet)
3. apply a THIN layer of solder flux to both the cpu and the bottom of the hsf/waterblock where its supposed to mount on
4. put a piece of the solder foil in between the cpu and the hsf/wb
5. attach clips/bolts /whatever and mount the hsf/wb
6. remove the fan plug its its it
7. use the blow-dryer on the hsf/we and fire up the board and wait till it auto shuts down then measure the hsf temp all the way untill it hits 120 celcius and then quit heating it and let it cool off
8. done
this method apparently gives the best temps, ~5-6 celcius lead over as ceramique on the duron with 2.0v vcore... i also haven't tried this on the t-bird but it should work the same... it all depends on how ur board is responding to the thermal shut down thing...
and now the much easier method
while i was messing around measuring temps and all on the heatsink, i cracked my really fragile thermometer which was bad since it was mercury cause mercury was poisonous, but then with it came the ultimate method of "soldering" ... why not just use the mercury?
and so, with the lapped core and the lapped hsf, it took the longest time to figure out how to actually USE the mercury and get the stuff to sit somewhere AND STAY THERE... man it was a drag cause the stuff would just bunch up and run away if left somewhere then it hit me... drill a small dimple right above the cpu on the hsf and sit the mercury there and then mount the board upside down...
and so even with that dimply of the ultimately uneven contact, the thing beat down any other paste possibly out there and made a full 5 celcius lead over the ceramique...
so there, now i really think everything, EVERTHING is better than as3, ceramique, etc...