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Really stupid VGA Silencer (ATi #3 9800XT) question...

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Mr B

Senior Admin Emeritus
Joined
Dec 28, 2000
Location
East Bridgewater, MA
I've been searchin'...here, there, everywhere (via Google). I cannot find the answer to one question:

Q: Whereas these new version Silencers have facility to cool the ram chips (copper on one side, and the aluminum piece on the back...should any TIM be used on the ram chips, or just run them bare, right against the metal?

Logic (at least mine) tells me that I should, but I can find nothing stating either yea or nay. If you put ram sinks on, they've either got thermal tape, or you use AS thermal adhesive...some kind of TIM anyway, one way or the other, be it temporary or permanant.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Thanks for reading. ;)

B.
 
I think you should, since the purpose of the tim is to fill any space between the hs and whatever your trying to cool, it could help to cool a little better then bare metal.
 
I used Arctic Silver 5 on both sides of the ram and on GPU itself. Works really well.
 
at first i put as5 on mine, but after i powered up I saw my temps dropped only one or two degrees. I probably put on too much. (I used the method they use for amd type cores. put some on, smoothed it out to paperthin (guess mine wasn't paper thing ;))) So I cleaned everything off and used the silicone paste it came with and my temps were 4C lower immediately from having the AS5 on. So I just stuck with it.
 
Reminds me of my friend's AMD 486 I just decommisioned after 10 years of use in august that says heatsink required on it. The heatsink must have not been required because it had no thermal interface material on it and the contact was very bad to the heatsink. Any TIM would be great. You said it yourself:
If you put ram sinks on, they've either got thermal tape, or you use AS thermal adhesive...some kind of TIM anyway, one way or the other, be it temporary or permanant.
 
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