[Mr.Guvernment]

Just making this thread for all of those who will be receiving their free ICD7 thermal compound from this thread:

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=538622


This will be the place it post your bench's, test, results from your IC Diamond 7 Carat thermal compound you received.


I am also sure if you went out and bought some you can tell us how well it did for you also!

[Mr.Guvernment]

reserved

[nd4spdbh2]

GAH you got me all excited i thought this was the results of the people who would be receiving the stuff! either way if i get some ill post up results in this post!

RESERVED for results!

EDIT... Results (new as5 vs new ICD7 on my HTPC - e4300 @ stock clocks pad modded to 1.2v default VID, with speedstep enabled)

Paste ---- Coretemp ------TAT

AS5
Idle ------ 36/39*C ------- 39/40*C
Load ----- 69/69*C ------- 67/68*C

ICD7
Idle ------ 38/38*C ------- 37/40*C
Load ----- 68/68*C ------- 67/67*C

Ambient temp during all testing was 69.8-70.2*F... All said the ICD7 produced maybe 1*C difference depending on what program you go by. And to be honest (ikikuinthenutz brought this up in chatting w/ him) ICD7 is made up of well diamond powder.... the hardest substance on our planet... squish that between 2 soft pieces of copper and well ur gonna get lil itty bitty indentations, AS5 on the other hand is made of silver which is super soft and will be squished out by the coper to fill in any lil indentations there may be.

AS5 Idle


ICD7 Idle


AS5 Load


ICD7 Load


PS i used the application method stated (pea sized drop, but i heated the tube up with a desk lamp and the stuff flowed out so much better than when it is cold)

More testing will hopefully follow.

[eaglescouter]

Reserved.

[Moto7451]

Sorry, no fancy graphs but I did drop a solid 2 degrees going from AS Ceramique to ICD7 on my most recent build (Core 2 Duo E6400 at stock when tested).

[mystfied]

Ambient 23 C:

e6300 allendale @ 3.2 MHz, 1.384V
tuniq 120
37 C idle, 65 C load

HD 3850 256MB @ 749MHz/1017MHz, stock volts
stock cooler @ 70% fanspeed, ICD7 on GPU, stock thermal pads on memory
34 C idle, 57 C load

[redrumy3]

If i get mine i will test it it on gpu first and then cpu :-D

[blackersabbath]

If I get mine I will test cpu then gpu lol

[Mr.Guvernment]

Originally Posted by mystfied

Ambient 23 C:

e6300 allendale @ 3.2 MHz, 1.384V
tuniq 120
37 C idle, 65 C load

HD 3850 256MB @ 749MHz/1017MHz, stock volts
stock cooler @ 70% fanspeed, ICD7 on GPU, stock thermal pads on memory
34 C idle, 57 C load

what were you using before, do you recall the temps? or just went straight to icd7?

[Mr.Guvernment]

Originally Posted by nd4spdbh2

GAH you got me all excited i thought this was the results of the people who would be receiving the stuff! either way if i get some ill post up results in this post!

it will be, once people receive them

[nd4spdbh2]

Originally Posted by Mr.Guvernment

it will be, once people receive them

mk koo make sure to post results in the first post, makes it easier on all of us.

[Mr.Guvernment]

once we get a nice collection it can be consolidated into a nice purdy format / chart

[mystfied]

I just went straight to ICD7, after having good results replacing cooked AS5 on my old x1900xt (~1 C lower, 24 hour breakin).

3850 idle temps were crappy before, but that was with stock TIM and auto fan @29% idle, which can't really compare to my 70% constant fan now.

[daunsociable]

reserved.

going to be testing again a the northwood in my sig w/ AS5, and a iBook G4 @ 1.2 Ghz, as well as its video card. and maybe ill try it out vs the stock thermal glue on my 5900 ultra

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by Mr.Guvernment

Just making this thread for all of those who will be receiving their free ICD7 thermal compound from this thread:

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=538622


This will be the place it post your bench's, test, results from your IC Diamond 7 Carat thermal compound you received.


I am also sure if you went out and bought some you can tell us how well it did for you also!

Thanks Mr. Guverment for starting this thread

We would like to also thank all those who are participating with their test results in our Christmas Promo Giveaway If anybody has other ideas and/or recommendations for testing I would like to hear them.

There is always a lot of discussion on different methods of application. The criteria IC is recommending was drafted to simplify the compound application as much as possible to effectively provide optimal performance. The debate often centers on how much is a pea sized amount? Unfortunately this is subject to a final artful interpretation. In ICD7's case, more is better than less, by which we mean enough to get the whole IHS covered when the sink is mounted. You can jiggle into it if you are unsure by pulling the sink off and adding a little more if necessary and re clamping it, excess will just squeeze out.

we are investigating a couple of metered delivery systems that would take the guess work out of it.

This compound is very thick. when pushing the plunger, be patient and do not force it or you will break the plunger. It will come out at a slower pace than what most are used to. The reason the compound is formulated so densely is for performance and to minimize pump out to provide for long term stability. Thinner compounds (those with bulk loadings under 90%) while giving excellent performance on initial application are subject over time with thermal cycling causing an expansion and contraction of components to act like a "pump" and which then pushes the grease out of the joint and can cause a degradation of thermal performace of several degrees after only a couple months. The thickness/density is just the nature of the beast

Do not use the newly popular single line or other methods with ICD7 as spreading will be uneven. If everyone uses the recommended method it will settle into an even bond line which will give an optimal result and should provide more consistency between everybody's test results with fewer outliers.

Note your before and after temps, board and case temps, ambient temps if possible. It being winter be aware of alternate heat sources like baseboard hot air or water and when when your furnace is running etc. This ambient fluctuation can skew results. Be suspicious of of overly positive or overly negative results. Recheck the setup.

My comments from here on out will be somewhat limited so as not to influence results. It is what it is. I will answer questions but not want to enter into any debates.

syringes were mailed Monday so I expect this weekend or next week we will begin to see some results trickle in.



Happy Holidays to all

Application notes for those participating the giveaway test promo.



IC Diamond is composed mostly of diamond powder 94% with other along with other bulk material(carbon black+), and as such is quite thick. Proper application is critical to optimum performance. Squeeze onto the center of the CPU an amount of IC Diamond compound about the size of a pea The amount applied should be enough to cover the entire IHS - the center of the CPU/IHS is where most heat is concentrated. Place the heatsink on the CPU and push down to spread IC Diamond over the CPU's surface. Clamp the heatsink and power up the PC.



Curing Time: IC Diamond requires minimal time to attain peak performance; in most cases, IC Diamond will reach peak performance after two hours of use. After 24 hours an addition 1/2 C drop. may be noted but realistically It suffices enough to call it two hours for optimal performance

Stability: IC Diamond is designed for stability - it will not bleed or separate in normal use


.

[eaglescouter]

Quantity the size of a pea. Would this be a fully three dimensional pea as found in frozen veggies, thus implying the application would be tall and wide??

[nd4spdbh2]

Originally Posted by JoeC

Thanks Mr. Guverment for starting this thread

We would like to also thank all those who are participating with their test results in our Christmas Promo Giveaway If anybody has other ideas and/or recommendations for testing I would like to hear them.

There is always a lot of discussion on different methods of application. The criteria IC is recommending was drafted to simplify the compound application as much as possible to effectively provide optimal performance. The debate often centers on how much is a pea sized amount? Unfortunately this is subject to a final artful interpretation. In ICD7's case, more is better than less, by which we mean enough to get the whole IHS covered when the sink is mounted. You can jiggle into it if you are unsure by pulling the sink off and adding a little more if necessary and re clamping it, excess will just squeeze out.

we are investigating a couple of metered delivery systems that would take the guess work out of it.

This compound is very thick. when pushing the plunger, be patient and do not force it or you will break the plunger. It will come out at a slower pace than what most are used to. The reason the compound is formulated so densely is for performance and to minimize pump out to provide for long term stability. Thinner compounds (those with bulk loadings under 90%) while giving excellent performance on initial application are subject over time with thermal cycling causing an expansion and contraction of components to act like a "pump" and which then pushes the grease out of the joint and can cause a degradation of thermal performace of several degrees after only a couple months. The thickness/density is just the nature of the beast

Do not use the newly popular single line or other methods with ICD7 as spreading will be uneven. If everyone uses the recommended method it will settle into an even bond line which will give an optimal result and should provide more consistency between everybody's test results with fewer outliers.

Note your before and after temps, board and case temps, ambient temps if possible. It being winter be aware of alternate heat sources like baseboard hot air or water and when when your furnace is running etc. This ambient fluctuation can skew results. Be suspicious of of overly positive or overly negative results. Recheck the setup.

My comments from here on out will be somewhat limited so as not to influence results. It is what it is. I will answer questions but not want to enter into any debates.

syringes were mailed Monday so I expect this weekend or next week we will begin to see some results trickle in.



Happy Holidays to all

Application notes for those participating the giveaway test promo.



IC Diamond is composed mostly of diamond powder 94% with other along with other bulk material(carbon black+), and as such is quite thick. Proper application is critical to optimum performance. Squeeze onto the center of the CPU an amount of IC Diamond compound about the size of a pea The amount applied should be enough to cover the entire IHS - the center of the CPU/IHS is where most heat is concentrated. Place the heatsink on the CPU and push down to spread IC Diamond over the CPU's surface. Clamp the heatsink and power up the PC.



Curing Time: IC Diamond requires minimal time to attain peak performance; in most cases, IC Diamond will reach peak performance after two hours of use. After 24 hours an addition 1/2 C drop. may be noted but realistically It suffices enough to call it two hours for optimal performance

Stability: IC Diamond is designed for stability - it will not bleed or separate in normal use


.

Sweet dealio, i take it you guys shipped them out via USPS?

[Dice]

The compound arrived yesterday and I was pleased to see that the container is larger than my old tube of AS5.



I blew out what dust was in my case and cleaned it up for photo day. Then I rerouted the hoses, trimming out about 8 inches of needless length to prepare for the testing.



Test system:

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA7N400 Pro2 R1
CPU: AMD Athlon XP Barton 2500+ @ 3200 (2204Mhz)
Ram: 2x512 Kingston HyperX
Video: 6800 vanilla
Cooling: BipII 240, TDX, Maze4 GPU, MCP655. A fresh application of AS5 on CPU, GPU, & NB (Nearly clear water in lines.)

With ambient temp staying at a range of 22C~24C, it is idling at 32C and after 25 minutes of 95% CPU load with ./nbench, it peaked to 35C. I will let the AS5 settle out for a few days to a week and rerun the test, strip it all off and try again with 7^D.


In an attempt to recreate these tests/results in a Windows XP (Home SP2) environment, I have installed Speedfan and SuperPI. Speedfan reports these idle temps:
CPU: 34C
NB: 30C
Ambient: 23C
GPU Core: 40C
GPU ambient: 31C

Results with SuperPI remind me of ./nbench. 35C was the max load after 'bout half-hour.
I noticed Nebulous is using TOAST, and decided I'd try that. Two instances of TOAST gave a bit of increase. Fianlly, some results.

Idle-
CPU: 34C
Ambient: 23C
GPU Core: 40C
GPU Ambient: 31C

Load-
CPU: 37C
Ambient: 27C
GPU Core:41C
GPUAmbient:31C

I will begin trying to cook the GPU next. More to follow...

[Spawn-Inc]

can this stuff be used for subzero applications?

[satandole666]

Reserving this spot for my results. I'm going from AS5 on a FuZion to ICD7 on a FuZion. It should be a good comparison.

Its about time I pull my computer apart and redo it for no good reason anyway. At least I'll be changing something this time.

[zexmarquies01]

Hey JoeC, Does heating up the IC7 compound still slightly help make it a bit easier to apply, and spread?

Like putting the syringe into a plastic baggie, and then dipping the bag into a cup of hot water.

Will that still make it slightly easier to apply? Is it recommended?

I just remember trying to apply the original IC7 formula, and that stuff could NOT be spread around what-so-ever. once a blob was placed on the heatsink, and flattened, i could NOT spread it around. It would just peel up, like a thin sheet of play-dough.

Also, was that normal for IC7? or was that a bad tube? Cause i just had such a hard time spreading the stuff. Or was it wrong of me to try to spread it on the heat spreader on my CPU?

[Mr.Guvernment]

Originally Posted by satandole666

Reserving this spot for my results. I'm going from AS5 on a FuZion to ICD7 on a FuZion. It should be a good comparison.

Its about time I pull my computer apart and redo it for no good reason anyway. At least I'll be changing something this time.

Sounds good, cant wait to see the results!

[Archer36]

I think I got in on the deal, and will post my results coming from AS5

[jivetrky]

Reserved.

[Nebulous]

Reserved-

*Update*

Received my tube today ( Thanx Joe! )

My test bed:

DFI Ultra D
Opteron 148 @ 2.75GHz / 1.5V
Stock Heatpipe cooler/Fan @ Max
Using SETI and CPU Stress Test called TOAST to raise CPU temps
Temps monitored with DFI's SmartGuardian

Test Results:

Artic Silver 5 TIM:

Idle : 31c
Loaded : SETI:44c / TOAST: 48c

------------------------------------

ICD7 Thermal Compound

Idle : 30c
Loaded: SETI : 42c / TOAST: 45-46c



A 1-3c drop right off the start over the AS5 and the ICD7 hasn't cured yet. Will update evry 2 hours for 6 hours total. I'll be using OCCT as well as TOAST to put some more heat on the chip. Application was a pita as Joe described; it's a bit hard to get the ICD7 out of the tube, but warming it up in my hands a little helped that. Spreading it on the chip was another hassle as it won't adhere to the metal as AS5 or other TIMs do. I had to use a nice pea sized glob in the center of the core then press the sink down to have a uniform application on both the core and sink.

**5 Hours later**

I just let it run for 5 hours straight. So far this is what I got:

Running SETI : 44-45c Loaded
TOAST= 45-47c Loaded
OCCT Loads : 42-44c

So far after 5 hours i'm not impressed. instead of lowering temps, they rose even after the initial 2hour cure time

I'm going to leave it overnite and see what changes, but so far up to this point i'm not entirely impressed with it.



** Update 12/14/07 12 hours **

Left SETI run overnite as usual. Ambient temps are 68-69F ( yes i like it cool in my apt.) Haven't changed anything other than the thermal interface material.

Results:

SETI Loaded : 44-46c

Idle : 34c


In the begining there was a 1-3c drop over AS5, but once it cured ( After the 2 hours) temps just rose. My ambient temps did not change where my pc's are. I have no side panel on so it's not like the case isn't getting air. Plenty of cool air, especially close to the floor. I know this because last nite I was wrapping up my son's gifts on the floor and my feet got cold. I had to put on a pair of socks.

Not sure what else to say about this ICD7 stuff, but I did'nt see any improvements over AS5 other than 1-3c temp difference when first applied. Not sure if it's supposed to have more cure time or what.


I hope you other guyz get better results than what I got.

Thanx Joe for the sample and the opportunity to conduct this test


**Update 12/17/07 **

Well 3 days later and no change. Floating @ 43-44c loaded running SETI with same setup.

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by zexmarquies01

Hey JoeC, Does heating up the IC7 compound still slightly help make it a bit easier to apply, and spread?

Like putting the syringe into a plastic baggie, and then dipping the bag into a cup of hot water.

Will that still make it slightly easier to apply? Is it recommended?

I just remember trying to apply the original IC7 formula, and that stuff could NOT be spread around what-so-ever. once a blob was placed on the heatsink, and flattened, i could NOT spread it around. It would just peel up, like a thin sheet of play-dough.

Also, was that normal for IC7? or was that a bad tube? Cause i just had such a hard time spreading the stuff. Or was it wrong of me to try to spread it on the heat spreader on my CPU?

read post http://www.ocforums.com/showpost.php...7&postcount=15

This stuff is thicker, this is why we recommend spreading through compression which will give a good uniform coverage without the headache. Heating it will help some, getting it out of the tube will be easier is one argument for it. but is not necessary for good results.

[thideras]

Originally Posted by Spawn-Inc

can this stuff be used for subzero applications?

Well, how sub-zero are you talking? I'd say it would hold up no issues. But to determine how cold? That will be harder, most processor bug out when it gets too cold.

I have a tube myself and I will test it

JoeC, is this any different from the retail stuff release a couple months ago?

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by thideras

JoeC, is this any different from the retail stuff release a couple months ago?

reformulated - Solvent has been removed

It should not be a problem with subzero, my only concern would be if you applied the compound and went right to subzero after a couple of min. without letting bondline settle to a optimal thickness first. The paste might harden before it got a chance to thin out and spread across the die.

How cold are we talking ? -30C?

[AlabamaCajun]

Reserved: Thanks JoeC

Rig #1
Scythe Ninja on 6600 Room Ambient 23C
AS5 cured 3 nights on 3 days off. .......Idle 31C 2xOrthos 56C-58C after 45 mins.
Update for Folding at Home SMP 4 cores........................ 47C after 1 hour 49CAfter a day.
Fresh IC7, 3 hours on, 10 mins off .....Idle 30C 2xOrthos 54C-55C after 45 mins.

Rig #2
Scythe Katana on 4600X2
AS5 cured for over 1 week ................Idle 28-32C, Folding 46-48C
Fresh IC7 3.5hours on, no off, ....... Idle 28-30C, Folding 40C, Orthos 38C

I'm suspecting a possible problem with the TIM on the AS5, thats one hell of a drop.

Rig #3
Scythe Ninja on 5600X2 Ambient 21C
AS5 applied weeks ago, curred.........idle 34C, Folding 44-48C, Orthos 48-50C ( Stock )
Fresh IC7 Immediate slam on Othos Jumped into the 48-50C

Rig #4
[/color]Scythe Ninja Mini on Phenom (next week)

[thideras]

Originally Posted by JoeC

reformulated - Solvent has been removed

It should not be a problem with subzero, my only concern would be if you applied the compound and went right to subzero after a couple of min. without letting bondline settle to a optimal thickness first. The paste might harden before it got a chance to thin out and spread across the die.

How cold are we talking ? -30C?

Dry ice temps, less than -50c

I'd be happy to do tests once I bench my e6400. Just have to find the time