Thermal paste shelf life

[LiquidArrogance]

Howdy,

I've got a tube of "EVERCOOL-350" that came with a heatsink I bought a long time ago -- been at least four years possibly more. It's sealed and been at room temperature. Would I be safe using this to save ten bucks or should I just go to the shack and get a tube of arctic silver?

No overclocking. qx6850 stock 3ghz to a corsair h50.

Thanks.

 

[Psycogeec]

does it still flow?
i have tubes of silicon tim, and AS5 and cooler master, and other stuff, they are no different today than they were years ago.
if it is not flowing, or comming out in chunks, or the silver (if any exist) is oxidised, then mabey the formula doesnt make time as well?
there is every expectaion that this stuff would be used in place for years, so only a bad forumlation would not survive time.

how is your base on the h-50? if it is as nasty as the one i returned , knocking down the ridges (machining lines), or using a paste that fills gaps good might be the ticket.

 

[LiquidArrogance]

Thanks for the reply.

Paste is still wet and pasty . . . I think it's ceramic-based . . . . bright white and no silver to speak of.

can't say on the h50 base as its cooling my e6850 as I type this. I don't recall it being in bad shape when I put it on, though

Would arctic silver be worth the trip and the 10 bucks seeing as how I'm not overclocking or do you think the old-but-still-pasty ceramic stuff will suffice?

Thanks again

 

[Psycogeec]

it will suffice.
if there are heavy machining lines on the base, IMO that would effect it some.
mine looked like it was finished on a belt sander.
with even 600grit aluminum oxide sandpaper , and cutting the ridges down in the opposite direction, it would turn mountainous peaks into scratched platoes and make better contact.
then the tim used would make less difference.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...=143&ty=111&page=1&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0
for referance mine looked a bit more jagged than this.

if the base is good, then the metal to metal contact is your primary conduction, so the tim used does not make as much difference.
as5 likes to be overheated to get the first flow going, if somehow this device keeps temps really low, then as5 wont be that different, could be worse at first even, with to much thickness under there.
If the temps stay ok, then they are, and it works, whatever it is

the h-50 has a tiniest bit of domeing, which should force paste out, even the thicker stuff or when using to much.
.