PS3:Best thermal paste?

[MrFox]

I feel cynical today, so I'll express how much I enjoy seeing my old school silicone grease near the top of the list, beating most of the expensive boutique brands. (MG Chemical cost maybe 10 cents per mL, probably the least expensive in the entire list)

 

[Gradthrawn]

I feel cynical today, so I'll express how much I enjoy seeing my old school silicone grease near the top of the list, beating most of the expensive boutique brands. (MG Chemical cost maybe 10 cents per mL, probably the least expensive in the entire list)

There are several MG Chemical products on that list, including some at the bottom of their performance scale (that's on a separate page). Although, as you can see, the difference between the very bottom and the very top is less than 5 degrees C.

Product Name Material Description Viscosity Avg Temp Difference Performance Grade
MG Chemicals 8610 Non-Silicone HTC (0) Silicon Oxide Grease Low / Thin 39.00°C D+

EDIT

Didn't notice you specifically mentioned Silicone MG Chemicals grease. The others on the list are non-silcone and silver.

 

[swaaye]

The MG and GC compounds are quite cheap. I might try one when I'm out of Ceramique in a few years.

One question though is why do thermal compounds shy away from silicone in many cases. Arctic Silver products specifically mention being silicone-free. Does silicone present long-term issues like solidification?

 

[MrFox]

The MG and GC compounds are quite cheap. I might try one when I'm out of Ceramique in a few years.

One question though is why do thermal compounds shy away from silicone in many cases. Arctic Silver products specifically mention being silicone-free. Does silicone present long-term issues like solidification?

I don't know, some say it's oil tend to separate after a few years, and long term it's not as good as the modern polymer stuff. But my experience with AS5 is rather similar, they have a short shelf life before starting to separate the oils and the solids. I don't think it's a big issue either way.

There's also a problem called "silicone migration" which I don't fully understand:
http://www.ipcoutlook.org/mart/50606P.shtml

 

[swaaye]

The link also refers to silicone contamination which looks to be a serious industrial concern. Maybe being silicone free is a key selling point for getting those bulk sales.

http://www.cemag.us/article/contamination-control-and-out-cleanroom-3