"We offer practical and helpful computer reviews for the average and advanced computer user."

Arctic Silver 3 Review

Arctic Silver is a very well know brand of thermal compounds, especially to overclockers. The latest formula is Artic Silver 3, which is supposed to replace the Arctic Silver 2 formula. One thing that  jumps to some people's mind when they hear Artic Silver, they think it is silver. The silver that is used in compounds is not refined,  since it is not going to be displayed. Silver is one of the most heat conductive metals in the world, surpassing aluminum and copper. The reason that it is not used for heatsinks is obviously that it would be very expensive. A thermal compound is an interface between the CPU and the Heatsink. Due to the fact that there "valleys", basically microscopic ridges in both the CPU and the Heatsink, both are not in full direct contact.  

The drawing represents the uneven surface of a CPU and a Heatsink, both sides 

are barely in contact.

Arctic Silver is micronized, basically the small silver particles fill in the gap between the CPU and the Heatsink. Here are the specs:

 (From: Arcticsilver.com)

Arctic Silver 3 features:

Made with 99.9% pure micronized silver.
Arctic Silver 3 uses three unique shapes and sizes pure silver particles to maximize particle-to-particle contact area and thermal transfer. This exclusive combination gives the compound a distinctive silver-green color as each type of particle reflects light differently. 

Over 70% silver content by weight.
Arctic Silver 3 also contains a small percentage of specially engineered micronized boron 

nitride. The thermally-enhanced boron nitride ceramic particles improve the compound's 

flow characteristics and long-term stability.

Controlled triple phase viscosity.
Arctic Silver 3 does not contain any silicone. The suspension fluid is a proprietary mixture 

of advanced polysynthetic oils that work together to provide three distinctive functional 

phases. As it comes from the tube, Arctic Silver 3's consistency is engineered for easy 

application in a thin even layer. During the CPU's initial use, the compound thins out to 

enhance the filling of the microscopic valleys and insure the best physical contact between

the heatsink and the CPU core. Then the compound thickens slightly over the next 50 to 

200 hours of use to its final consistency designed for long-term stability.

Absolute Stability.
Arctic Silver 3 will not separate, run, migrate, or bleed.

Thermal conductivity:  >9.0 W/m°K   (Hot Wire Method Per MIL-C-47113)

Thermal Resistance:  <0.0024°C-in˛/Watt   (0.001 inch layer)

Extended temperature limits:   – 40°C to >180°C

4 to 15 degrees centigrade lower CPU core temperatures than standard thermal 

compounds or thermal pads.

The new arctic silver formula contains 3 different types of particles, explained above that give it a greenish-silver color different from the Arctic Silver 2. The application is easy, as it only takes a very small  amount to cover a CPU core. It takes anywhere from 50-200 hours for the thermal compound to settle, so in between this period the temperatures may become lower by 1-3 C. 

In this review, I will be testing:

-Arctic Silver 3

-Arctic Silver 2

-Arctic Alumina

-Shin Etsu silicone  

    With these heatsinks:

-Coolermaster Heatpipe (HHC-001)

-Thermosonic Thermoengine

I used both a copper heatsink (Heatpipe) and an aluminum (Thermoengine) to distinguish the temperature differences between the standard compound and the arctic silver if you have either "style"

of coolers. 

The test setup is as follows:

-Athlon XP 1700+ (FSB-133) and at 2000+ (FSB-150)

-ECS Elitegroup K7S5A Motherboard (SiS 735 chipset)

-384 MB DDR/266 and at DDR/300, PC2400. (Kingston Value Ram)

-Skyhawk aluminum case w/ 6 low rpm case fans.

-Visiontek Geforce3 Ti200

-Quantum Fireball qt20 20 Gb HDD.

-32X10X40 CD-RW.

This is the case in which I will be reviewing, the skyhawk ALP4350U-BL

Because the case is cooled well, the temperatures will be lower,the case temperature recorded is between 29 C. and 30 C. during testing, with no a/c on. I will be using Speedfan 4.05, CPU stabilitytest and prime 95 to test out the capabilities of the compound. 

-TEST #1

First I will be testing all compounds by placing them into the oven, to see which thermal compound can withstand the highest temperatures without breaking apart, or becoming unstable (ex. oil leaks from compound)

These are all the compounds into the oven. It's hard to see them

because they are in aluminum foil. 

After being in the oven for 30 min at 350 F (177 C) I saw no change at all, even at 450 F. (232 C.) there was not much, only some smoke coming from the Shin Etsu silicone:

At 250+ C. you can see that the resistance (heating coil) is turning red.

At 260 C. i saw changes starting to happen: oils leaked, the Arctic Silver started to harden, and bubbling from the Shin Etsu silicone. So I decided to put the oven to full blast, at broil (280 C). 

This is after the thermal compound was "cooked"

Results:

-Arctic Silver 3 hardened up at 260+ C.

-Arctic Silver 2 hardened (less), some oil leaked at 250+ C.

-Arctic Alumina hardens slightly, but it is still acts like a silicone 

compound.

-Shin Etsu compound, most of the oil leaks, barely any hardening. 

This test is just to see which compound can resist the highest temperature, not to see which one lasts longer, it is not for comparison. One thing to note is that the silicones maintain soft, while the arctic silver hardens, and this is not bad, it is a metal, and  it hardens. Arctic silver is 70-90 percent (micronized) silver, while silicones aren't at all. This makes arctic silver better performing than standard silicones. Also these are extreme temperatures, and your compound will not reach these temperatures, unless the heatsink is removed while the computer is on.

-Test #2

This test will be for comparison. I will be using all 4 compounds, a copper heatsink (Heatpipe) and a aluminum cooler (Thermoengine).

                The Heatpipe (left) and the Thermoengine installed into the motherboard

               The arctic silver left after taking off the Thermoengine, uncentered.

Here are the results using the AMD Athlon XP 1700+, at idle:

The results using the Athlon XP 1700+ at maximum usage:

Now for the results overclocked, I had some trouble with the Alumina

and the Shin Etsu, using the Thermoengine, so they will be left 

blank. Results for the Athlon XP 1700+@2000+ at idle:

Now for the results of the Athlon XP 1700+@2000+ at max load:

As you can see, the Arctic Alumina could not run overclocked with an FSB of 150 Mhz with the Thermoengine, it was fine with the Coolermaster heatpipe though.

    Speedfan was very helpful to record the temperatures, and CPU Stability test too:

Here is the testing software I used, reduced so that it fits in the screen

The results were promising, as the arctic silver 3 led the way. The Arctic Siver 2 was able to match Arctic Silver 3 in some tests, but the new formula of Arctic Silver gave the best results I've ever seen. I give this thermal compound a 9.5 out of 10. 

Pros:

-No silicone

-Price (~$8) 

-Excellent overclocking performance

-Enough for 8-14 CPU cores 

-Can be used for video cards and Chipsets (GPU and Northbridge)

Cons:

-Somewhat conductive

Home