Liquid Metal Degrading

[Mavflight09]

Hey guys,

 

From an earlier post I made I put liquid metal on my GPU, the aio of which is leaking, but anyways the liquid metal degraded to the point where switching from liquid metal to 3 year old Arctic Silver 5 that I had lying around improved temperatures by about 10 degrees C. The liquid metal was hardened to the point where I could chip away at it with a screw driver. I assumed that it dried out because of the radial fan found on most hybrid cards, that provided airflow over the side of the liquid metal and thus dried it out.

 

But now my question is why isn't the liquid metal on top of my CPU's IHS drying out? There are 3, 120mm fans at the top of my case providing downward airflow directly above the CPU socket, shoulden't this airflow dry out the liquid metal?

 

I did some tests and the temperatures are within margin of error from 2 months ago when I first applied the liquid metal to my CPU. But from 2 months ago when I applied liquid metal to my GPU it was completely dried out.

[Airdragonz]

It won't dry out the liquid metal in the cpu unless there's a gap between the IHS and the liquid metal. Your GPU might've dried out due to poor contact with the heatsink

[Mavflight09]

1 minute ago, Airdragonz said:

It won't dry out the liquid metal in the cpu unless there's a gap between the IHS and the liquid metal. Your GPU might've dried out due to poor contact with the heatsink

Does poor contact necessarily mean poor thermals? Because I was actually getting great temperatures, about 3 degrees less than with Arctic Silver 5.

[Airdragonz]

1 minute ago, Mavflight09 said:

Does poor contact necessarily mean poor thermals? Because I was actually getting great temperatures, about 3 degrees less than with Arctic Silver 5.

If you're getting only a 3 degree difference between a regular paste and liquid metal, then there's definitely poor contact. Either that or there's something else wrong with your cooling setup. 

[Mavflight09]

Just now, Airdragonz said:

If you're getting only a 3 degree difference between a regular paste and liquid metal, then there's definitely poor contact. Either that or there's something else wrong with your cooling setup. 

I mean it's already really cool, I got 41 degrees under Furmark for 30 mins with liquid metal, and 44 degrees for Arctic Silver 5.

[Airdragonz]

Just now, Mavflight09 said:

I mean it's already really cool, I got 41 degrees under Furmark for 30 mins with liquid metal, and 44 degrees for Arctic Silver 5.

There should be around at least a 5-10 degree difference under load. 3 degrees is almost margin of error. 

[Mavflight09]

Just now, Airdragonz said:

There should be around at least a 5-10 degree difference under load. 3 degrees is almost margin of error. 

Is it possible that the screws bottom out before the die and coldplate come together? Because I put all 4 screws in until they bottomed out.

[Airdragonz]

 

1 minute ago, Mavflight09 said:

Is it possible that the screws bottom out before the die and coldplate come together? Because I put all 4 screws in until they bottomed out.

It's possible, but unlikely the case if you followed the instructions for the waterblock you put on.

[Mavflight09]

Just now, Airdragonz said:

 

It's possible, but unlikely the case if you followed the instructions for the waterblock you put on.

Well it's a hybrid card so it doesn't have instructions. But it has a radial fan on, which is why I thought the direct airflow would dry it out.

[Airdragonz]

Just now, Mavflight09 said:

Well it's a hybrid card so it doesn't have instructions. But it has a radial fan on, which is why I thought the direct airflow would dry it out.

No idea then. Although it seems unlikely, I won't rule it out as a possibility. 

[Mavflight09]

Just now, Airdragonz said:

No idea then. Although it seems unlikely, I won't rule it out as a possibility. 

So mostly what I wanted to know is you don't think that the liquid metal on top of the IHS of my CPU will dry out?

 

I just want to know for longevity so in a few months I don't have a cooked CPU.

 

I guess I'll just use Kryonaut on the gpu.

[Airdragonz]

1 minute ago, Mavflight09 said:

So mostly what I wanted to know is you don't think that the liquid metal on top of the IHS of my CPU will dry out?

 

I just want to know for longevity so in a few months I don't have a cooked CPU.

 

I guess I'll just use Kryonaut on the gpu.

I highly doubt that it'll dry out, at least for the next couple of years or so. Obviously keep watch on the temps. If they start going up, it'll be time to delid it again