Maximum PC

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we all did this voluntarily in the spirit of open testing. anything we get in return is nice, but I didnt do it for a free tube of anything. I did it to give non biased data to the public (as well as the ICD company as required, but that is secondary).

This, exactly. We didn't know coming into this deal there was going to be any bonus offered. We did it, or at least I think most of us did, because we are into computers and custom building and getting all the bang for the buck we can out of a machine. These small tubes we got were not cheap, and I am sure the larger ones that Innovation Cooling have offered us for our efforts would be considered fairly expensive.

I want to thank Andrew and Innovation Cooling for asking us to test their fine product, only asking for simple feedback on our experience with it in return. And also thank them for their extra generosity

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we all did this voluntarily in the spirit of open testing. anything we get in return is nice, but I didnt do it for a free tube of anything. I did it to give non biased data to the public (as well as the ICD company as required, but that is secondary).

Yeah, the tests were done before an extra tube of IC Diamond was mentioned, so this couldn't have caused biasing.

Whoot I got my tube yesterday

received mine also. good size tube too.

thanks Andrew! Ill be tossing some on my video card soon as I get a baseline with the stock compound. I know this results thread is done but Ill toss the results here anyway if the mods are cool with it.

This is the official thread for results for those who received free IC Diamond thermal compound from this thread and agreed to post their results!

(First, a few words from Andrew Lemont of Innovation Cooling)

Hello and thanks to all who have agreed to be a part of this test.

This will be the place to post your benches, test, and results from your IC Diamond 7 Carat thermal compound you received.

Introduction

At Innovation Cooling we have done extensive tests on our own compound as well as all our competitors and I can say from our results that I have never tested a compound that performs better although a couple come close initially on thermal performance due to a more liquid, lower particle bulk loading. This enables a better wetting of the surface to fill imperfections in the adjoining surfaces. They look great after the first couple hundred hours but what happens after 1000 hours? or 2000 hours? It is well documented in numerous published papers that low viscosity TIMs are prone to bake out and pump out. Intel and others in the OEM market recommend particle bulk loadings above 90% to minimize these effects. While this increases reliability in the long run as it is harder to pump a solid than a liquid and performance is measurably impacted as many here will probably have experienced when using thermal pads, gels, phase change, tapes and other OEM type products.

With IC Diamond we believe we have an ideal combination of thermal performance and reliable performance. Our data on a one inch synthetic die with thermocouples on die and sink show only a 1.1C delta @ 100 W. In other words a mechanically thermal perfect contact between the two would only net an improvement of 1.1C @ 100W.

Purified synthetic diamond has a thermal conductivity of 2,000-2,500 W/mK compared to 406-429 W/mK for pure silver.

Go to the company's home page for info on thermal performance/contact and pressure testing/troubleshooting and any other info you would like.

Application

Go to this link for correct application methods.

Every manufacturer has their own prescribed method of grease application and for this test I would use our method out of the gate and no other. The application method has been tested extensively by us and independently by over 127 forum users. Lines, grains of rice, razor film spreads, BB sized, ultrasonically spread with a vibrator, mixed with other pastes have all been tried. Our recommended application is what works. Application is simple and easy.

You may find heating it up a little bit makes it a lot easier to get out of the syringe and helps with the spreading, so mount the heatsink ASAP after application to CPU.

If you have an HDT ("Heatpipe Direct Touch") cooler you should try using the above method first and the method used for HDT coolers later if you wish to see which works best for you.

Make sure the Heatsink and CPUs are well cleaned using Isopropyl Alcohol 90%+ pure, Arcti Clean, or something similar.

Data Required

I appreciate the effort here from all participating members. Any comments pro or con are welcome as well as any suggestions. There is no bad data in this test, it is what it is, just report the result.

The data we would like is:

"Before" test data prior to dismantling your system. Make sure all heatsinks and CPUs are clean, free from dust, securely mounted, etc. We would like good data.

• Ambient temps to be taken at idle and load
• Idle and load temps obviously. Use a program like LINPACK, Prime95 or OCCT and set to max stress the CPU and allow to run for 10-20 minutes or until temps stabilize.
• Use Core Temp or Real Temp as these seem to give the most accurate readings. Real Temp also shows the max temp each core reaches during the load test. If you use another program just note down which one
• Note initial comparison paste and any exceptional conditions as well as heat sink type
• PWM disabled so fan speed is constant for both tests
• Note your system specs and settings
• Remount with IC Diamond 7 Carat Thermal Compound and repeat as above
• Submit results for any TIMs you use as a comparison also so we can compare results

Feel free to make any observations, comments or suggestions. We are trying to refine our message, application and problem troubleshooting so the information you supply to us is valuable to us and much appreciated.

That's basically it. You are pretty much on your own, whatever result you get is what it is. I may comment occasionally or suggest troubleshooting points but not much else. At the end of the exercise we will provide a chart of the results with links to the data for viewing and suggested corrections.

Thanks again all for your time and effort!

Fill in the gaps between the Heatpipes and fins. Rub the IC Diamond in to the gaps very well to make sure there are no air pockets. ( Any air pockets or tiny bubbles between CPU and Cooler can greatly affect results.) Also warm up the HDT Cooler and the IC Diamond so they are easier to work with. This allows you to work the thicker compound into the gaps more effectively. Otherwise it can be a little hard to make it stay between the pipes and aluminium fins.


Then wipe off any excess leaving only the TIM between the heatpipes and aluminium fins and perhaps leaving a very slight haze over the copper of the heatpipes.


Then apply to HDT Cooler as you do with all other coolers, a pea sized blob on the CPU. Or the 2 thin lines on the aluminium fins. Try both and see which works best for your setup. The blob has worked best for me.


One last thing. Prior to application make sure the HSF and CPU are clean. To do this use Isopropyl Alcohol 90%+ pure (This is available from the chemist Drug store, and is very inexpensive.) and a lint free cloth or coffee filter paper. A clean HSF and CPU are very important for best performance. Good luck.



The thin lines were difficult to do as the IC Diamond is as thick as it is but can be done if the compound is warmed up well beforehand. I also found warming up the CPU with a hair dryer just before applying the IC Diamond helped get a more even spread when attaching the cooler.