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Nanotherm Ice and Blue
We looked at ESG Associate's last versions of Nanotherm, and came away quite impressed with it's performance. They've released a newer version now that is supposed to be a better performer, plus you get even more for the money. Like their previous version, ceramic based, and non-electrically conductive. You can read more about the specifics in our last review.
Like before, you have two versions to choose from, Ice and Blue. Like before, chemically, both products are identical, except for the coloured tint in the "Blue" version. Through testing, I've found that the blue is easier to apply, meaning, it was easier to tell when the right amount was applied. I'm not trying to say the "Ice" would be tougher, because it isn't, but the visual aid in the Blue makes it more obvious.
Here are the rest of the specifications from ...
Nanotherm Ice and Nanotherm Blue are unique nanocomposite polyceramic thermal interface compounds that contain a special blend of engineered materials, including Boron Nitride, Aluminum Oxide, Aluminum Nitride and other nanopowders, compounded into a proprietary multisynthetic carrier fluid comprised of USDA-approved "food grade" lubricants.
Nanotherm is now available in 2 gram tubes. Each syringe contains a volume of 1.5 cc/ml of thermal compound, providing a coverage area of about 30.5 sq. in. at an average layer thickness of .003". In terms of applications, each tube of Nanotherm contains enough thermal compound to cover:
32 to 44 small CPU cores
12 to 19 large CPU cores
5 to 10 heat plates
The following are some of the features, characteristics and benefits of Nanotherm Thermal Compounds:
Cost-Effective, High Performance Thermal Interface Material
High Thermal Conductivity
Low Thermal Resistance
Excellent High and Low Temperature Characteristics
Electrically Insulative
Non-Hazardous and Chemically Inert
Spreads Smoothly & Evenly in Thin Layers
Viscous, Sticky Consistency
Fills Micropores & Grooves on Contact Surfaces
Fast, Easy Cleanup - No Mess
Excellent Barrier Properties to Oxygen and Moisture
Resistant to Separation, Leeching and Drying Out
High Pressure Resistance
Transparent to Microwave Radiation
Something that wasn't mentioned when I previously tested the Nanotherms, was the new ones seem to require a break-in period. Scott @ ESG Associates fired this off to me...
"One thing we wanted to mention regarding the thermal compounds - there is a break-in period where the material is compressed by the clamp force from the HSF, spreading, leveling, densifying and so on. Consequently, the CPU and SYS temperatures will migrate lower over time and stabilize at temps distinctly less than after the initial application. This has always been the case with Nanotherm, because of it's material composition and thicker-than-average viscosity.
As I indicated above, the break-in period is typically a function of time (40 to 60 hours of use). The break-in period can be accelerated by cycling between full load and idle conditions for 2 - 3 hours, then shutting down for 2 - 3 hours and repeating the idle/full load testing and shutdown cycle again, followed by a final idle/full load test. We would recommend at least 3 idle / full load cycling sessions - 2 the first day followed by a prolonged shutdown period (overnight, for instance). The 3rd and final session would be the actual test session where you would record the data - allowing at least 20 minutes stabilization time at Idle and 20 minutes at full load before recording temperature measurements."
I wasn't sure initially if the temps would actually be higher at the beginning, but this will certainly be something we'll investigate during our tests.
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