In a message dated 01/22/2000 5:10:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
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<< If you want the utmost in heat sink compound, get silver based Vs. zinc
 based grease. It is 10 times more effective and can lower CPU temps by 10°
 or more over zinc based greases.
  Chemtronics (800-645-5244) makes it. Their product number CW7100. Being
 silver rather than zinc it is more expensive. A .23 oz tube is around $15.
  An important note whether you use zinc or silver grease is to use it
 sparingly. Use only enough to fill in the gaps. Lapping the heatsink on the
 CPU after application is a good way to distribute the grease. Lifting (not
 sliding) the heatsink off the CPU will show a ripple area on the grease
 surface where this is contact and sufficient grease.
 
 Daniel Wysocki
 >>


Hi,
  One important point you fail to mention is that silver heatsink paste is 
electrically CONDUCTIVE, and will short things out if you get it on ANYTHING 
but the CPU to heatsink interface. The zinc oxide grease is NOT electrically 
conductive (but highly thermally conductive), so you don't have this problem.
  The silver grease is slightly more thermally conductive, but the risk of 
damage through smearing to unwanted spots makes this a VERY risky suggestion. 
If you do get it between pins of the CPU, or even more so, the cache chips, 
it is nearly impossible to completely clean out (the pins on cache chips are 
extremely close together). That's assuming you catch this before you apply 
power, and possibly fry something.
  I have used the silver grease on a couple of occasions, and it made no 
measurable difference in the temperature of the CPU Vs the zinc oxide grease, 
both properly applied. Therefore, I would be hesitant to recommend it, (not 
to mention the MUCH higher cost of the silver paste).

Just my .02 worth,
Peter Hogan
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