H60 and H80 Backing Plate Questions

I checked existing threads and didn't really see anything that satisfies my curiosity. So here goes:

I am planning on purchasing a better cooling solution for my CPU. I am deliberating about either an H60 or an H80 to cool my CPU. Right now with no major load Everest is telling me I am hovering at ~52-55°C; at 100% load during a stress test after 2 minutes and for the entire remaining duration of the test (13 minutes) the CPU hovered at ~72-74°C (AMD reports Max. Tctl is 70°C). So to say the least I am kind of worried and want to make sure to efficiently cool my CPU.

I purchased an H60 from CompUSA about 3-4 months ago and ended up taking it back for two reasons:

1. Couldn't afford to keep it.

2. The backing plate was plastic.

Now to my questions:

Can I use the existing aluminum (or whatever metal it is) backing plate that is already on my motherboard? I think this would probably be more efficient, but I don't know much about thermodynamics. I just know that metal is a better heat conductor than plastic. In my mind I'm thinking that plastic, being an insulator would retain the heat and therefore hold it underneath the processor. On top of that the backing plate is a feature ASUS added to the Crosshair Formula III for heat management. I don't know if there is just a heat-plate or if there is thermal compound between the heat-plate and the PCB. ASUS refers to this as:

Stack Cool 2

 

Effective and zero-noise heat dissipation

Stack Cool 2 is a fan-less and zero-noise cooling solution offered exclusively by ASUS. It effectively transfers heat generated by the critical components to the other side of the specially designed PCB (printed circuit board) for effective heat dissipation.

Second question:

I'm undecided on whether to get the H60 or the H80. I guess my question is just fishing for suggestions or selling points to help me decide which one to get.

I do remember one thing, when I opened the H60, my first thought was "Wow, this thing is huge!"

Thirdly:

What kind of thermal compound is pre-applied to the cooling block?

and lastly:

Is there any type of leak guarantee? Like an insurance policy so that I might rest assured my one of two $250 Video cards won't short out due to the water block, hose or radiator springing a leak?

Thanks to the Ram Guy for educating us,

and Thanks to anyone who responds with useful information. :):

2. The backing plate was plastic.

The only backplate that comes with the H60 unit is actually stamped steel. The H40, H50, and H70/Core units have a plastic backplate though. The H60/80/100 backplates are steel.

The H60/80/100 does not require the removal of the default backplate on AMD systems. The installation just requires the swap of the retention ring on the pump unit and then attaches to the stock mount points on the retention ring attached to the MB with two eyelet hooks.

The H60 and H80 differ in performance and noise reduction options. You will see a significant drop in temperature going from a H60 to H80 when they are both run at full speed. The H80 will be louder overall, but it does have ways to reduce the noise when not needed. The 3 default fan profiles allow you to select the level of performance/noise that you want. The H60 does ship with a PWM fan that can be controlled by the MB BIOS. Even at its top speed of 1700 rpm that fan is pretty quiet, not silent though. The H80 will be quiet and ramp the fans with coolant temperature. Most of the time the speeds will be sub 2000 rpm (even on the highest setting) unless you are maxing out the CPU for long periods of time.

Thermal material on both the H60 and H80 are the same. It is a Dow corning material and very few aftermarket thermal pastes are better in a water cooling environment. I have found that it my experiences it has been on par with my personal favorite of ShinEtsu X23-7783D.

Thanks for the reply SpDFre@k.

I must've bought an H50 then. Hmmm. I feel kinda sheepish. >_<

Any who, thanks for the great info. Only reason I was deliberating is due to cost and the worry of having to remove that back-plate. I would have to say that I'm pretty confident in going with the H80 now. Heck I might even invest in an H60 for my wife's PC! ^_^

Now a quick follow up question on the thermal compound. I usually use Arctic Silver 5. When I was choosing my thermal compound I checked specs on quite a few and noticed that conductivity vs. tackiness and the ability to fill in the micro-pit/grooves that AS5 was pretty much the best. I've never heard of ShinEtsu X23-7783D or Dow Corning material.

What are your thoughts on AS5?

Again, thanks for the reply and extremely useful info. Your input is greatly appreciated. :):

-Lestat II

What are your thoughts on AS5?

AS5 has been a benchmark for a long time and I have used it quite a bit on systems using air cooling heatsinks. The marginal gain moving to a higher performing thermal paste was largely due to cure time and squeezing out that last degree or so on higher overclocks. AS5 relies on the vibration and heat to cure while AS Cermique is more with just heat. Pure water cooling systems did not have the vibration needed to cure quickly (with only the water block attached to the CPU). The closed loop systems like Corsair's Hydro series still has vibration due to the pump being attached to the system but you will not see the best results for many hours after installed and the system running. On a stock system the variance will be marginal and the difference between the different thermal pastes can change just as much with application differences. Best case scenario on a higher overclock between the worst paste and best paste can be up to 5 degrees in the systems I have tested. If you needed to remove/replace the stock thermal paste or just wanted to for performance reasons AS5 will be fine. Getting the right amount for a thin layer and having enough pressure to get an even, thin bond line goes the farthest in trying to shave off those last few degrees.

The newer H-series coolers all use a Dow Corning TIM, and previously used the best TIM made by Shin-Etsu. Both are very close in their thermal transfer capability. Personally I use the Shin-Etsu X23-7783D TIM, IMO it is as good as it gets.

Users posting in this forum that I have seen found that changing to AS-5 from the stock TIM (Dow) caused their CPU temps to increase several degrees C.

IMO, discussing various TIM's is similar to discussions on politics or religion, and that is where I end my discussion. :sunglasse

Wow,

Didn't know discussing TIM was like discussing Religion or Politics. I kinda figured it could be backed up by raw science and numbers.

I talked to a Corsair tech on the phone and let him know about my concerns. He basically agreed with me that AS5 technically performs better than the Dow Corning material. However, the Dow Corning material is supplied as a convenience and performs admirably for the setup. I may eventually try some Shin-Etsu X23-7783D TIM, but with a shelf-life of only a month, I'm not looking to shell out the cost as I don't think I could use all of it before it expires.

Thanks for the replies everyone! It assisted me greatly in making my decision and I ended up purchasing an H80 for my rig and an H60 for my wife's!

-Lestat II

Wow,

 

Didn't know discussing TIM was like discussing Religion or Politics. I kinda figured it could be backed up by raw science and numbers.

 

I talked to a Corsair tech on the phone and let him know about my concerns. He basically agreed with me that AS5 technically performs better than the Dow Corning material. However, the Dow Corning material is supplied as a convenience and performs admirably for the setup. I may eventually try some Shin-Etsu X23-7783D TIM, but with a shelf-life of only a month, I'm not looking to shell out the cost as I don't think I could use all of it before it expires.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone! It assisted me greatly in making my decision and I ended up purchasing an H80 for my rig and an H60 for my wife's!

 

-Lestat II

Since when does raw science and numbers have anything to do with fanboyism, and "... my choice is better than your choice."

Surprised the tech said that about AS5, since the Corsair rep's in this forum have said the opposite. I wonder how the Shin-Etsu could have a one month shelf life, as what is the difference between it being in a container, and squeezed between a CPU and metal plate? They need better packaging if that is the case, since by the time it left the factory in Japan and made it to the shelves in the US, it would have one week left at best.

Since when does raw science and numbers have anything to do with fanboyism, and "... my choice is better than your choice."

 

Surprised the tech said that about AS5, since the Corsair rep's in this forum have said the opposite. I wonder how the Shin-Etsu could have a one month shelf life, as what is the difference between it being in a container, and squeezed between a CPU and metal plate? They need better packaging if that is the case, since by the time it left the factory in Japan and made it to the shelves in the US, it would have one week left at best.

LOL, good point. Fanboiism does have that tendency doesn't it?

Interesting... well he didn't volunteer the info. I told him in my research I saw that the numbers indicated that AS5 had better heat transfer ability, and he agreed. He then stated that the actual performance temperature difference would probably be moot.

>_< My bad, Shin-Etsu X23-7783D has a shelf life at room temperature of one year, not one month. I concur, what would be the difference of sitting in the container versus being mooshed between a CPU and heatsink or waterblock... science?? :sillygrin

Got my H80, haven't mounted it yet... still debating on whether or not to use the existing Dow Corning TIM or my AS5. I wouldn't care if not for the fact I cannot test both ways and then choose (considering the Dow Corning material isn't available to consumers). Has anyone tested the H80 with a system similar to mine with both Dow Corning TIM and AS5 (and others)? Would love to see some raw test numbers.

Thanks,

Lestat II

I'm getting antsy, so I'm going to go ahead and install the H80 with the stock TIM. When I finish and boot I'll put it through it's paces and record the Temps here. If I am dissatisfied, I'll shut her down pull the cooler and remount it with AS5.

Wish me luck,

Lestat II

I'm getting antsy, so I'm going to go ahead and install the H80 with the stock TIM. When I finish and boot I'll put it through it's paces and record the Temps here. If I am dissatisfied, I'll shut her down pull the cooler and remount it with AS5.

 

Wish me luck,

Lestat II

Ok, so I've got her all set up.

With no load she idles at ~40°-43° fluctuating. Full load using Prime 95 torture test after 15 minutes hovers ~50°-55°

This is all with the stock Dow Corning Material. I'm thinking these numbers are pretty good. What do you think?

-Lestat II