Questions about AS5

Yeah i just heard about arctic silver 5 not long ago...have some Questions..

1) does it also cool down the HD?
2) how long does it last before it evaporates?
3) is it more useful than a notebook cooler?
4) can the notebook still have a chance of heating up to where it crashes ?

ty for your time

 

ill give it a go, please correct me if im wrong
1) When heat is reduced on the main components such as CPU or GPU by the use of a better thermal paste (AS5), the surroundings of these components will also be cooler. Since in a notebook most components are very close together, you may see a difference in HD temps. Obviously the HD doesnt have a heatsink, and you cant apply AS5 on it.
2) I dont think it evaporates, and I think if you apply it correctly, it will be good for 2-3 years. I dont see why you would really have to ever change it again at all.
3) Certainly both are helpful, while if your up for it, AS5 should have more effect, and you might not need a cooler for your notebook (all depends on your original temperatures, and how much you want to spend). Plus a cooler you dont want to always carry around with you.
4) Does your notebook heat up to a point where it crashes? During what processes? Usually no matter if you have a cooler, AS5 or just normal stock thermal paste application, your notebook should never heat up to the point where it crashes when you use it on a flat and hard surface. If it still does you should 1: clean the dust from inside the notebook, and 2: if this doesnt help contact your reseller and check out if theres a problem with it.

hope these help

 

1) not directly. It may cool down the hotter running components which would also mean a cooler running system overall but it doesn't directly cool down any components other than what it is applied to (assuming done correctly, of course)
2) it wouldn't evaporate to the point where it would need replacing. It may not be as viscous as when it was first applied but that is it "setting in" and normal.
3) it doesn't replace one, no, but it can bring down the temps a few degrees from the stock paste they use. It won't cool the whole laptop down directly.
4) yes, it only helps to facilitate a better heat transfer from core to heatsink but if the heatsink is terrible/defective heatpipe/inadequate running speeds for the fan, it won't solve that.

 

1) HDDs , since they have no heatsink as @falcon2claw and @goofball said,there is no place to put the AS5(since that paste is what maximizes the contact between the heatsink and the "hot component", AS5 being the hotdog and the heatsink and the CPU or GPU being the buns.) However,heat inside the laptop affects all components and spreads all around. Less heat inside the closed space,less heat the HDD will absorb,thus staying cooler.
2) evaporates?it wears off in months,6months to 1 year before you should consider reapplying it if you run your notebook on a daily basis.
3) Yes,since notebook coolers generally don`t decrease that much the temps,having no direct effect on the hot components.Coolers usually delay the increase in heat and make the fans run less. In some cases they do make a big difference,in other cases it`s a matter or 1-2C.
4) if you apply AS5,and don`t OC, the only reason for the laptop to crash would be software related or hardware failures,(less likely,but I`m just pointing out the possibilities) ,and not heat increase.
As long as the CPU stays below 75C and the GPU below85-90C it should be ok. Just make sure to clean the dust on the fans regularly(by opening the back panel) and keeping it raised a bit in the back,on a solid surface.

 

1)indirectly, yes
2)guidelines are to replace it every 6-12 months
3) it is more useful, as a notebook cooler drastically reduces its portability and battery life for that matter, although a notebook cooler may be a more effective 'cooler'
4) in the odd case yes, if your notebook runs superhot ,e.g. if you use a 7200 or if you've overclocked some of your hardware or even if you're using an ultraportable ur laptop may reach a high enough temp. although this is quite rare. try nhc if you're interested in testing ur systems temps. it also allows you to change the temp at which it will shut down your hd / cpu ...... resulting in a crash loool

 

1) Let's put it this way: your HDD generates some amount of heat and your computer generates some other amount of heat. Usually the HDD in a machine is enclosed in several layers of plastic, without the heatsinks and cooling solutions attached to a CPU or GPU. AS5 will not reduce the amount of heat that your HDD or the rest of your computer generates. AS5 will increase the heat that's transferred from the attached chip to the cooling solution and therefore, assuming that your cooling solution is running fine and dandy, slow down the heat buildup inside your computer and slow down the rate that the entire system, including the HDD heats up.

2) Yeah, a few years.

3) The AS5 and the notebook cooler are looking to cool your notebook by attacking two different areas, so neither is really better than the other. Like I said, AS5 aims to improve the thermal contact between a chip and its cooling solution and therefore prevent heat buildup inside the system. The notebook cooler aims to circulate the air outside your notebook, specifically under your notebook so as make the cooling solution a bit more effective and therefore, prevent the heat buildup. In the grand scheme of things, most are necessary to keep the notebook cool: you can have great thermal contact between the processor and the heatsink and no air circulation and you're going to overheat. You can have great air circulation but crappy thermal interface and you're also going to overheat. Both are good, neither is necessarily better.

4) Likewise, even if you've got great thermal contact between the processor and the heatsink, if the heatsink isn't able to or isn't capable of doing its job, you're gonna over heat.