Thermene (graphene) thermal paste: Tried?

[sumo.do]

Has any one tried Thermene (graphene based) thermal paste on their mini (or other Mac)?

http://thermene.com

I've used TX-4 and AS5 on my 2012 2.6Ghz and 2011 2.0Ghz with good results (more so with TX-4) but this Thermene stuff is cutting edge. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with it.

 

[sumo.do]

Well... I can accept zero interest as most people don't care about re-doing the thermal paste on their mini.

Anyway I bought some of this Thermene. It is in the post. I'll give it a go and test the results versus Tuniq TX-4 (my current paste). I have been keeping a record of my idle and peak temps to try and get a good comparison when I run the Thermene.

I'll be testing it on a 2012 2.6GHz, 2011 i7 2.0Ghz, 2011 i5 and 2011 MacBook Air.

Stay tuned in a few weeks if you're interested.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Well... I can accept zero interest as most people don't care about re-doing the thermal paste on their mini.

Anyway I bought some of this Thermene. It is in the post. I'll give it a go and test the results versus Tuniq TX-4 (my current paste). I have been keeping a record of my idle and peak temps to try and get a good comparison when I run the Thermene.

I'll be testing it on a 2012 2.6GHz, 2011 i7 2.0Ghz, 2011 i5 and 2011 MacBook Air.

Stay tuned in a few weeks if you're interested.

I am very interested. I am also running Tuniq TX-4 on my 2012 i7 MacMini, and I've been meaning to repaste my girlfriend's 2011 i7 Macbook Air. Please update this thread with your experience / results. I'm subscribed.

 

[sumo.do]

I am very interested. I am also running Tuniq TX-4 on my 2012 i7 MacMini, and I've been meaning to repaste my girlfriend's 2011 i7 Macbook Air. Please update this thread with your experience / results. I'm subscribed.

I haven't got the paste yet (still in the mail - US to AUS) but from what I have read it is not particularly thick so I may still use TX-4 on the GPU and Thermene on the CPU. Why? because there is a slight gap between the GPU and heatsink and TX-4 is really good for that because it is a little thicker. I'll assess it when I open it.

 

[sumo.do]

So I received the Thermene.

First impressions are not good in that it is very runny. It is like the consistency of pouring cream or ketchup. I put a sample on a hard surface and ran the pointy end of an Apple Black Stick through it and the drag mark actually closes up. I.e. it runs! I have never seen a thermal 'paste' so runny before.

So because of this I have decided to test it first on my base 2011 i5 Mac mini in case it all goes pear shaped. I've applied the 'paste' and will run it in for the 10 hour cure with a few handbrake runs and shutdowns. I'll then pull the machine apart again to see if it ran, or at the very least, set.

Who knows. After the cure time it might thicken and give good temps. Maybe.

I'll post back in a week or so.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Maybe give it a good shake? Possibly the thickening component separated out and settled at the bottom?

 

[sumo.do]

Half of the reviews suggest it is thin as well. Although the fact that it is 'shakable' is in itself a little strange. Early results suggest the temps are same as TX-4 but it has not fully cured yet.

 

[sumo.do]

Unfortunate outcome.

I have cured it over three days with multiple peak temp runs. Leaving it off over night. Cooling it 4ºC for a few hours etc. It has a cure time of 10 hours. I gave it about 40.

I tested it on a 2011 Mac mini 2.3GHz i5. My plan was to test it on my 2012 2.6GHz Quad but when I saw how runny the 'paste' was I didn't want to risk it as the 2.6 has a slight gap between the sink and the surface of the CPU and GPU. I was worried it may run and cause havoc.

Anyway, using Handbrake to max the CPU to 100%...

On the peak runs I did on Tuniq TX-4 (prior to putting on the Thermene) I got an average of 88.8ºC over about 8 runs.

On peak runs I did on Thermene I got an average of 89.9ºC over about 6 runs.

Certainly not the 5ºC decrease on TX-4 they openly advertise on their website.

If you are new to Macs then understand those temps are normal for peak. Mac temps run with far higher tolerances than your average PC. My 2012 2.6GHz Quad peaks at 94-98ºC. I've run it for years like that. Days on end.

Having said all the above, I think the issue may be more that the Thermene is so runny and that it is designed for the larger PC CPU's with super refined heat sinks. I.e. with absolute minimal tolerance in gap. The heat sink on Macs look like a 5 year old made the mold from clay. They are very poor in terms of the surface that hits the CPU and the gap.

I think if I had a PC, which I do not, then the results may (that's a super big 'may') be different. It just does not work well on filling the gap on the Mini's heat sink.

Anyway for me it was a waste of money. Not necessarily a failed experiment, but a failed product. I get the feeling it is a backyard effort and needs more refinement of the product. It needs to be more viscous. Maybe not a viscous as TX-4 but at least as viscous as say AS5. From what I understand, PC monkeys prefer a thin (less viscous) thermal compound as they like to spread it and TX-4, as good as it is, is hard to spread. But with a Mac you can use the bead/pea or stripe method. You never spread it. I use a rice grain bead on the GPU and a thin stripe on the CPU (of a Mac mini). Stripe method on a MacBook Air. It depends obviously on whether the CPU/GPU is square or rectangle.

1 star out of 5. I give it 1 because it almost matched TX-4. I took of 4 stars because it is unusable and failed to live up to its advertising and the hype.

I'll put TX-4 back on. I'll let you know if there has been any running. If not, bye all.