Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive

Back in 1998, when the nVidia TNT lineup was new, I purchased the original 16MB TNT (Diamond Viper 550). Intrigued by the heatsink/fan arrangement, I pried off the heatsink for several reasons: to see what was holding it on and to see if any improvements could be made (read: better cooling). I was then faced with two choices, Epoxy or (gulp) Superglue, both of which were simply dreadful. Today, we have quality solutions for such a predicament. Look to Arctic Silver's website for a product aptly named Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive.

Factory Specifications

AA Thermal Adhesive

Layered Composite of Aluminum Oxide and Boron Nitride
Negligible Electrical Conductivity
A permanent adhesive solution
Price: $8.95 per set

Arctic Alumina
Thermal Adhesive

9/10 Rating

This product reminds me of Epoxy. You have two parts that don't do much unless they meet. When they are properly mixed, the user has a few minutes to align the parts to be joined, then a waiting periods ensues.

Because this adhesive is not a typical "glue," it will have dramatically better thermal properties. It is not recommended for CPU to heatsink configurations, only those where the heatsink would fall off, such as a video card or chipset.

For anyone already familiar with two part adhesives, installation of the AA adhesive will be a snap. But, being a "techie" I wanted to see just how well this adhesive holds onto metallic things. So, the next section describes and has an extensive pictorial for your enjoyment.

I found an old, empty ATX case lying around and weighed it. Coming in at an "unloaded" weight of 13 lbs, I thought "let's see how well this stuff will stick." For the record, this is quite the ludicrous test; however, Arctic Alumina Adhesive will surprise you on its permanence.

The picture below and to the right shows preparation of the case and large bolt. Mix the two halves evenly. For example, if you use so much of one syringe (part a), make sure to match the same amount from the other syringe (part b). Don't over do it. Use this sticky goop sparingly, no need to have extra squirting out all over the place when mating the two surfaces.