Silver plating
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Silver plating
What do you guys think of electroplating a Zalman 6000cu (or any HS for that matter) silver? Will the silver layer aid in cooling or does the material need to be silver all the way through?
I wonder if someone has already tried it and found silver plating to be useless?
I wonder if someone has already tried it and found silver plating to be useless?
Probably the biggest benefit from plating the HS will be that the silver will prevent the copper from oxidizing. Even the oxide layer is only a few microns thick it has less than 5% the thermal conductivity of the copper. Plating the base of the HS, the part that contacts the core, would give the best return on the investment.
But here's a better idea! Instead of plating the heatsink in silver, have one cast in silver! Solid silver would be a much better conductor.
Let's see: Given that the Zalman 6000Cu weighs 462grams when made from copper, and that Cu has a density of 8230kg/m^3, that means you need 56cm^3 of material to cast the HS. 56cm^3 of silver works out to be 587grams, or about 20 ounces.
Casting silver is going for about $7.25 US per ounce.
So that means that your new Zalman 6000Ag will cost you $145 just for the materials. Ouch
But here's a better idea! Instead of plating the heatsink in silver, have one cast in silver! Solid silver would be a much better conductor.
Let's see: Given that the Zalman 6000Cu weighs 462grams when made from copper, and that Cu has a density of 8230kg/m^3, that means you need 56cm^3 of material to cast the HS. 56cm^3 of silver works out to be 587grams, or about 20 ounces.
Casting silver is going for about $7.25 US per ounce.
So that means that your new Zalman 6000Ag will cost you $145 just for the materials. Ouch
MikeC wrote:silver will prevent the copper from oxidizing
Russ, you must not have watched the old movies or read the books in which servants are forever polishing the silver! The silver will actually oxidize faster than copper, AFAIK.
On a technical level I stand behind my original post. The silver will stop the copper from oxidizing. I didn't say anything about the silver oxiding!!!
Actually I confused silver with gold. (when you're too poor to have either its easy to do that)
Crap. Does this mean I have to polish all the little silver bits in the Arctic Silver stuff from time to time?MikeC wrote: Russ, you must not have watched the old movies or read the books in which servants are forever polishing the silver! The silver will actually oxidize faster than copper, AFAIK.
Silver plating not a good idea, gotcha.
Making heatsink hewn from pure (well, .925 sterling) silver is actually a possibility, as I have relatives in Thailand who own a silver jewellery foundry. I visited them a few years ago and they were custom casting all sorts of stuff. I must look into it.
I'll also ask if the tarishing would be a major problem.
Um, is silver heavier than copper? Aluminium?
Making heatsink hewn from pure (well, .925 sterling) silver is actually a possibility, as I have relatives in Thailand who own a silver jewellery foundry. I visited them a few years ago and they were custom casting all sorts of stuff. I must look into it.
I'll also ask if the tarishing would be a major problem.
Um, is silver heavier than copper? Aluminium?
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Silver has better thermal conductivity than gold, but gold does not oxidize easily. Copper actually conducts heat better than gold.Rusty075 wrote:Alot heavier: Silver is 10490 kg/m3, copper by comparison is 8230 kg/m3, and Aluminum is only 2700 kg/m3. Gold is even heavier yet, 19300 kg/m3 .Mike Sae wrote: Um, is silver heavier than copper? Aluminium?
Now diamond has very good thermal conductivty and resistance to oxidation but is even more expensive than gold. (Is $5 million too much to spend on a heatsink? ) Moissanite might make a good heat sink at 1/10th to 1/20th the cost of a diamond (at 1 ct.) but that is still pretty expensive.
Instead of the crazy cat lady I'm becoming the crazy computer geek!
But seriously, besides the few "experiemental" boxes, (Like the turbine-oil cooled K6-2 350 cd'd to 600) they are a 3D rendering farm. Here's a link to a video that "they made for a school project that my roommate and I did a few months ago. Savannah Revitalization Animation
Warning: the animation is a big file, if you have a modem you're in trouble. And the animation is of an architecture project, so its not that exciting to most normal people.
But seriously, besides the few "experiemental" boxes, (Like the turbine-oil cooled K6-2 350 cd'd to 600) they are a 3D rendering farm. Here's a link to a video that "they made for a school project that my roommate and I did a few months ago. Savannah Revitalization Animation
Warning: the animation is a big file, if you have a modem you're in trouble. And the animation is of an architecture project, so its not that exciting to most normal people.
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Nobody has made an all-silver or gold HS yet for obvious reaons. The most commercially successful use of silver for a HS was the Silverado by noisecontrol.de, which had a bottom silver "slug" about the size of a US silver dollar. The rest of the HS was alumin. Worked well for its time.
Keep in mind that the material is only a part of the picture -- there's design & execution, including the mounting system. Flaws in any of those can nullify strengths elsewhere... the old weakest link rule.
Keep in mind that the material is only a part of the picture -- there's design & execution, including the mounting system. Flaws in any of those can nullify strengths elsewhere... the old weakest link rule.
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Everyone already knows I am not normal, so it's ok if I say that is pretty damn cool! How long did that take you to build -- and how long did it take for your pig farm -- oh i mean render farm to render?Rusty075 wrote: they are a 3D rendering farm. Here's a link to a video that "they made for a school project that my roommate and I did a few months ago. Savannah Revitalization Animation
Warning: the animation is a big file, if you have a modem you're in trouble. And the animation is of an architecture project, so its not that exciting to most normal people.
BtW, for those with dialup -- it IS 46mb.
Last edited by MikeC on Tue Jan 28, 2003 12:57 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Silver... Gold... Diamond... There is also a graphite foam material that cost way too much, and has amazing heat conductivity, and is designed for this kind of application. Bhaa! I want isothermal heatpipe spreaders. Should be cheap and very high performance when they arrive on the mass/available market.
To heck with heat spreaders or sinks altogether. All they really do is move the heat from one place to another anyway.crisspy wrote: Bhaa! I want isothermal heatpipe spreaders
What I'm waiting for is Thermocouples. Convert the heat into electricity and use it to help run the system! I've seen articles on the development of thrermocouples small enough to be inside the core itself, reducing or eliminating the need for a heatsink at all.