"You can’t bend physics.
For those who wonder how you can even arrive at figures above this limit, it should be noted that test conditions can certainly be adapted to achieve astronomically high figures. However, testing in a bucket has nothing to do with reality, even if a known measurement method is used. Without knowledge of the exact circumstances, such values are completely misleading and meaningless. You could give many suppliers credit for simply not knowing any better and just copying the OEM’s data sheets, but it doesn’t make misleading consumers any better."
I whole heartedly disagree with the bullshit written in that quote, he may as well claim the laws of thermodynamics are variable according to the test, or other scientific values such as the speed of light can be altered by the average layman based on their individual circumstances.
Thermal conductivity is a value only, it can't be changed, only the score under differing circumstances according to the properties used.
Related to that, I made a statement years ago even Splave agreed with.
Doesn't matter what TIM, cooler, or whatever else you have, it's all affected by what I call
"Thermal Latency" which is affected by what you've got.
It's best thought of as a chain and like a chain, the weakest link in what's there to do the job will be what limits your cooling efficiency/capability.
This "Chain" is comprised of
everything that your cooling is comprised of period - I'll explain it here so just bear with me a sec.
OK:
The ultimate destination of heat energy removed by any cooling devices is atmosphere itself.
It's path to atmosphere isn't complicated and it has to be conducted, or passed along this chain of things/materials in use for that purpose.
To get there it starts it's way from it's source, in this case it's the actual die (Silicon) of the CPU/GPU itself and is generated by the device doing work for you.
From the chip's die to the material used under the CPU lid, can be either a form of TIM or solder which it has to go through.
From the TIM/solder to the chip's lid.
From the chip's lid to the TIM/LM present at the cooler/block base, passes it along to the base of the cooler or water block you have.
Depending on the cooling you have, from the base it either gets picked up by the tubes & fluid/metal of your air cooler or the liquid flowing through the block if watercooled.
From there in the case of an air cooler the heat is passed through the tubes& fluid/metal of the cooler to it's fins which in turn transmits it to atmosphere itself.
For a watercooled system the liquid used in it does the same thing, absorbs and carries heat away from the block to the radiator which then picks it up and radiates it to atmosphere itself.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All that has to happen and if you have any of it that's weak in this chain, that will be the part of it that limits your cooling capability/efficiency and that can be for any number of reasons.
As an example, that's one reason why you'll see me tell someone to make sure you have good airflow
through the case because that can and will affect this if it's aircooled and yes, it uses the air inside the case to conduct heat energy from the cooler to the air immediately around it.
If that's already warm it will not pass it along as well as it would if the air in your case is cooler. If this air is cooler, it would attract more heat energy from the cooler because heat energy always wants to dissapate/move itself to an area with less heat energy.
