How to apply thermal paste?

[Elim Garak]

You're clearly not going "at full load" if you're not going at too high temps. >>

You've just called me a liar. Though I am aware of CPU burn benchmarks and did run them. Whatcha gonna say to that?

[Drunkenvalley]

You've just called me a liar. Though I am aware of CPU burn benchmarks and did run them. Whatcha gonna say to that?

That you're talking out your arse and that you should give Prime95 a bash? You've not made any convincing arguments nor supplied any form of photographic evidence that would prove anything.

[Elim Garak]

That you're talking out your arse?

Well then I hope you had a good time talking with my arse.

[Buttfear]

Lap the processor, lap the heat sink, 1 very fine line of Arctic Silver.

[Djinni]

Lap the processor, lap the heat sink, 1 very fine line of Arctic Silver.

........lap?

[Drunkenvalley]

........lap?

If you're curious if he means a lap or to lap I think it's the latter.
If you're wondering if he seriously suggests licking your processor and heatsink... Well, hell if I know.

:<

[Elim Garak]

........lap?

http://www.overclockersclub.com/guides/lapping/

[Eon Drache]

I don't use any. Found it unneeded. Most people I see put a dot in the center and let it spread as the center is where most of the heat comes from.

Note, I've got a pretty low end computer with a simple Dual Core and a GTX 460. Idk if its needed for a quad or something as I've never had one. I know my friend who has a 3.2Ghz AMD quad doesn't use any, either on his computer.

[Lezarin]

large dot in the middle of the heatsink then spread it evenly around till it covers the heatsink contact area using the spatula thingy that i got with me thermal paste.


also on a side note trying to stop getting the stuff on your hands so it looks like you just wanked off an elephant is annoyingly complicated lol.

[Djinni]

If you're curious if he means a lap or to lap I think it's the latter.
If you're wondering if he seriously suggests licking your processor and heatsink... Well, hell if I know.

:<

I was initially thinking more along the lines of lap dance... but yeah ok.

---------- Post added 2011-06-15 at 12:27 PM ----------

I don't use any. Found it unneeded. Most people I see put a dot in the center and let it spread as the center is where most of the heat comes from.

Note, I've got a pretty low end computer with a simple Dual Core and a GTX 460. Idk if its needed for a quad or something as I've never had one. I know my friend who has a 3.2Ghz AMD quad doesn't use any, either on his computer.

It's generally not needed if your using the stock heatsink/fan but if your using an aftermarket cooler then you do need it.

[ramennoodleking]

I put a giant question mark with thermal paste on things that look like they will get hot since I am entirely clueless about what I'm doing when I open up my pc

[Primernova]

I think a few people are misunderstsanding me....

I'm not asking how you think I should apply it, I'm asking how and why YOU apply it. and if you have seen any difference in tempreature as a result of applying it a particular way.

(Also updating first post with this.)

I gave you the answer you were looking for. The why is the most important part of learning and I salute you for knowing this:

A dot is fine, it's just there to make sure their is even contact between both parts. The odds of it not finding the low spots on what are essentially two perfectly flat things held together under pressure are pretty slim.

Careful reading helps this process along though.

[Drunkenvalley]

In retrospect I was a bit of an ass in saying you can't do with the stock cooler without thermal paste. Mostly because I'd missed the part of keeping the "paste" (well, graphite layer).

Sorry! :<

Which makes it pretty obvious in retrospect that the graphite layer on my own CPU must have been defect.

[Djinni]

Small dot in the middle, no spreading, and this is why: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/artic...mpound/1303/10

Thanks, this is essentially what I was asking for.. a method and why that method.

[Elim Garak]

Sorry! :<

Heh, forget it, man. It's ok.

P.S. It's pretty easy to fuck up the graphite layer, you have to be extra careful to place the cooler right from the first try. And sometimes you can get it fucked up already just out of the box or by accidentally touching it with your fingers. That's why some people prefer to wipe it off and use the sticky paste.

[Djinni]

Heh, forget it, man. It's ok.

P.S. It's pretty easy to fuck up the graphite layer, you have to be extra careful to place the cooler right from the first try. And sometimes you can get it fucked up already just out of the box or by accidentally touching it with your fingers. That's why some people prefer to wipe it off and use the sticky paste.

Isn't this why some people use latex gloves?

[Drunkenvalley]

Yeaaaaah, the graphite layer was probably fucked from the getgo. The first prime95 had it bumping the 90 degrees mark or something. Long since put on some cheap replacement thermal paste. (Will order better stuff when I get an aftermarket CPU fan. :U)

[Elim Garak]

Thanks, this is essentially what I was asking for.. a method and why that method.

Read comments there too, for some additional insight

[Paulosio]

I put a line of paste near to 1 edge of the CPU then use a credit card to smear / spread it thinly accross the whole surface of the CPU.

I could imagine the blob in the middle technique that people have mentioned would never cover the whole of the CPU or it would ooze out the sides... Maybe it doesn't matter that much but if you want the maximum contact between heatsink and CPU then it's quite important.

[Elim Garak]

Isn't this why some people use latex gloves?

I doubt latex will help when someone pickups the cooler by grabbing it with fingers over the graphite, though fingers will stay clean for sure