Applying thermal past

C

cougarsoccer

Gawd
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Oct 31, 2006
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i have never had to apply thermal paste to a cpu before and i was looking up some youtube videos on how to put it on. i saw some people just put some in the middle and leave it there and i have saw other spread it out. which way do you prefer to do it?
 
Middle.

Spreading can create air pockets, the same thing thermal paste is designed to remove. Air is a poor conductor of heat so you don't want that. By putting a single pea-sized dot in the middle you're letting the heatsink's pressure spread out the paste in the appropriate areas.
 
eddieck said:
Middle.

Spreading can create air pockets, the same thing thermal paste is designed to remove. Air is a poor conductor of heat so you don't want that. By putting a single pea-sized dot in the middle you're letting the heatsink's pressure spread out the paste in the appropriate areas.
Click to expand...
thats what i was thinking but i was a little unsure.
 
i do a little tic-tac-toe board, then again my HSF recommends you over use the paste since it is a direct contact design(the Core Contact Freezer), meaning it needs more paste to fill in the little grooves made where the pipes are in the base
 
W.Feather said:
i do a little tic-tac-toe board, then again my HSF recommends you over use the paste since it is a direct contact design(the Core Contact Freezer), meaning it needs more paste to fill in the little grooves made where the pipes are in the base
Click to expand...

Actually for HDT coolers the best way is to use two lines on the top and bottom of the HDT base.
 
eddieck said:
Middle.

Spreading can create air pockets, the same thing thermal paste is designed to remove. Air is a poor conductor of heat so you don't want that. By putting a single pea-sized dot in the middle you're letting the heatsink's pressure spread out the paste in the appropriate areas.
Click to expand...

Pea-sized? Wow, that's even too much. It's recommended to use the size of a grain of rice. Keep in mind the whole purpose of the thermal paste/grease. It is to fill the microscopic pits and voids on the heatsink surface as well as the IHS to enable the most surface area (contact) between the two surfaces. If you use too much, it inhibits the ability for heat transfer. Ideally it would be best to not use any at all, but that's not possible since the two mating surfaces will never be perfectly flat or perfectly smooth.

Make sure to check for sure dependant on your CPU (according to Arctic Silver)

http://www.arcticsilver.com/amd_application_method.html#
 
Smoove910 said:
Pea-sized? Wow, that's even too much.
Click to expand...

Pea shaped would've been a better term. I definitely don't put that much on it. :)

I prefer and normally use Indigo anyway. Can't beat the reflow system - only the amount you need and the rest flows to the paper thing. Just need to order another IX kit now that I've lapped my CPU.
 
Also depends on the type of mounting system. If it's AMD you have the top down style mounting. Intel 775 sockets have the damned pushpins!!! Anybody agree how poorly designed those are?
 
minishotglass said:
Also depends on the type of mounting system. If it's AMD you have the top down style mounting. Intel 775 sockets have the damned pushpins!!! Anybody agree how poorly designed those are?
Click to expand...

ha i had one intel 775 socket and really didn't like those pushpins...been amd ever since
 
cougarsoccer said:
ha i had one intel 775 socket and really didn't like those pushpins...been amd ever since
Click to expand...

yep.....always had to remember to do the criss cross pattern too like the lug nuts on your wheels. the downside on the amd sockets is you need to put so much damned force felt like I was gonna crack the cpu lol
 
I'm still a big fan of the small dab of rice in the middle then spread it out with a flat edge to the thinnest you can possibly get it.
 
minishotglass said:
Also depends on the type of mounting system. If it's AMD you have the top down style mounting. Intel 775 sockets have the damned pushpins!!! Anybody agree how poorly designed those are?
Click to expand...

I really don't get what the problem with the push pins are. I installed the stock 1366 heatsink on my i7 a few times and the push pins aren't a problem at all. They securely hold the cooler in place and they're fairly easy to use. What more can you ask from a mounting system?
 
Actually, I think the best shape is not a pea or rice, but a snowflake, because it covers a wider area and naturally pushes the air out from crevices. The rice/pea ends up covering the hotspot, but only the hotspot; there isn't enough wiggle room in the retainer to smoosh the goop around to the entire contact area.

Edit: maybe not snowflake, because the openings and spines have to be tapered to push the air out; more like this: http://www.adobe.com/uk/designcenter/dialogbox/lensflare/db_lensflare_2.pg.jpg
 
venm11 said:
Actually, I think the best shape is not a pea or rice, but a snowflake, because it covers a wider area and naturally pushes the air out from crevices. The rice/pea ends up covering the hotspot, but only the hotspot; there isn't enough wiggle room in the retainer to smoosh the goop around to the entire contact area.

Edit: maybe not snowflake, because the openings and spines have to be tapered to push the air out; more like this: http://www.adobe.com/uk/designcenter/dialogbox/lensflare/db_lensflare_2.pg.jpg
Click to expand...

And how exactly do you get the thermal paste to come out as a snowflake? Put it in a pastry tube? :D
 
1236043439L0bdV188X7_3_2.png
 
minishotglass said:
yep.....always had to remember to do the criss cross pattern too like the lug nuts on your wheels. the downside on the amd sockets is you need to put so much damned force felt like I was gonna crack the cpu lol
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. I remember the socket A days where you needed a flat head screw driver to clamp the stock HSF. The 754/939 pin was force with your thumb. But good thing AMD improve it for the AM2/AM2+/AM3 socket. Both sides will latch on easily and clamp down with ease.
 
I remember the socket A days where you needed a flat head screw driver to clamp the stock HSF.
Click to expand...

More than once that caused me to cut myself with the screwdriver. Things are much better now for AMD and Intel.
 
I think Mr. Bennett attached a nice graph. By that I mean, it looks like either way is all right and doesn't make a huge amount of difference. I have used both methods and still do, just depends on how I feel.
 
I now tend to use the small blob and then press out with the HSF. However, I then remove the HSF, clean off the paste on the HSF and then reseat it onto the paste left on the CPU.

That ensures for me a very thin layer. Works for me.
 
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