HUGELY important Thermal grease Question

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NathanP2007

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Dec 17, 2007
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So i have the Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 and its not installed in my computer yet.
So in my Mobo instruction manual it says to add a thermal grease before attaching the heatsink to the CPU.
My CPU instructions show you as just putting the CPU in the the heatsink.
In reading the instructions for artic silver 5 which i ordered (but havent gotten yet) it says this:

If your heatsink has a thermal 'pad' mounted on it, this pad must be removed before using Arctic Silver 5. If your heatsink has thermal interface material applied to it, it must be removed first. After the pad or thermal interface material is removed, ONLY Arctic Silver 5 will be between the CPU heatspreader and the heatsink.

And so i noticed that on the bottom of my heatsink is 3 padding things. So im guessing IF i wanted to, those padding pieces make it so i wouldnt need thermal grease.

So my question is, is artic silver going to be better so i should just wait till i get it, scrape off the padding, and use it. or what?
 
AS5 is better than the stuff on the stock intel sinks. However, if you're not going to overclock, the Intel HSF and paste will work just fine. Personally, I wouldn't use hi-perf paste unless there was a better hsf to be used than the intel hsf.
 
Interesting, yeah cause i wont be overclocking, and yes i am using the stock HSFan.
 
as5 will probably lower it a couple of C. Your choice to scrap it off and apply the as5 or just leave it as is.
 
I would not scrap the "thermal pads" off I would use 90% or higher Rubbing Alcohol to remove the stock thermal grease and then use a lint free wipe to clean it off or Q-tips, this way the heatsink will not be damaged due to the razor blade or what not. Then apply the Arctic Silver 5 to your CPU when you are ready to build computer, and use AS% in a straight thin line, do not spread it out with a card, the thin line is much better. Follow the AS5 directions and you will be fine.
 
There isn't a reason to apply AS5 if you don't need lower temperatures though..
 
In such a low-middle end CPU..is that few C degrees really gonna matter at ALL? just curious. Cause i think the AS5 comes tomorrow in the mail, so i can either use the stock pads/grease today and get my PC running, or wait till tomorrow and use AS5 (btw do others agree the 90% rubbing alcohol and q-tips is a good way to clean it? the AS5 instructions were intimidatingly specific about cleaning)
 
The chips will perform the same running at 40°C v. 35°C, it's only till the 90°C+ range that you need to start looking at temperatures closer. Honestly, I wouldn't have bothered ordering thermal paste to begin with, you won't need it.
 
Thanks, yeah i didnt realize i didnt need it until today. K well i will , my computer now with AMD is idle at 35 and load at like 50 so i am no where near 90 and that computer has WAY less air flow and cooling as my new computer has.
 
Well i put it in with the stock HS stuff, so heres hoping i dont have heat issues and that the comp starts up good :)
 
the stock intel hsf isnt all that bad tbh. I have an e2180 overclocked to 3ghz with 1.38v to it and the heatsink keeps the temps at 33c idle and under 50c at load, pretty impressive for that wimpy looking thing.
 
jakethesnake011 said:
I would not scrap the "thermal pads" off I would use 90% or higher Rubbing Alcohol to remove the stock thermal grease and then use a lint free wipe to clean it off or Q-tips, this way the heatsink will not be damaged due to the razor blade or what not. Then apply the Arctic Silver 5 to your CPU when you are ready to build computer, and use AS% in a straight thin line, do not spread it out with a card, the thin line is much better. Follow the AS5 directions and you will be fine.
Click to expand...

If you do decide to go with the AS5, use a plastic edge of some sort (like old phone card or credit card) to remove the bulk of the old thermal grease. Then do as Jake said with the 90% rubbing alcohol. If you think you may want to try the AS5 in the future, I would just apply it in the beginning. Once you use the stock thermal grease, it will fill in the microscopic pits in the heatsink base, which will make it difficult to remove completely in the future. Unless you are planning on returning the AS5, I would go for it. It's a good learning experience that may come in handy should you decide to build a "hotter" rig in the future.
 
I would suggest the AS5, but I never really noticed any HUGE difference with temps. Most likely my airflow in my case though.
 
if you running at stock speeds just use the paste that comes on the heatsink
 
I have one machine with one of those CPU, i just put a big scythe heatsink on it and it doesnt even need a fan.
they dont use anywhere near the wattage of the Thermal Design Power
 
I always use the thermal paste such as AS, and never use the stock stuff unless, well never actually use the stock junk.

One tube of AS will last several installs anyway. Just use 90% alcohol and q- tips to clean the IHS and the contact to the heatsink, and put it on. The cooler the CPU the longer it will last under stress.

I will say the number one cause of overheating is a bad case design though. Keep your stuff in a well-cooled case and you won't have heat issues.
 
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