Questions about thermal pastes

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Inquisitive Builder

Inquisitive Builder

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Jul 16, 2013
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Hey guys,

I'm installing my new Hyper 212 Evo fan onto an AMD FX-8120 CPU, preferably without removing the motherboard, and I have a few questions about this process.

1. I'm going to be removing the processor's stock fan and paste with 99% isopropyl rubbing alcohol. I have both q-tips and coffee filters, but which would be better to use? I thinking I should get the bulk of the gunk off using the q-tips (so I don't somehow smear it onto the motherboard), and then use the coffee filters to sort of polish the cpu and remove any remaining residue, but I'd like some opinions on this since its my first time.

2. Does it help to run the computer for a few minutes (and then turn it off) before you take off the stock fan? I heard this loosens up the gunky thermal pad.

3. I have some Artic Silver 5, but Hyper 212 Evo comes with its own thermal grease as well. Which is better to use?

4. Assuming I go with the Artic Silver 5, how should I apply the paste? The manual that comes with the fan says to apply the stock grease to the fan first, spread it around, and then place the fan on the CPU, whereas Artic Silver's website says to use the dot method on a AMD 8-core CPU like mine, and then put the fan on top. Which applies more here?

Thanks everyone, I'll appreciate any help and reassurance you guys can give me.
 
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Deus Gladiorum


I prefer to clean it while it's still in the socket. Once I'm completely done cleaning everything I can possibly reach, then MAYBE I take it out of the socket to clean whatever I couldn't reach in the sides. Though usually I almost always leave it in. The reason for this is because pins...
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flexxar

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Just put a very thin layer on the cpu and smooth it out with a credit card, then put the heatsink on top of it. Not necessary to run the computer first, it might loosten the old paste, but you don't have to.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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1. Use both. Qtips initially, then the filter for a no-lint final clean
2. Doesn't matter. I just cleaned off the paste on a 6 year old PC, that had been sitting idle for 6 months. No problem
3. Either. (You'll get fanboys for either camp)
4. There are many thoughts on this. Just a dot, a dot and spread it around, several smaller dots.
 
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Deus Gladiorum

Deus Gladiorum

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1. Q-tips have a chance of leaving more cotton-based debris on your CPU. Not that it really matters anyway, because a Q-tip wouldn't do much in the first place. You'll see what I mean once you take off the stock heat sink and look at your CPU. It's dried and caked on there in all likeliness, even if it's only been on there for a couple weeks. You can go straight in with the coffee filters. Don't worry too much about scratching your CPU (as long as you don't hit the pins on the bottom), it's more durable then you think assuming you don't really apply unnecessary force. It comes off pretty easily, so accidentally using too much force with a coffee filter shouldn't even be a problem in the first place.

2. I've never really heard that, but if it's true it wouldn't matter. Even caked on, the Isopropyl alcohol gets rid of thermal paste easily so you shouldn't have to worry about it. I've cleaned a CPU after the PC it was in was turned off for a full 24 hours and it wasn't a problem.

3. It really makes 0 difference. All thermal paste gets the job done just as well, or with marginal differences from one to the other. It's all the same material. I once had a friend say that he prefers Arctic Silver 5 because it doesn't smell....but he's a strange guy as I've never had the opportunity to smell thermal paste. I ended up using the thermal paste that came up with the Hyper 212 and my temps are great even overclocked by 1.1 Ghz they never exceed 51 degrees under load.

4. Regardless of which you go with, this is the most important part. Just apply a dot right in the center of the CPU. If you had to guesstimate, it's something around maybe 2-5 mL. Don't bother measuring it, but really just a dot is fine. Then place the heatsink on top of it. You don't actually apply the "fan" on top of it, you apply the heatsink. If that sounds a little strange to you, don't worry, you'll figure it out as soon as you pull it out of the box.
 
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martinhersey

martinhersey

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I use a Kleenex for taking off the old thermal paste.
Just put a dot in the middle of the top of the CPU, as little as possible, then smear it around with the tip your finger.
With either of these procedures, I've never had any problems with my CPUs. They are not as sensitive as people make them out to be.
 
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Inquisitive Builder

Inquisitive Builder

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Thanks guys, I'm feeling much better about this.

One more question though, and is it better to pull out the CPU and clean it while carefully holding it by the edges, or to just leave it in the socket and clean it in there? I was originally planning to just reach down there once I got the old fan off and start wiping with a isopropyl-dampened coffee filter or q-tip so I wouldn't need to worry about dropping it or bending pins. But which is better?
 
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Deus Gladiorum

Deus Gladiorum

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I prefer to clean it while it's still in the socket. Once I'm completely done cleaning everything I can possibly reach, then MAYBE I take it out of the socket to clean whatever I couldn't reach in the sides. Though usually I almost always leave it in. The reason for this is because pins are extremely delicate and can be ruined by either too much force on your part, or can have their conductivity ruined completely by residual thermal paste getting on your fingers and then transferring to the pins themselves. So yea, leave it in.
 
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