Thermal Paste and Dual Core CPU

Vonta

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Hello,
I've been searching aroung and haven't been able to find any info on weather or not the process of applying thermal paste to a dual core is the same as applying it to a single core. Is one rice grain size dot sufficent, or should two be applied ? I'm curious about this because my Pentium D 920 is running a wee bit warm, about 43 at idle and with mild tasks it jumps to about 52 or so. I'm just trying to get a tempature decrese any where I can.
Any coments would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You :?
 

Bluefinger

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With either AS5 or MX-1 you should be fine. Apply them with on the middle of processor, with the paste being the size of a bb pellet. Then just place the HSF on top, giving it a little pressure and twist to help the paste spread, and then secure.
 

SidVicious

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Since the cores are under a IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader, the big copper slug that makes CPUs so heavy), no special care need to be taken, just spread the stuff the exact same way.

Now, if you were to pop that IHS off, you would have to be extra carefull when applying a TIM and mounting a cooling device as there can be a small offset between the two cores, one or even both may not come in full contact with the cooling surface.

I also think some exotic cooling methods may have problems dealing with those two off-centered hotspots, waterblocks for example are often optimized to cool a single hotspot.
 

levicki

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Since the cores are under a IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader, the big copper slug that makes CPUs so heavy), no special care need to be taken, just spread the stuff the exact same way.

Actually LGA775 IHS is not flat, hence the fat thermal pad on a boxed cooler. You can check how HSF and IHS interface with each other by taking the CPU out and applying cheapest white thermal paste to the bottom of the HSF and then pressing the CPU IHS against it -- if it doesn't leave filled white circle but only white lines along the edges of the CPU then you must use more thermal paste when mounting.
 

Vonta

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Hello,
Thanks for all the replies. :D I'm just now getting back to my pc due to unexpected business. Anyway I guess I'll do a little trial & error and see what works best. I'll post my results incase anyone's interested.
 

vimka

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This should help clear up any doubts:

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm


By the way, Sid... Is there any real advantage/disadvantage to removing the IHS? I'm in the process of building a water cooled dual-core Opteron system. The water block I have (Swiftech Apogee) has a copper base that is almost exactly the same dimensions as the IHS. Just curious. If you have any further information on this, please share!
 

Vonta

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That link doesn't say anything about dualcore processors, at least I didn't see anything. However I happened to run across this:

]cpu[/url][/img]

It seems to me that one dot of Arcticsilver in the middle of the heatspreader would land just about on the edge of each processor. Therefore from what I can see, two dots (with a small gap between them, say .25" maybe) would be the way to go.
 

SidVicious

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By the way, Sid... Is there any real advantage/disadvantage to removing the IHS? I'm in the process of building a water cooled dual-core Opteron system. The water block I have (Swiftech Apogee) has a copper base that is almost exactly the same dimensions as the IHS. Just curious. If you have any further information on this, please share!

It worked great for me and for many others who did the the same over at XtremeSystems.

The vast majority reported lower idle & load temps and a small gain in overclocking headroom, really good for a 5~10 minutes mod.
 

SidVicious

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And it gets even easier to lift the IHS using the dental floss method instead of using the blade which is somewhat potentially dangerous.

Dental floss ? Never heard that one before...

Have you tried it yourself ?
 

SidVicious

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you could try it my way which was to apply it until when spread out i got a nice even surface. i think i put far too much on but it works well enough. not sure about intel's though, but a stanley knife blade was useful in applying it. remember you can always redo it.

In case you did'nt notice, the topic moved on to IHS removal as thermal paste application methods already were discussed at lenght...