application of thermal paste - what is the correct technique

[graysky]

If you read the instructions on AS5's site, they show you to make a thin line across the thermal spreader and squish is down with the HS. If you read the instructions on thermaltake's site, they tell you to make a thin layer on both the thermal spreader and the HS. What technique did you use and did you end up with good results?

 

[truromeo4juliet]

If you read the instructions on AS5's site, they show you to make a thin line across the thermal spreader and squish is down with the HS. If you read the instructions on thermaltake's site, they tell you to make a thin layer on both the thermal spreader and the HS. What technique did you use and did you end up with good results?

first, that's thermalRIGHT, not thermalTAKE (no worries, THG got it wrong during a review, too)... secondly, i believe if the instructions are the same for the ultra-120 as they were for the original xp-120 (or similar instructions), it asks for you to apply a thin LAYER to the heatsink's bottom first (apply a bit, and rub it in lightly with some quality material, like a coffee filter, where the fibers won't come off).. this is to fill in any of the microscopic scratches on the bottom of that shiny surface... then you apply a small thin line across the heat spreader on the processor, and continue mounting the heatsink as normal

hope this helps... - Cheers

 

[apt403]

I apply a rice sized grain to the heat spreader on my hsf, when use a razor blade to spread it as thin as possible. Works for me.

 

[miribus]

That's the right technique.
Too much will make little pockets of air where heat gets trapped.
Too little is... well... obvious.
Though the core is located roughly in the middle of the IHS on the cpu it's got it's own thermal grease that sticks the IHS to it which then moves the heat across the entire IHS. Both it, and the HSF will have microscopic holes so a small amount of grease then spread thinly goes a long way. About the size of a bb is fine for me I find. You generally don't have to spread it, the application of the HSF should do it for you, but if you're paranoid you can spread it with some thin object that won't rub off.
Laminated badges, credit cards, laminated cardboard, magazine covers I've used them all.

 

[fastin]

Will a grain of rice amt be enough for the C2D, directly in the center?

 

[miribus]

It somewhat depends on the thickness. If it spreads very thinly, like AS5 or the "white" gunk you see with a lot of heatsinks it should be fine. The really really thick stuff you typically get with OEM Pentium 4 heatsinks you gotta go a bit larger. You could smear it a bit if you want. If you don't mind wasting an ever so slight amount you could take an old credit card or something that won't scratch and smear it evenly across the IHS. In many cases I've found the HSF does it for you anyway, but I'm usually a bit more cautious than that and spread it myself. Keep it thin, thin, thin, enough to obscure the IHS like you were painting it. Just a film of grease, don't slather it on like butter. Start with that grain of rice and see if it gets you far enough, you'll be surprised how much you can get out of it.

 

[jay2tall]

Dude everyone you ask will have a different process that works best for them. I've tried ALOT of things actually. With every CPU comming with a heatspreader I find it common that they are not flat so a thin layer sometimes doesnt work very well. If you put a rice size piece or dot in the middle and squish it down it might not cover the whole area or it might be to much and ooze out the side or make to much space between the CPU and Heatsink. Personally i ended up lapping my processor because I found the heatspreader to be concave but after I did that my process was to place a VERY VERY VERY paper thin later over the entire heatspreader of the CPU. Almost transparent. alone this is not enough so what I do is take a very small dot in the middle and then let the heatsink spread it on its own. This way it has paste on teh whole thing so nothing is missed and any air bubbles are pushed out with the small dot in the middle and it spreads it thin throught.

Try it and check your temps. If you dont like them clean and reapply a different way.

 

[graysky]

Thanks for the suggestions, all. I think I'll try it the way AS5 recommends (the thin line method) and see how that works first. Got my fingers crossed the HS and CPU will be nice and flat.

 

[truromeo4juliet]

Thanks for the suggestions, all. I think I'll try it the way AS5 recommends (the thin line method) and see how that works first. Got my fingers crossed the HS and CPU will be nice and flat.

that's what i was trying to tell you... these guys that put the small rice-sized bead in the middle of their processors aren't covering their cores adequately (that's the old method for single core processors)...

apply a thin line like AS5's instruction says and you should be good...

go the extra mile by taking my suggestion and using a bit of the thermal grease to fill in any microabrasions on the bottom of your heatsink... good luck, and cheers

 

[babaghan]

I use a little Tupperware spatula my wife won at a party to spread to the thermal paste on the CPU. I hope she doesn't read TGF - she'll kill me if she finds out what I'm doing with it

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[truromeo4juliet]

I use a little Tupperware spatula my wife won at a party to spread to the thermal paste on the CPU. I hope she doesn't read TGF - she'll kill me if she finds out what I'm doing with it

SPATULA SPREADING FTW!!! :lol:

 

[graysky]

Here's a pic of the before the HS went on top of it using the thin line method. Worked pretty well, it's about 22-23 C in the room and after about 1-1/2 h of x264 cranking, the temps reported by TAT were all under the 65C threshold many consider to be "normal" for this chip (numbers were 60, 61, 55, and 55).

I will say that it took some trial and error marrying the HS to the chip. There are really 4 different possibilities: two up-and-down, and two side-to-side (North/South and East/West and you can flip the HS 180 degrees since it's symmetrical.) I found that with my particular copy of the 120-Ultra Extreme and my CPU, neither of the N/S arrangements gave me temps like this.

 

[truromeo4juliet]

don't mean to be an ass, but I think you applied it 90 degrees off... in otherwords, you applied it horizontally when you should've applied it vertically... look at the arctic silver instructions... they go from key to key [notch to notch] to follow the cores... they cut the cores into half, so you have 4 equal parts... you seperated the cores from one another...

in other words:

Correct AS5 Instructions:

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your method:
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but, as long as your CPU is running cool, i suppose... if you start getting errors later, try redoing the thermal paste application... - Cheers

 

[graysky]

It depends on the the chip: dual core chips are the way you suggest while quad core chips are the way I did it as per the instructions at AS5's site.

 

[truromeo4juliet]

It depends on the the chip: dual core chips are the way you suggest while quad core chips are the way I did it as per the instructions at AS5's site.

My apologiez... you never listed if you had a dual or a quad... and i didn't pay close enough attention to see the Q6600

congrats on the quad! good job with the paste glad it's all working out for ya! - cheers

 

[babaghan]

I want to upgrade from an E6600 to a Q6600. How do ya like that chip?

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[1Tanker]

On my E6600, i covered the whole base of the heatsink(slightly smaller than the IHS due to being round) using the stock Intel HS/F. Running at stock vCore@2674MHz(297x9).. room temp ~ 24C... TAT and Core Temp read 27/28C idle....52C Load(TAT)48C(Dual-Prime). I likey.

 

[graysky]

I want to upgrade from an E6600 to a Q6600. How do ya like that chip?

I love it but unless your software can handle >2 threads, it's pretty much a waste i.e. firefox doesn't care about your cores I've been running it @ 9x333 on stock voltage with all the power savings goodies like speedstep, c1e, etc. enabled and it's rock solid. I'd hold off if I were you, rumor has it the q6600 will be $266 in 3-4 months.

Until then, enjoy your e6600.

 

[graysky]

So here is a shot of my q6600 installed in the MB with AS5 right before I added the HS. It shows the right amount in my opinion given a lapped HS and CPU (which is a thicker line than I used before); the red triangle I drew shows where that tag is on the CPU, remember that on quad core chips, the dies are placed in a different located relative to a dual core, see the instructions on AS5's website for more):

I generated the temps in the far right box with that line of AS5 about 18 h after I installed the HS. I will say that the temps were higher before I let the full load go for a while, so there really is something to this concept of 'break-in' with AS5 at least.

 

[graysky]

I think that method [the spread it out with a knife, credit card, so finger] works well with AMD chips, but for C2D or quads, I think the line method is best.

 

[graysky]

that has got to be the most stupid statement i have ever heard. please expain why?

they are both just CPU's no difference.

Dude, calm down; I'm sure if you think a little harder you can remember a statement that is more stupid than what I wrote.

I believe there are physical differences between the C2D/quad C2D and Athlon 64 X2 chips. These differences require you to apply your TIM in different ways. In fact, have a look at the manufacturer's website installation section, and read the different guides, you'll see what I mean. In your case, they recommend a BB sized drop in the middle of the die, contrast that with the C2D and quad C2D guides wherein they recommend using a thin line of paste to cover both cores.

I did a quick google images search and found these two pics. The first is reported to be a kentsfield quad C2D with the IHS removed and the second, an Athlon 64 x2 4400+. If you study the images for a few seconds, you'll understand why they're both CPU's and both are different:

 

[Newf]

I have used your "sandwich bag" method for years, always with good results. Using the heatsink's pressure to spread thermal paste is good enough for Arctic, but I prefer to know I have a uniform, very thin application across the entire cpu before I set the heatsink down. This way I avoid squeeze-outs and/or gaps. It works. It matters not what kind of cpu you have if the entire heatsink mates well with the entire cpu heat spreader.