To Spread or Not To Spread?

[echo4019]

Thermal paste, dot in the middle and let the heat sink spread it or spread it before placement of heat sink?

Thanks

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

Just answered a question similar to this in another section, but you'll have different answers on that.

As for myself, I like the small pea sized dot in the center of the CPU heatspreader method.

 

[undercovernerd6]

I've heard that depends on the cooler. If its aftermarket and has grooves I heard spread into grooves. If its flat I heard pea size in the middle.

 

[echo4019]

It's the Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo. Found this guide thats quite helpful http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=1

Also heard a small square on the center of the cpu works well.

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

It's the Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo. Found this guide thats quite helpful http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=1

This is one part of that I don't agree with.

Talking about direct touch heatpipe coolers:

For the best results, CPU-coolers should be orientated so that heatpipes span from front-to-rear with fans exhausting upward and not top-to-bottom with fans blowing towards the rear of the computer case.

Fans moving air from front to back is the best way, for a few reasons, not from bottom to top.

If you have the HSF oriented like they suggest, you'll run into RAM clearance issues, and airflow is just as good, if you have a rear case fan. Plus, with the fans oriented like they say, you're drawing in warm air from the GPU to "cool" the HSF. It just doesn't make sense.

Aside from that, it's a decent guide, apart from the fact that it's a bit out of date.

 

[dragonsamus]

I like having the cooler spread the paste. I've got the Hyper 212 Plus so I applied two lines half the size of the total length of the cooler on the two inner heat pipes. For the Evo, I would probably just use the pea method.

 

[4Ryan6]

Thermal paste, dot in the middle and let the heat sink spread it or spread it before placement of heat sink?

Thanks

It's the Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo. Found this guide thats quite helpful http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=1

Also heard a small square on the center of the cpu works well.

Well it's not like we don't see this question regularly!

Regardless of what you're told regarding my way is better than your way you'll get flooded with here.

The best thing for your own knowledge is try both, pull the heat sink each way and inspect the thermal footprint, that way you will know exactly which method works the best for your specific heat sink.

The most important thing for you to understand is thermal compound is most effective in the thinnest application layer possible, you are only filling the microscopic surfaces between the 2 contacting surfaces.

When thermal compound is properly applied it conducts the heat from the heat spreader to the heat sink, when too much is applied it acts more like an insulator instead of a conductor, and that's bad.

You want to end up with the thinnest layer possible, fully covering the CPU heat spreader, that's why pulling the heat sink and inspecting the thermal footprint will tell you exactly what's happening.

It's much better to know for sure, than to guess, or assume!

If you want the best thermal cooling performance from the thermal compound be positive you've properly applied it in the beginnig, you don't want heat issues down the road, pull the heat sink after the problems and discover, a partial or way over applied thermal footprint then.

Ryan