Is Heatsink Compound really necessary?

Is there a white thermal pad under the heatsink? If only bare metal, add a very thin layer of thermal grease/paste or the silver stuff. Don't need grease with the pad but most people here scrape off the POS pad, clean and then add grease.

<font color=blue>What is higher than a cloud^ </font color=blue>

Hmmm... A mixed response!!

The HSF has a Dark Gray/Green pad not a white one, so does that make a difference?

I have access to some Arctic Silver II paste, but the guy who has it ain't home for another couple of hours!

Anyone else want to 'chip' in (excuse the pun !) before I go round and grab the stuff!

Am I right in assuming that to use the Arctic silver paste I must remove the thermal pad totally from the HSF and only apply the paste to the CPU surface and NEVER use AS paste AND a Thermal Pad together?<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by GokuFurinji on 12/11/01 12:37 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

Too Late, installed it already!!

I rubbed of the thermal pad on the HSF and used some Solvent Degreaser to clean the copper contact!

I then smeared a bit or ASII on the core and spread it out evenly with a q-tip! Never though about using something flat to even it out :[

Putting the HSF on the CPU was a bitch! The fisrt clip went on after a bit of effort, but the second clip, J-E-E-Z-U-S H C-H-R-I-S-T!!!! Talk about needing some force to get the clip over the lip on the socket! Either I am Captain Puniverse or that was one Clip from HELL!!

I only applied force to the clip mind, not the HSF!!

Anyway, the CPU is working! XP 1900+ reported on my Soltek board But the goddam noise form the fan is horrendous, not put the case lid back yet though so it may get quieter!

Thanks for the spoonfeeding lesson!!