13900k Best Thermal Paste Method

[Arthaei]

Hi chaps I’ve got some Artic MX-6 paste I intend to use on a new build I’m doing shortly, just wondering with the more rectangular shape of the Intel 13th gen what paste method works best.

I’m thinking of doing a pea or possible a smaller X in the centre. But a bit baffled some are pasting it over the whole thing or actually rubbing it all over with a finger.

A few YouTube vids are saying they’re all within 0.8c of each other, but wondering what you guys would recommend? Using it in conjunction with the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 cooler.

Cheers

 

[Arthaei]

Ooh the Noctua one sounds like it would work well! I might give that a go or spread as mentioned. I know from other applications that Arctic themselves simply recommend pea method so it’s interesting. X also seems popular.

 

[Arthaei]

Thanks all. I think I’m going to go for the 5 dot method. My wife is a scientist and agreed it would work well as she works in manufacturing. She said the buttered toast/spreading method sounds likely to create air bubbles which obviously raises temps.

Cheers!

 

[Arthaei]

Thank you, I think I might still try the 5 dot but make the middle blob a bit more of a line perhaps. Cheers!

 

[Arthaei]

It’s funny seeing no-one can agree! I think as @Rroff says a lot of YouTubers don’t test for how it works evenly after multiple cycles which it’s designed to do as it spreads itself out with the heat generated.

So all the tests with a clear bit of plastic pressed down aren’t showing what actually happens over time and use.

And manually spreading it creates bubbles so it sounds as though it would appear covered however it’s not going to give best performance.

I’m going to stick with a decent line for Intel socket by the look of the die and a couple of tiny dots in the corners I think.

Thanks all

 

[Arthaei]

You guys are hilarious I have no idea what method to do now lol. I think @Rroff has made a very valid point which is that NONE of these videos show what ACTUALLY happens after the pc has been on and off a number of times actually running and heating. They just show how it spreads under glass/plastic COLD. So even though the 'pea' method and others initially don't appear 'the best' it doesn't actually show what happens with them over a number of cycles. Surely that is more important as the heat spreads it out further...?

Also...
Straight from Intel themselves:

"It might be tempting to spread the thermal paste onto the CPU yourself. We recommend letting the pressure from the base-plate or waterblock being installed do it for you. Incorrect manual application can cause air bubbles to form in the paste, which can negatively impact the thermal conductivity."

Is that just old hat now relevant to stock cooler?

 

[Arthaei]

Well, I've gone as far as cpu,m.2,ram,motherboard,rear fan and aio radiator installation, but time to sleep now. I'm still none the wiser what to pick with all these varying methods, but I'm wondering if 3 thin vertical lines could work well for the 13900k? there's also a video on Youtube of Arctic themselves installing the AIO (and obviously they make the paste too) where the guy puts quite a thick DIAGONAL line across the IHS.. I've only seen that method in that video but can't find any results for doing it that way, so I'm intrigued about those two methods as alternatives.