Advice on applying thermal compound.

[Columbo]

I've just moved to a q6600.

My e6320 ran at around 35 idle and 55-58 under load. Now I've put the Q6600 in and obviously had clean off what was on my Arctic Freezer 7.

I've applied some arctic silver to the bottom of the Freezer 7 then fitted it. My Q6600 (B3) is now idling around 65c and I'm convinced its me applying the compound wrong.

Anyone got any tips for me?

 

[hp7909]

AS5 compound goes onto the chip not HSF. See here

 

[Columbo]

Ahhh cheers for that. Is it just me or is the fitting method for the Socket 775 chips absolutely arse. The clips are just pants...

 

[gurusan]

Yes those clips are quite annoying.

More expensive coolers usually come with a screw/nut system, but the downside is that yuo have to remove the motherboard in order to install.

...but yeah, clean off the thermal compound from both the CPU and HSF with a lint free cloth and some kind of solvent (isopropyl is best but I have used vodka once ), then follow the instructions posted in hp7909's link.

 

[Bottle]

I put some thermal compound onto the CPU heat spreader (about half the size of an average pea), then wrap an index finger with clilng film and use it to dab out the thermal compound to an even thin coat. It's a bit like painting. Then on with the HSF. Also, try lapping your heatsink. Clean it up, and then get some metal polish (like Brasso) and polish off any oxide to give a shiny finish. A wash with ethanol (Vodka if you have any) and you're in business. If your HSF is particularly scoured, get some 000-grade steel wool and polish with that first.

 

[Columbo]

What HSF would you recommend me? I am going to invest in a new one as these clips on Arctic Freezer are not filling with any confidence what so ever. I was looking at the Akasa Revo and asked about it ast week but no-one seemed to like and it had the stupid plastic clips by the looks of things.

 

[Bottle]

I went for an Akasa Revo on an Asus P5E mobo. The CPU Socket clip fits just fine when turned anticlockwise by 90 deg (Akasa recommends the retaining clips should point down, but I see no real reason for this and on the P5E it can only fit to the side as the heat sinks are in the way below the socket). Fitting the fan/radiator is then very easy. Took me 2 - 3 minutes at the most.

I can't make any comment on overclocking as I'm running my system in at stock for the moment. However, it appears to be cool, and is very quite. All the noise from my system seems to be comming from the Antec P182 case fans.

I suspect this HSF will be just fine for modest OCing. If you really want to push your CPU (i.e., over 3 GHz), then you may want to invest in something more fancy.

 

[Columbo]

I've just purchased a brand new Noctua from the MM so hopefully this will help.