Best TIM Application Method?

sjt269 · 31 May 2012 at 22:50

I ended up going with #2, the straight line, but keep the information coming!

Haven't been able to test properly yet since my copy of Win 7 hasn't turned up yet, but the BIOS shows 34C idle, which is good enough for me.

spixelspixel · 31 May 2012 at 23:19

I put a drop in the middle, after removing the heatsink the whole cpu is covered completely.

Orcvader · 31 May 2012 at 23:59

If it's showing up as 34c idle in BIOS, then you should get really good temps in Windows. Not 100% sure on this but I don't think speedstep works when in BIOS.

The-Plethora · 1 Jun 2012 at 12:53

I have used the grain of rice measurement spread out over the entire surface using the finger in a plastic bag for 10 years or so with no issue and temps are nice and low.

Yaayuh! · 1 Jun 2012 at 13:10

I use the rice grain method, except for this 3930K, it's huge so put a tiny dot near each corner as well.

wazza300 · 1 Jun 2012 at 13:13

tiny blob and give it the FINGER!!!! that way you can be sure its covered the cpu surface,you goal is to just cover the surface so that the metal underneath is just covered and not visible,your not icing a cake!!

ThomasTheTankEngine · 1 Jun 2012 at 13:23

GoogalyMoogaly said:
Does the method change for the Direct Contact Heatpipe coolers such as the Titan Fenrir and Hyper 212+?

I think you're supposed to prep the cooler first by rubbing a little TIM into the bottom of it, just to make sure you fill any cracks/gaps that might exist between the surfaces on the bottom.

Then apply TIM (with whatever method you like best) and mount as normal.

opstrat · 1 Jun 2012 at 13:50

i want to try the zalman stuff that omes with a brush.

Sasso · 1 Jun 2012 at 13:59

can't really search for it now but if you search on youtube something like "thermal paste application testing" you can find a video where a guy uses a few different thermal pastes and applies them with various methods (blob, line, spread etc...) between two clear perspex sheets so that you can see how well it spreads and also the development of air pockets (which is bad).

personally when using artic silver 5 i used the spread method as i had lapped the heatsink. then with ic diamond 7ct i foudn it was hard to spread so i just used the pea method after having the tube in my pocket to warm it up and make it a bit more fluid.

then i used liquid pro.... and that's just the smallest amount you can get out the syringe and spread it out as thin as you can to leave a sheen over the entire surface with next to no excess.

opstrat · 1 Jun 2012 at 14:01

this the one?