how do you spread your thermal paste ?

Mr Spoon · 22 Jul 2006 at 15:59

how do you spread your thermal paste ?

there is this article here:
http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

but I always put a thin layer across the whole core before applying the heat sink. my temps are a bit high though :confused:

VaderDSL · 22 Jul 2006 at 16:01

I always used to spread a thin layer over the core on my naked die's ... i.e the old XP's but as soon as the IHS was introduced by AMD (finally) I used the AS method

TheBigCheese · 22 Jul 2006 at 16:19

Mr Spoon said:
I always put a thin layer across the whole core before applying the heat sink. my temps are a bit high though

That's because you are putting too much on...too much can impede the transfer of heat.

Like it says on the website, a grain of rice size in the middle, then put your HSF on and twist it slightly to the left and then right which spreads it out properly.

Jobs a good'un.

*edit* I see you have a system that is going to be pumping out a lot of heat...have you got enough airflow through the system to remove the buildup of hot air?

Rob43 · 22 Jul 2006 at 16:26

Put a bit of cling film on the end of your finger,then spread it out,you get a really thin even layer that way

Been doing it that way for the last few years now

Rob

Mr Spoon · 22 Jul 2006 at 16:26

TheBigCheese said:
*edit* I see you have a system that is going to be pumping out a lot of heat...have you got enough airflow through the system to remove the buildup of hot air?

I doubt it, at the front there are 2x80mm fans blowing in but theres no direct air flow in - infact you cant see them from the front of the case, they also have metal fan filters on them, so not too much air flow. The rear of the case has a 120mm fan, and there is an 80mm fan with filter blowing air in on the side.
At the moment though I am running it with the side off, it goes up by 3 or 4 degrees when idle if I put the side back on.

I might reapply the thermal compound then, but its a fair bit of work stripping it all down again.

Mr Spoon · 22 Jul 2006 at 16:27

Rob43 said:
Put a bit of cling film on the end of your finger,then spread it out,you get a really thin even layer that way

Been doing it that way for the last few years now

Rob

hmm, not heard of that method before, i use a thin strip of plastic at the moment - like a credit card thing but thinner.

TheBigCheese · 22 Jul 2006 at 18:20

Why don't you just try the method that Arctic Silver recommends?

Sounds like lack of airflow will be a problem, the HSF can only blow the air that is there...if it's already hot it won't be very effective.

benjo plz. · 22 Jul 2006 at 18:25

The old method I used to use was using a coolermaster template, then putting a line of paste at one end and then spreading it across with a credit card

(This was in the good old days when you put the paste on the heatsink

).

DannyW · 22 Jul 2006 at 18:41

i put like 2 rice grain amounts on my amd 939, works fine.

cobxx · 22 Jul 2006 at 23:39

Exact same method as on the AS website. Seems fine and not too much hassle. It's all good.

jbloggs · 22 Jul 2006 at 23:48

cobxx said:
Exact same method as on the AS website. Seems fine and not too much hassle. It's all good.

The way I have done it on a few occassions, and always worked fine.

Scoobie Dave · 23 Jul 2006 at 00:57

Phnom_Penh said:
The old method I used to use was using a coolermaster template, then putting a line of paste at one end and then spreading it across with a credit card (This was in the good old days when you put the paste on the heatsink ).

Yeah that works for me too!

t31os · 23 Jul 2006 at 01:16

Always followed the AS website to, always turned out good and keeps me buying the AS.

cokecan · 23 Jul 2006 at 10:18

for old socket A, gpu cores and NB's i always use a bit of cling film on the end of my finger and spread out a blob of it, can get a really nice thin layer on then

with A64 i just put a blob in hte middle and let t e heatsink spread it out as per the AC webby

Mr Spoon · 23 Jul 2006 at 11:21

ok thanks for the tips, ill try it the AS way

GoRedwings19 · 23 Jul 2006 at 11:28

Originally i did have a thin layer spread across the core using credit card method. Then people kept suggesting the AS way so I thought why not. I don't know if it placebo or not or which ways is the most efficient.

My friend kept telling me just stick down one grain of AS on the core. But I felt really uncomfortable doing this so I stuck a little extra on for peace of mind.

Jleo · 23 Jul 2006 at 11:32

t31os said:
Always followed the AS website to, always turned out good and keeps me buying the AS.

I 2nd this.

Foehammer2003 · 24 Jul 2006 at 00:26

I use MX-1 on my CPU and GPU lol, cant seem to spread that stuff out for some reason!? So not really a lot of choice but to use the AS method, seems to work tho!

SiriusB · 24 Jul 2006 at 00:58

Foehammer2003 said:
I use MX-1 on my CPU and GPU lol, cant seem to spread that stuff out for some reason!? So not really a lot of choice but to use the AS method, seems to work tho!

Of course it works. AS I would imagine have some insight as to how best to apply thermal paste

There is also the matter of where the heat is on the IHS. No point spreading it all over the IHS when 99% of the heat goes right through the middle!

SiriusB

Foehammer2003 · 24 Jul 2006 at 02:02

too true! although not all companies are accurate in the info they provide

Like the new sig btw sirius