How to apply thermal compound

arcam_boy · 17 Jun 2008 at 20:33

Hi,

I've totally stripped down upgraded and rebuilt a Powermac g4 MDD. I've got it all back together in a new case but before going any further I need to add some thermal compound between the CPU and heatsink. I've cleaned the top of the cpu and bottom of the heatsink to remove all the old dried up residue and have ordered some Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound from OC which should be here tomorrow. How do I go about applying it and how much do I need?

Please help me as I don't fancy frying my CPU after spending so much sorting the computer out.

Thanks

Scrudd · 17 Jun 2008 at 20:34

arcam_boy said:
Hi,

I've totally stripped down upgraded and rebuilt a Powermac g4 MDD. I've got it all back together in a new case but before going any further I need to add some thermal compound between the CPU and heatsink. I've cleaned the top of the cpu and bottom of the heatsink to remove all the old dried up residue and have ordered some Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound from OC which should be here tomorrow. How do I go about applying it and how much do I need?

Please help me as I don't fancy frying my CPU after spending so much sorting the computer out.

Thanks

I just use my finger and wipe it on, then I just pop the chip down and clamp it. Don't believe all these sites that say you must be ever so careful.

arcam_boy · 17 Jun 2008 at 20:38

many thanks for the very quick reply. how much should I put on as the tube is a 3.5g tub? just enough for a light coating all over?

thanks.

Cairnsey · 17 Jun 2008 at 20:38

Put a small rice grain in the middle of the Core, then take of the rice grain off and put some thermal grease on instead. Wiggle the heatsink a bit to release any air pockets and monitor temps, experiment with different amounts and methods if you have time...

sulli · 17 Jun 2008 at 20:39

have a look here http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

arcam_boy · 17 Jun 2008 at 20:47

Many thanks looks quite straight forward. I'll place about a grain and a half on the cpu and use the large heatsink to spread the compound and give it a slight turn and install istat pro to monitor temps. I don't suppose anyone knows the temp a G4 1Ghz CPU should run at? :confused:

Slashiem · 17 Jun 2008 at 20:55

Umm dont mean abit of a thread hijack, but how do you apply the Arctic MX-2 paste because i have seen no instructions of how to install it, or do i just spread it all over the chip.
Cheers
~Slash

Ben M · 17 Jun 2008 at 21:38

Slashiem said:
Umm dont mean abit of a thread hijack, but how do you apply the Arctic MX-2 paste because i have seen no instructions of how to install it, or do i just spread it all over the chip.
Cheers
~Slash

personally i'd apply it the same as as5

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

muon · 17 Jun 2008 at 22:04

Spreading it will your fingers will intriduce bubbles. You have to simply put the right amount of paste as a blob in the middle. The flatter the chip and HSF are, the less you need to put.

Slashiem · 17 Jun 2008 at 23:07

Ben M said:
personally i'd apply it the same as as5

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

Read the manual and makes fairly good sense. And taken onboard.
Thanks a lot

ghost101 said:
Spreading it will your fingers will intriduce bubbles. You have to simply put the right amount of paste as a blob in the middle. The flatter the chip and HSF are, the less you need to put.

Also taken on. Thanks again.
Cheers for ya help guys.

~Slash

Ben M · 18 Jun 2008 at 11:11

ghost101 said:
Spreading it will your fingers will intriduce bubbles. You have to simply put the right amount of paste as a blob in the middle. The flatter the chip and HSF are, the less you need to put.

and introduce stuff off your fingers...

virdee2 · 18 Jun 2008 at 12:09

i like the idea of stretching cling film over your fingure and spread with that...

no mess and no air bubbles, has worked for me if that helps :-)

also, make sure its evenly spread although the minute difference that these so called guides make really isnt worth the fuss imo mate.

just use your instincts as to covering the cpu without too much excess so as not to waste the AS5 and to not create an extra barrier to heat transfer.

JoeDredd · 18 Jun 2008 at 22:03

MODS can this be made into a sticky?? As this has to be one of the most common questions I have seen on here since I have been a member !!!

I do wonder if the " Grand Oracles" get fed up answering this one

Notorious Lee · 19 Jun 2008 at 10:05

Should you only apply the compound to the CPU or to the heatsink as well?

gt_junkie · 19 Jun 2008 at 10:19

Notorious Lee said:
Should you only apply the compound to the CPU or to the heatsink as well?

Some do both but i spread a thin layer on the cpu then place a drop onto the heatsink, smear it on then lightly wipe it off with kitchen towel. This makes sure to fill any imperfections on the heatsink so it has good contact with chip.

gt

Xiler · 19 Jun 2008 at 10:22

i just put a line of the stuff at one end of the cpu and use an old credit card to spread it down giving the cpu a light coating of it.

chimaera · 19 Jun 2008 at 10:37

Not that i want to hijack the thread but i've got a small problem with a recent cooler install.

I have a mobile sempron 754 on a matx motherboard, it was previously running at 38c using the stock amd cooler.

Yesterday i replaced the cooler with an arctic cooling silencer 64, here's where the problems started:

The cooler didn't fit on the standard bracket, so i replaced this with the one that came with the cooler. However the heatsink wasn't sitting on top of the cpu, about 1mm off due to 4 little stands on each corner of the bracket. I filed these down and now the cooler seems to sit properly, but it's now sitting at 40c idle. During these problems the CPU was sitting on a table with thermal paste on for about an hour, is it worth taking it all apart again and re-setting the cooler? i'm just not sure if it's operating properly after all the problems.

JoeDredd · 19 Jun 2008 at 11:09

depending on what paste you used there is a curing time of up to 200hrs, so bear with it and if temps dont drop then try reseating.

chimaera · 19 Jun 2008 at 11:34

JoeDredd said:
depending on what paste you used there is a curing time of up to 200hrs, so bear with it and if temps dont drop then try reseating.

Thats a good point, it's AS5 so i'll give it a chance to do it's magic. It's a difficult one as the previous 80mm cooler ran 38c at 3200rpm, whilst the new 92mm one runs 40c at 800rpm, so it might just be operating as normal.

Richie P · 20 Jun 2008 at 01:16

chimaera said:
Not that i want to hijack the thread but i've got a small problem with a recent cooler install.

I have a mobile sempron 754 on a matx motherboard, it was previously running at 38c using the stock amd cooler.

Yesterday i replaced the cooler with an arctic cooling silencer 64, here's where the problems started:

The cooler didn't fit on the standard bracket, so i replaced this with the one that came with the cooler. However the heatsink wasn't sitting on top of the cpu, about 1mm off due to 4 little stands on each corner of the bracket. I filed these down and now the cooler seems to sit properly, but it's now sitting at 40c idle. During these problems the CPU was sitting on a table with thermal paste on for about an hour, is it worth taking it all apart again and re-setting the cooler? i'm just not sure if it's operating properly after all the problems.

If you mean that you applied the paste, seated it, filed it down, then seated it again an hour later....then yes. Reapply. Also sounds like you've not got a great pressure contact to start with, which is really important. People make a big deal about hwo to apply TIM, but it's the pressure that's the most important.