Thermal Paste spreading

Guest2 · 19 Feb 2010 at 16:52

I took this from a site about applying thermal paste to CPU...

'set your heat sink in place, making sure that you go directly down, not on an angle because that will remove a lot of TIC from the core, and you’ve just spend 10 minutes correctly spreading it on, and there’s a precise amount on, you don’t want to remove a lot of TIC from the core by moving the heat sink around. Set it directly on top, slightly rotating it to get any air pockets out, but not moving it side to side, only on one axis.'

However on all the heatsinks i have ever owned they never just go on if you put them on straight. I have to tilt them to get one side of the clips on then force it down on the other.

Is there anyone else who is terrible at installing heatsinks? I think if i had a watercooling rig, i would be dead within the hour

PhillyDee · 19 Feb 2010 at 16:54

You shouldn't spread it on anyway . . . more likely to introduce air pockets!

Diggsy · 19 Feb 2010 at 17:21

Those Intel clips should be banned from use! They are a flaming nuisance. Its only whenever you have used a good mounting mechanism that you realise just how bad they really are.

Oh and yes, as above, depending on the type of paste used, spreading is not always the best way to use it.

Guest2 · 19 Feb 2010 at 18:04

PhillyDee said:
You shouldn't spread it on anyway . . . more likely to introduce air pockets!

what do you do then? i have always just put a pea sized amount in the middle then just tried to get the heatsink onto it

PhillyDee · 19 Feb 2010 at 18:11

Guest2 said:
what do you do then? i have always just put a pea sized amount in the middle then just tried to get the heatsink onto it

Pretty much. Grain of rice sized in the centre. The pressure pushes the paste where it iis needed.

Uriel · 19 Feb 2010 at 18:17

On S939 AM2 and AM3 my coolers have usually needed clipping on one side then the other.

Using the rice in the middle technique on my Scythe Kama Angle this didn't go well recently. Reseated it, spreading it myself with a credit card to ensure thin and very even coverage and I've knocked 3°C off my load temps.

miniyazz · 19 Feb 2010 at 18:23

Diggsy said:
Those Intel clips should be banned from use! They are a flaming nuisance. Its only whenever you have used a good mounting mechanism that you realise just how bad they really are.

Oh and yes, as above, depending on the type of paste used, spreading is not always the best way to use it.

And they always describe them as quick and easy to fit :mad:

cuda-uk · 19 Feb 2010 at 22:03

I was thinking about this the other day, whats the effect on the paste when installing a Corsair H50-1 as you have to twist the pump as you you lock it into place :confused:

I thought about trying to hold the pump in the correct position and then fitting the locking ring, but to be honest I haven't got the room in my case for the extra set of hands that would be required to carry out this operation. Has anyone got any ideas.

Guest2 · 19 Feb 2010 at 22:11

My H50 will be arriving on monday or tuesday. I will take my motherboard out my case to install it (will have to anyway to fit backplate)

Strawberry · 19 Feb 2010 at 22:16

Twisting it doesn't matter, as long as you don't smear it from side to side.

chaosquall · 20 Feb 2010 at 02:46

if you spread it make sure you dont put it right at the edges as when you place your cooler on it it spreads and can go off the edge

setter · 20 Feb 2010 at 02:55

Personally, i just put a rice grain sized drop on the cpu, whack the heatsink on and the rest does itself, ive tried the spreading method in the past, made no difference whatsoever.