THERMAL TAPE HELP!

QlimaxUK · 29 Dec 2009 at 14:26

ok i have bought some of that thermal adhesive tape applied it, booted up and my temps are.... HIGH!

im this noraml for first use? does it have to 'wear in'? or should i have used paste on top of it?

RJC · 29 Dec 2009 at 14:30

I would have just used thermal paste like MX-3.

But double check the heatsink is attached properly.

setter · 29 Dec 2009 at 14:31

Id have thought your not supposed to use thermal tape on a cpu? you need thermal paste as all that is required is enough paste to fill the microscopic gaps on the surface of the cpu, id imagine the tape is pretty thick and probably acting as an insulator.

QlimaxUK · 29 Dec 2009 at 14:42

well the tape is very thin but the temps havn't calmed down yet (resting around 70 - 75) im afraid to do anything with this pc untill this problem is solved.

so should i remove tape completely, apply my cheap akasa paste back on (its all i have but does the job better then this stuff!)
or is it safe to apply the paste over the tape?

Sp00n · 29 Dec 2009 at 14:43

Remove the tape first.

QlimaxUK · 29 Dec 2009 at 15:52

ok paste is back on, and temps are back down again but they are a little higher then before

Kennysevenfold · 29 Dec 2009 at 15:57

QlimaxUK said:
ok paste is back on, and temps are back down again but they are a little higher then before

Let the paste "burn in" and the temps should reduce slightly.

tankskun · 29 Dec 2009 at 16:00

Did you clean off the tape residue properly?

bifday2k · 29 Dec 2009 at 16:00

Thermal tape is really best suited to being used for chipset and mosfet kinda applications, would'nt advise using it on the cpu myself, paste is much better.

BIGBC · 29 Dec 2009 at 16:28

Thermal tape on a CPU is a bad idea. Only application I'd use it in is sticking heatsinks onto GPU ram chips.

QlimaxUK · 30 Dec 2009 at 23:03

tankskun said:
Did you clean off the tape residue properly?

thats 1 interesting thing when i removed the heatsink the tape was still fully intact and was stuck to the heatsink but was easy to peel off, i still gave it a wipe over with the tim cleaner before applying the paste
my current temps are now 42/44/46/39 which is near enough what they used to be

TheTard · 31 Dec 2009 at 02:08

i think you should buy some mx-3 or something, your temps should drop slightly. Do you have an aftermarket cooler? if not, i suggest getting one

bigjimmyauk · 31 Dec 2009 at 02:35

bifday2k said:
Thermal tape is really best suited to being used for chipset and mosfet kinda applications, would'nt advise using it on the cpu myself, paste is much better.

uncanny but i was reading a lot about this earlier the thermal tape is 0.3mm thick that is 0.03cm it works best on lapped cpu's and heatsinks but you can get an even better one than is 0.16mm thick. there are some good results out there with the stuff but if ur cpu or heatsink is pitted or concave/convex then it won't work to well cause it will trap microscopic air particals thus turning it into a mini oven so to speak increasing your temps as the air can't escape the pocket.

when i do my 4870 cooler i'll be using paste and copper vram sinks. tape is just a bit hit or miss IMO when ur using something 0.03MM thick even a spek of dust can mess it up.There is lots of info on the web about it i mean some people may have had great success using but was just voicing my honest opinion after all the reading i did today