To spread or not to spread?

Zeebedy · 10 Mar 2011 at 18:29

Hey hey,

Due to the great service at OC I will be recieving my new mobo tomorrow.

I have used the pre applied thermal paste on the CorsairH50 and will be using a tube of thermal paste. What I want to know is, due I put a spot of paste on and then apply the the water pump OR before that do I spread the paste accross the CPU before the pump goes on?

Thanks guys,
RTJ

setter · 10 Mar 2011 at 18:40

Just use a rice grain sized blob on the middle of the cpu, id only ever spread the paste on a lapped cpu that was being used in conjunction with a lapped cooler.

Zeebedy · 10 Mar 2011 at 18:40

What do you mean by "lapped"?

RTJ

setter · 10 Mar 2011 at 18:51

Lapped means sanded down, some users will "lap" the cpu heatspreader surface and cooler base, this can have the advantage of increasing contact between both surfaces, which can lead to lower temps and evening up of coretemps. I always found spreading paste to work better than the blob method when i ran a lapped cpu/cooler combo, also i used slightly less paste than normal. One point with lapping though, your warranty is lost whenever you carry it out.

Zeebedy · 10 Mar 2011 at 20:07

Ahhh, thanks for the heads up, will not be lapping I dont think...,

Thanks for the reply, RTJ

Brookert · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:56

from the results i've seen with lapping, its deffo worth it. Although I would only do it when i'm 100% sure the CPU is good.