[SOLVED] Do i need more thermal paste or is this okay

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canadianjameson

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Dec 2, 2014
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Hi all,

So I have had a tough time getting my rig up and running (long story, bad advice...). Anyways I smudged the thermal paste on my new Ryzen processor trying to swap it out for an older processor to flash the motherboard (which wasn't the problem... sigh).

So here's what it looks like (https://www.dropbox.com/s/qkr1gfs6lphq6q0/CPU.png?dl=0) - I can't seem to figure out how to add a picture to the post =/

If I do need to re-apply, I'm guessing that this should do the trick? https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07LDRVFBH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks - sorry I just really don't want to mess this up =/

Edit: Also, if I need more do i need to wipe off the current thermal paste?

Cheers,


Jay
 
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Solution
Karadjgne
If you run a fingernail across glass, it leaves nothing behind. If you run a fingernail across chrome or other micro-polished metal, it leaves nothing behind.

Run a fingernail across a cpu or cooler base, you'll see the streak. That's because the surfaces of those is like 20,000 grit sandpaper so you do not get a perfect metal-metal contact, there's micro-gaps between the 2 surfaces. That's where paste is used, it fills in the gaps and becomes a thermal medium, allows the heat to pass through.

So all you need is a super thin, even coverage. This is where the English garden pea blob originated, placed central on the cpu when the cooler is applied it squashes the blob and forces it out flat and thin with no air gaps or uneven...
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Hey - thanks!

I actually already have the MX-2 that I linked, so it would be great if I could use it. Do you see any issue with that?

Also, to clean should I just use paper towel and isopropyl alcohol? Would lighter fluid work?

Thanks!


Jay
 
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canadianjameson said:
Hey - thanks!

I actually already have the MX-2 that I linked, so it would be great if I could use it. Do you see any issue with that?

Also, to clean should I just use paper towel and isopropyl alcohol? Would lighter fluid work?

Thanks!


Jay
Click to expand...

If you already have the MX-2 it will be fine don't worry. Use the MX-2.

Isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth but I will be honest. I never used that. Here I clean my CPU with paper towels and isopropyl alcohol.

Anything that can clean the CPU without scratching it and leaving particles on it if you know what I mean. No sandpaper lol :)
 
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Pssht - fine... and I hand the sandblaster plugged in and everything =/. Lol =)

Amazing - thanks so much.

Last Q: I don't have any isopropyl alcohol - would lighter fluid work, or is that a bad call?

Thanks!
 
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Honestly you can get by just wiping it off with the paper towels...just be sure to get it all. I haven't bothered with alcohol or cpu cleaner in years. Each to his own, but I wouldn't worry too much about it if you wipe the heatspreader until no more old compound discolors the paper towel.
 
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It's a Ryzen. Not Intel.

Pea sized blob method doesn't work out well for Ryzens as it leaves the corners non-pasted, which is right where the dies are. Intels are monolithic die, 1 chip right in the middle, so pea blob works very well. Ryzens use 3-6 chips spread out towards the edges/corners.

Instead use an old but still square credit card or other plastic spatula edged utensil. Start with a pea sized blob in the middle and physically stretch that blob to cover the entire cpu surface with a very, very thin but even coat.

For cleaning, use (preferably) 90% or better isopropyl rubbing alcohol and coffee filters, or other fine grain lint free, perfume free cloth.
 
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The pea sized blob work totally fine if you put enough. There is a 0.5C different between all the thermal paste application possible.

The issue is when you don't put enough. The pea sized blob is horrible for a Ryzen in this situation. I agree on that.

I used so many ways. The line. The X. I was even creative at some point. I never saw a difference in temperature between all of them.

Put enough = fine.
Not enough = bad.

Best way is still the spreading as suggested by Karadjne.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofyNgJyhGuc
 
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Lol, yeah, tried them all too. But as I found out one time, a little too much (was an X pattern) gets very messy, in the worst possible spot, dripping right into the socket. 4 cans of electrical contact cleaner later and several days just to be sure it dried thoroughly (only part of amd I really dislike is the perforated socket 😅) and even after 40 years of messing with this stuff I was still nervous heh.

For Ryzens, getting the exact right amount to cover all the dies correctly is just such an iffy thing. Better to be safe than sorry.
 
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Pea sized thermal paste piece in middle of CPU is the simplest and proven way how to apply thermal paste.

Don't use lighter fluid. It leave oily stains which cause poorer thermal conductivity areas between CPU and cooler. use isopropyl alcohol instead.
 
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This is a Zen2 (3000 series) Ryzen. The lid is a mm beyond that visible ring. The issue is owners whom tighten down the cooler a little lopsided, or do not use enough pressure to spread the paste well because they are scared about hurting the cpu, or whom don't use enough paste in the first place.

You end up not covering the very corners or even the edges of the dies which are spread apart and not centrally located monolithic die like FX and Intel have been forever.

Ppl whom have done a hundred repastes might be comfortable with a pea sized blob and know they have good, full coverage of the dies, but beginners and first timers, I'd not recommend that approach until they have that kind of experience.
 
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This is incredibly helpful. This is one of the first times I will be applying thermal paste so I am, admittedly, a lot nervous. I see that the balance between too little and too much is critical. Sigh - i'm going to be nervous either way but it needs doing so... ya. I guess i'll try to spread using an old credit card or something similar. I am, admittedly, worried about over-applying. My motherboard is a Gigabyte B450M D53H - is there anything I need to worry about specifically (one side, for example)?

Thanks,


Jay
 
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canadianjameson said:
This is incredibly helpful. This is one of the first times I will be applying thermal paste so I am, admittedly, a lot nervous. I see that the balance between too little and too much is critical. Sigh - i'm going to be nervous either way but it needs doing so... ya. I guess i'll try to spread using an old credit card or something similar. I am, admittedly, worried about over-applying. My motherboard is a Gigabyte B450M D53H - is there anything I need to worry about specifically (one side, for example)?
Click to expand...

Usual thermal paste does not conduct electricity. Still it is better to avoid spilling it around because it may be difficult to clean this stuff out of CPU socket later. But little spill around cooler edges does not broke anything. We are talking about pea size because that is amount that under cooler bottom weight will spread more or less equally between decent desktop CPU surface and cooler (paste layer is around 0.2 mm thick) without having included bubbles and will not leak out much. It is more about economy :) Don't bother about credit cards and other sorcery. You will waste more paste that stick to credit card edge and is not possible to get off on CPU without ruining your "perfectly" smeared paste layer (CPU is not a Zen garden, damit).

canadianjameson said:
My motherboard is ..... - is there anything I need to worry about specifically (one side, for example)?
Click to expand...

Motherboard model does not matter here. CPU surface size mater.
 
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If you run a fingernail across glass, it leaves nothing behind. If you run a fingernail across chrome or other micro-polished metal, it leaves nothing behind.

Run a fingernail across a cpu or cooler base, you'll see the streak. That's because the surfaces of those is like 20,000 grit sandpaper so you do not get a perfect metal-metal contact, there's micro-gaps between the 2 surfaces. That's where paste is used, it fills in the gaps and becomes a thermal medium, allows the heat to pass through.

So all you need is a super thin, even coverage. This is where the English garden pea blob originated, placed central on the cpu when the cooler is applied it squashes the blob and forces it out flat and thin with no air gaps or uneven coverage.

Works perfectly on Intels as they use a relatively small chip under the lid, so a round blob covers everything easily. Ryzens are spread out under the cover, so a round blob may not squash out fully to cover the corners. The X or cross pattern is better in that respect, but can still overflow if slightly too much is used. So a CC or spatula spread is best, guaranteed coverage, even by a first timer, and spread is not reliant on cooler pressure.

But all you need is roughly that small blob amount, painted on the cpu so thin you can about see through it. More or thicker won't hurt temps, it's just more to possibly clean up next time.
 
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Solution
That's the nice thing about paste, it's not permanent. If you screw up, clean up and start over, no biggie. And you learn something in the process, either success or failure.

Just don't drop the cooler or the screwdriver.. That's a bad thing. But pasting is a no brainer once you've actually done it once or twice, no harder than putting oil in your car engine.
 
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gahhhhhhhhh. So i did it right. i know i did. But now the board won't power at all. the power supply was unplugged the whole time. I touched the metal case before each interaction with the board, and my shoes have rubber souls.

I'm so annoyed. Have reseated the battery and everything.

Any ideas? I have Gigabyte B450m d53h (bios rev F50 and my new processor is the Ryzen 5 3600x. The other one i switched out was a ryzen 5 1600
 
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