Thermal paste application Arctic Silver 5

[Darthjonathan12]

Hey guys I am getting a new heatsink for my AMD Athlon X4 760K Richland 3.8GHz Black series. I already ordered the new one and I am excited for it. I am getting it because the stock CPU heatsink does not keep it cool enough to run games and the computer will shut down. I am convinced that its the heatsink fan not being able to keep up. Maybe its defective or maybe it just was not designed to run the core at full power. Anyways I am getting this one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028Y4S9K/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also ordered Arctic Silver 5 3.5Grams, for the new heatsink. My main concern is that I have only had experience with paste that has already been pre-applied to the heatsink. What is the correct method for applying this type of compound, how do I remove the old paste, and what things should I look out for/know for future builds and use.

 

[ewok93]

Use coffee filters with 99% isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Clean it off thoroughly, but do not scratch the heatsink. Place an amount about the size and shape of a grain of short grain rice on the center of the CPU, and put the cooler on. In the future, make sure to clean it and apply new paste every time you take the heatsink off, as you will break the seal that forms after a couple hours, and that will not re-form as well as it did before. You do not need it to be spread all over the heatsink, just the hotspot is fine. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-heat-sink-heat-spreader,3600-5.html That will explain everything you could possibly need to know.

 

[ram1009]

Hey guys I am getting a new heatsink for my AMD Athlon X4 760K Richland 3.8GHz Black series. I already ordered the new one and I am excited for it. I am getting it because the stock CPU heatsink does not keep it cool enough to run games and the computer will shut down. I am convinced that its the heatsink fan not being able to keep up. Maybe its defective or maybe it just was not designed to run the core at full power. Anyways I am getting this one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028Y4S9K/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also ordered Arctic Silver 5 3.5Grams, for the new heatsink. My main concern is that I have only had experience with paste that has already been pre-applied to the heatsink. What is the correct method for applying this type of compound, how do I remove the old paste, and what things should I look out for/know for future builds and use.

You have a decision to make. If you do as suggested above you will be ignoring at least 25% of the thermal interface provided by the CPU manufacturer for heat removal. Putting a dab of paste in the center of the square heat spreader will result in a round paste pattern which omits the corners from the thermal interface. It is true that most of the heat is in the center but that fact has been mis-interpreted by many to mean they can ignore the corners. This is "corner cutting" in it's most obvious form. If you want your HSF to perform as well as it can you need to make use of ALL of the thermal interface provided by the OEM. To do this apply a small amount of paste to the heat spreader and spread it around with the edge of a credit card. Like peanut butter on bread. It may take a little practice but it's worth the effort. When you've done it right you will have a thin uniform layer covering the entire heat spreader. Now, go decide if you want to be a corner cutter.

 

[Darthjonathan12]

I recently used the baking method on my old second hand GPU (by the way the baking method works!!!) But I left the old thermal compound on in. I should probably replace that with this compound too shouldn't I?

 

[ewok93]

You mean reflowing it? Also, ram1009, read that guide too, you may learn something. It's very thorough, it explains why the card method is ineffective, and it tells you how to apply it step by step, with pictures. It also explains why it doesn't matter if you leave the corners out. Nobody likes air bubbles in their thermal paste. Don't spread it.

 

[ram1009]

You mean reflowing it? Also, ram1009, read that guide too, you may learn something. It's very thorough, it explains why the card method is ineffective, and it tells you how to apply it step by step, with pictures. It also explains why it doesn't matter if you leave the corners out. Nobody likes air bubbles in their thermal paste. Don't spread it.

I read it years ago. It's a load of crap. Believe whatever you like. Some of us know better.

 

[ewok93]

Funny. It came out less than 6 months ago. Also, it's published by the site you're posting on. Sorry you don't believe it.

 

[ram1009]

Funny. It came out less than 6 months ago. Also, it's published by the site you're posting on. Sorry you don't believe it.

It's the same BS that's been floating around the net for years and if you believe anything simply because it's posted on one website or another you are indeed naïve. Don't be sorry for me. I'm not the one ignoring simple laws of physics.