Thermal paste. do you apply it to heatsink and cpu?

[superh]

just wondering if i should spread a pea size amount over the cpu surface as well as the bottom of the heatsink? Or do you only do the cpu?

thanks

 

[2260121]

personally i only put some on the heatsink but if you do it on cpu it's fine too but i think if there's thermal paste on both of them it's going to be too much so just do it on wichever you want but not on both.

 

[mactronix]

Most guides you see will say to put it on the CPU. Makes sense really as its less likely to fall off a flat even surface than it is a cooler in your hand. It does not go on both.
The Pea size advice can be outdated these days with the CPU being physically a lot smaller than when that advice was first considered to be the correct standard response. these days with a modern CPU a grain of rice sized amount would be fine.
There are still larger CPU's out there so its a little tricky.
Take a look here http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/cpu/32591-intel-core-i7-3960x-extreme-edition-cpu/?page=2

The first CPU would be fine with a pea sized amount while it would be too much for the second. Too much acts as an insulator rather than a conductor.
You are trying to put enough on to make a very thin coating layer.
I do know people who actually make up a template from thin card and actually spread the paste to fit.

Try and find an on-line guide for your exact CPU if you are not sure.

Mactronix

 

[teaser]

I always put some on the bottom of the heatsink and then wipe it off to fill in any microscopic imperfections,then i put a grain of rice size dab of thermal paste on the cpu and then mount the heatsink......