Thermal paste spreading on one side of the CPU

[DrHelios]

Hello,

First time on this site, so I'll try to be as detailled as possible.
Here's the problem, I've got a I7 4790K on a Z97 Pro Gaming Asus, cooled by a Corsair H100i GTX; it's the 6th or 7th time I change the thermal paste due to overheating issues, and each time, I find the thermal paste spread on only the left side of the CPU (about 30%). I tested with 4 thermal paste : the one included with the watercooling, a cooler master grease paste, artic silver 5 and noctua NT-H1. I've tried to clean the cpu and the waterblock with 70% alcohol and with the arcticlean kit : same result. Lately my previous motherboard died due to (I think) a power surge or a short circuit. So I'm asking here if anyone encountered the same case and can help me.

EDIT : I forgot to mention, when I apply the thermal paste, the temps are very good (~50 60° in game and overclock), but after 1 or 2 hours, the temps skyrocket and reach 60° in idle no overclock. At first it took 2 or 3 days for the thermal paste to spread on one side only, now it's in a few hours.

Thanks in advance.

 

[superninja12]

you apply waay too much , less is better a small dot (like a grain of rice ) is plenty.

 

[amtseung]

When you're mounting the water block, you're probably not working in an X pattern, but rather in an H pattern. This will squeeze all your thermal paste from one side to the other, and as the whole thing settles (off to one side), your temps will get progressively worse. Make sure you mount it in an X pattern, working slowly (half turns at a time). Rushing things out of frustration will only make matters worse.

Otherwise, you're using the wrong mounting hardware. You may have one or two of the 4 posts that were meant for 2011v3 mounting instead of LGA115X, making it slightly taller on that side, and squeezing all your paste from one side to the other.

 

[USAFRet]

This sounds like an incorrectly installed water block.

 

[DrHelios]

you apply waay too much , less is better a small dot (like a grain of rice ) is plenty.

That's the thing, I only apply a dot of 5mm diameter as advised by noctua.

 

[DrHelios]

When you're mounting the water block, you're probably not working in an X pattern, but rather in an H pattern. This will squeeze all your thermal paste from one side to the other, and as the whole thing settles (off to one side), your temps will get progressively worse. Make sure you mount it in an X pattern, working slowly (half turns at a time). Rushing things out of frustration will only make matters worse.

Otherwise, you're using the wrong mounting hardware. You may have one or two of the 4 posts that were meant for 2011v3 mounting instead of LGA115X, making it slightly taller on that side, and squeezing all your paste from one side to the other.

I applied a dot of 5mm diameter as advised by noctua, but I'll try the X pattern right now. The backplate is correctly installed though.

EDIT: Tried the X pattern, last a few hours longer but same problem, I end up having almost no thermal paste in the middle of the cpu.

FINAL EDIT : Found the culprit, it was my waterblock surface's that was not perfectly flat. Need to buy another one.

 

[amtseung]

When I was talking about the X versus the H pattern, I meant the order in which you screw the block down, not the shape of the thermal paste application. From my experiences, as long as you have enough paste and the proper mounting pressure, whether you draw a heart or leave a poop-shaped blob of thermal paste matters nil towards cooling performance.

Corsair waterblocks typically are not perfectly flat (as are most Asetek units). They should be bowed very slightly outwards, so that clamping the cold plate against the CPU will flatten out the bow and create that flat surface for heat transfer. Using the right mounting hardware is crucial.

 

[DrHelios]

When I was talking about the X versus the H pattern, I meant the order in which you screw the block down, not the shape of the thermal paste application. From my experiences, as long as you have enough paste and the proper mounting pressure, whether you draw a heart or leave a poop-shaped blob of thermal paste matters nil towards cooling performance.

Corsair waterblocks typically are not perfectly flat (as are most Asetek units). They should be bowed very slightly outwards, so that clamping the cold plate against the CPU will flatten out the bow and create that flat surface for heat transfer. Using the right mounting hardware is crucial.

In my case "not perfectly flat" is an euphemism, as the waterblock is forming a slight "v" angle, which makes only one side of the waterblock in contact with the cpu. I've ordered a new watercooling anyways, as this one don't have a warranty anymore. CM Nepton 240 incoming.