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9800X3D thermal paste application?

M

M0710NM4N

Weaksauce
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
124
Coming off decades of Intel and now going AMD, I'm wondering if the nubs (as I call them lol) coming off the CPU around the edges... need to have paste applied on them? Or can I mask them off and simply apply/spread paste around the square section of the processor and be ok?
 
^^ thats how i apply paste but with the 9800 id put a little dot on the nubs anyways.
 
My logic for not putting anything on them, was just that a lot of people do the pea-size method and ain't no way any paste is making it to those nubs with that method.
 
I think that you just need to consider the surface of your heatsink/waterblock. Is the surface of the heatsink/waterblock larger than the size of the CPU heatspreader? Will it also cover (and thus make contact with) the "nubs"?

A lot of the classic general-advice recommendations from years/decades ago to use a pea or other formation and then just let it spread itself out comes from the era when the heatspreaders were a lot smaller, the CPU die under the heatspreader was a lot smaller, and heatsinks/waterblocks were smaller. Stock heatsinks often had a contact surface about the size of a Quarter or even a Nickel.

If my waterblock or heatsink contact surface is larger than the heatspreader, then I manually spread a very thin layer of paste across the entire heatspreader (including the "nubs"). This ensures even distribution of paste, maximizes the contact surface area, and also prevents it from oozing off the side and causing a mess in any location.
 
M0710NM4N said:
Coming off decades of Intel and now going AMD, I'm wondering if the nubs (as I call them lol) coming off the CPU around the edges... need to have paste applied on them? Or can I mask them off and simply apply/spread paste around the square section of the processor and be ok?
Click to expand...
use the spread method and cover all of it, IMO. Those "nubs" are part of the IHS. And therefore, will transfer some heat.
Probably not consequential. But, its technically part of the first heat removal of your CPU.

All that said, even if you "mask" them off. Once you install a heatsink or water block, it will likely spread over the nubs naturally, from pressure and then heat.


*P.S. the contact frames don't do a great job of keeping thermal paste from getting onto the PCB of the CPU. It doesn't matter at all. But, someo people are worried about it. If you are worried about it, Thermal Grizzly and a couple of other brands make a silicon gasket which tightly hugs the IHS and properly keeps thermal paste from spilling over the sides of the IHS. The contact frames have gaps.
 
Like learners permit said the contact frame is a great idea cause it serves performance along with it. Otherwise I believe deepcool has a little thingy that slips over/around the odd shaped puzzle piece CPU to keep the sludge from slipping down potentially into the CPU socket where you will bend pins trying to get it out lol
 
xDiVolatilX said:
Like learners permit said the contact frame is a great idea cause it serves performance along with it. Otherwise I believe deepcool has a little thingy that slips over/around the odd shaped puzzle piece CPU to keep the sludge from slipping down potentially into the CPU socket where you will bend pins trying to get it out lol
Click to expand...
If you have thermal paste spilling all the way off the CPU onto the sides of the socket, you are using way too much thermal past. At worst, a little bit spills over the side of the IHS and only makes a small border line around the IHS.
 
learners permit said:
AM5 contact frame will keep the thermal paste from making a mess of the cpu pcb.
Click to expand...
I went back to AMD here about six months ago, and agree the contact frame is nice. I use the Thermalright frames on my Intel PC's for better contact with the heatsink, but for AMD it basically boils down to less mess. chameleoneel is right as well that if you're getting that mess without the frame you're using too much paste, but it is nice to have a little piece of mind with the contact frame.
 
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I found Intel tricks don't work on AMD.

I draw a line down the side, and spread across the IHS.

I go in a few directions, but always straight.

When I am done I have killer temps.
 
I just follow the guide from Noctua.

Screenshot 2024-12-08 204112.png
 
xDiVolatilX said:
You mean the 9800X3D compared to the 7800X3D?

Brian from Tech Yes City doesn't feel like there is any meaningful difference and makes his points in this video

View: https://youtu.be/BbkXAaYJnWA?si=1T_68r_p0seRba6m
Click to expand...

Coming from a 7800X3D to a 9800X3D the normal every day tasks such as browsing and some light MS Office work are definitely quicker over the 7800X3D which to me was the only issue I had with that CPU. My Intel CPU's were much quicker in those tasks. The gaming difference is there as well between the two AMD CPU's, but not as noticeable. Temps for me are better with the 9800X3D as well.
 
The Noctua 5 Dots works great with Noctua paste. It's the more liquid type paste's that squeeze out everywhere.
 
I don't buy Noctua stuff, so there is that.

Those dots look stupid. wtf.
 
freeagentt said:
I don't buy Noctua stuff, so there is that.

Those dots look stupid. wtf.
Click to expand...
I don't buy Noctua coolers, but the Noctua paste is legendary and priced right I always use it because it lasts looooong and I don't need to worry about it drying out and the temps are extremely competitive with it.
 
xDiVolatilX said:
I don't buy Noctua coolers, but the Noctua paste is legendary and priced right I always use it because it lasts looooong and I don't need to worry about it drying out and the temps are extremely competitive with it.
Click to expand...
I tried their TIM when I had a D14. Maybe they changed the formulation since then, but I thought it was terrible.
 
freeagentt said:
I tried their TIM when I had a D14. Maybe they changed the formulation since then, but I thought it was terrible.
Click to expand...
The NTH1 and NTH2 Yeah been using it for years it gets thousands of 5 star reviews and it is top competitive with all the more expensive pastes within a degree or two benchmarked with all the exotic ones but last looooong....
Which one do you prefer?
 
xDiVolatilX said:
The NTH1 and NTH2 Yeah been using it for years it gets thousands of 5 star reviews and it is top competitive with all the more expensive pastes within a degree or two benchmarked with all the exotic ones but last looooong....
Which one do you prefer?
Click to expand...
I really like SYY-157 lol..

Who?? :D
 
I usually just do a 3/8" line of paste down the center (coming from decades of Intel), but I was concerned about the location of the 9800x3d die under the IHS, and the funky cutouts.

I decided to try the Noctua 5 dot method conservatively (just barely a 3mm dot x 1, and a 1.5-2mm dot x4) using MX-6. I also put a tiny dab on each cutout. CPU block is a Heatkiller IV Pro Nickel/Copper, EVGA 3090 under an Optimus block, and 2 420mm rads with NFA-14 IPPCs.

Using a modest PWM curve on pump and fans I get 29c Idle, and peaked at 69c in Blender CPU bench. If I wind up the spinny bits it stays under 65c. Haven't had a chance to test gaming loads yet.

I was suspicious of the method, but it seems to be working ok. I'd love to hear about other results under similar watercooling setups.
 
X method with dots in the triangles with an Arctic Freezer II 420, 5400MHz manual OC at 1.23 core voltage, no negative core voltage offset. I see around 75 to 85C in extended Aida CPU stress testing. In games, it's harder to tell on a single monitor since Afterburner doesn't support power and temp readings for Zen 5 - but I'd say it averages 50 to 55C or so. Mid to high 70C when building game shaders.
 
My 58X3D idles under 25 with my method and AIO. Can get lower if I run at stock speed..
 
Try the new Kyro Sheets or the PTM from honeywell. Works great with my recent 5700x3d and the Kryo Sheet
 
Vengance_01 said:
Try the new Kyro Sheets or the PTM from honeywell. Works great with my recent 5700x3d and the Kryo Sheet
Click to expand...

I've tried a similar thermal sheet by Innovative Cooling many years ago and it was a pain to install as the sheet would float or shift while installing the heat sink so I never got a good contact so I went back to paste. Does the Kyrosheet float or has someone figured out a way to install it easily without the pad shifting?

I've seen on Youtube someone mentioned using a little thermal paste to hold the sheet in place.
 
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TangledThornz said:
I've tried a similar thermal sheet by Innovative Cooling many years ago and it was a pain to install as the sheet would float or shift while installing the heat sink so I never got a good contact so I went back to paste. Does the Kyrosheet float or has someone figured out a way to install it easily without the pad shifting?

I've seen on Youtube someone mentioned using a little thermal paste to hold the sheet in place.
Click to expand...
Kryosheet now comes with a little packet of silicon oil. You put one or two small drops on the IHS, and it will "hold' the kryosheet in place, while you install the heatsink.

Thermal Grizzly also has a phase change material like PTM 7950, called Phasesheet.
 
I knew I had to take a different approach 10 years ago when I pulled the i7-5960x out of the box.

"Aint a pea big enough!"
 
I had always just used 1 small pea size dot in the middle and let the heatsink spread it on everything the last 20 years, but it just does not work with AM5 CPU's at all they need the paste spread thinly over the whole thing.
 
the big-ass gob method would work fine too, just makes a mess...
 
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