Applying thermal paste on your Quad core.

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bumjin

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Hey guys, just wondering if this is the proper way to apply thermal paste on your quad core processor?

4l8wrut.jpg


The red line in the photo depicts the amount and size of Arctic Silver 5 to use.
 
bumjin said:
Hey guys, just wondering if this is the proper way to apply thermal paste on your quad core processor?

4l8wrut.jpg


The red line in the photo depicts the amount and size of Arctic Silver 5 to use.
Click to expand...
i didnt know we need a picture for that...lolz..honestly i just put a grain size in the middle and let the HSF works it wonders...
 
The new guides at the Arctic Silver site say you should make a little stripe.

I suppose it makes sense: the cores in the Core 2 Quad have some physical separation.
 
yes but using the pea size effect still covers the hole cpu after being pushed down with a HSF...

i dont see how doing this "line application" will have a better result.

i could be wrong but =/
 
seems like that way would gush some AS5 off to the left and right sides, and make a messy cleanup
 
I always thought the pea size single lump was the old school way for single cores.
 
I dunno, I've always put a drop in the center and smoothed it flat over the whole core with a creditcard or piece of paper or something
 
Just rub it with some cheetah's blood, not only will it be cooler but it'll also run faster.

It depends on the shape of the IHS, if it's no different from the other C2Ds a rice grain size should be able to cover everything.
 
Here is how i did it after realizing that it has concave shape. First i applied AR5 equally and very thin layer. Then i applied "W" in the middle to make sure it will fill the gap. My temperatures are very good.


[email protected]

Idle 30C
Load = 40C
 
Sanj926 said:
thats exactly what i've always done...is that not right?
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technically its probably not, but it's always worked for me. There's always people who go overboard with stuff, and then people start thinking that's how it has to be done. its not rocket science, and it doesnt have anything to do with the alignment of the moons.. its just heatsink compound. Just put on a nice thin coat and slap the heatsink on. I've built probably 300 pc's like that and never had an issue, so I'll keep doing it like that
 
That picture on the AS5 website is just pointing out that the processors are not exactly in the center of the die. Its really demonstrating that you place the material to the left side of middle.
I dont think the "line" approach is that critical.
 
magoo said:
That picture on the AS5 website is just pointing out that the processors are not exactly in the center of the die. Its really demonstrating that you place the material to the left side of middle.
I dont think the "line" approach is that critical.
Click to expand...
That picture is from the PDF on their site. If you read the text that goes along with the picture, THEY at least believe that the "line" approach is ideal.

They suggest a horizontal line for the quads, a vertical line for the duals, a blob in the center for singles, and spreading out the compound from edge to edge with a razor or credit card on small cores like on lappies. Whether or not thats overkill, who knows, but considering that these guys live and breath thermal paste, I would respect their conclusions. :)
 
Cryptic1911 said:
technically its probably not, but it's always worked for me. There's always people who go overboard with stuff, and then people start thinking that's how it has to be done. its not rocket science, and it doesnt have anything to do with the alignment of the moons.. its just heatsink compound. Just put on a nice thin coat and slap the heatsink on. I've built probably 300 pc's like that and never had an issue, so I'll keep doing it like that
Click to expand...

Yup thats the way i go too. Thin layer spread by a c.card.

Besides I've tried the rice grain in the center of IHS but that thing spreads like a circle whereas the HS is a square, Personally id like to have the whole HS covered with AS5 since the Heatsink comes in contact with the entire IHS, The circle would leave out the corners and possibly allow air in which is not what we want.

Just 2 cents :D
 
Cryptic1911 said:
technically its probably not, but it's always worked for me. There's always people who go overboard with stuff, and then people start thinking that's how it has to be done. its not rocket science, and it doesnt have anything to do with the alignment of the moons.. its just heatsink compound. Just put on a nice thin coat and slap the heatsink on. I've built probably 300 pc's like that and never had an issue, so I'll keep doing it like that
Click to expand...

Well technically it will work so long as you put something on there short of leaving a plastic cover on the heatsink or hosing it down with 1/4 cup of the stuff.

But I think this thread isn't focused on what just works for slapping a system together, but rather what the "ideal" way to put it on is to get the absolute best temps.
 
Sanj926 said:
thats exactly what i've always done...is that not right?
Click to expand...


Not with a Kentsfield.

I have tested this at work with AS5 a few times now bulding comps for clients,and it does make a difference in cooling.Now we are only talking about 1 to 3 c,but every time we tested it with the dot method,the temps were always higher by a bit (1 to 3c+) :)
 
With the same CPU? Because you can't really validate results with 1-3C difference since it's well within the uncertainty of the calibration of the temp sensor of the quad core.
 
Keep in mind that Kentsfields is in reality 2 C2D dies in one package so you need to make a line to cover 2. The middle spot is actually a empty space.

 
That "empty" space still get hot. The 'whole' heatspreader gets hot. i would put a very thin layer on the whole chip.
 
I put a dab in the middle of the cpu.. and use my finger to spread it around by just dabbing it over and over until it's covered with a thin layer. Don't know if it's right.. but been using the same method for 14 years tho.
 
magnetik said:
I put a dab in the middle of the cpu.. and use my finger to spread it around by just dabbing it over and over until it's covered with a thin layer. Don't know if it's right.. but been using the same method for 14 years tho.
Click to expand...

I would put some seran wrap or a plastic glove on if you're going to use your finger. Skin oils will lower the thermal conductivity of the paste and change its consistency.
 
Find a credit card you don't need or something of similar thickness, cut a square in it the size of the area you want to cover the chip, apply thermal paste and spread it out evenly using another card or something straight.
 
Shit, my Q6600 went up 5 °C using this stupid technique on some other compound. Damnit, now I have to reseat and redo the thermal paste again!:mad:
 
ASIA911 said:
Shit, my Q6600 went up 5 °C using this stupid technique on some other compound. Damnit, now I have to reseat and redo the thermal paste again!:mad:
Click to expand...

So using this stripe method actually hurt your temps? What method do you use normally?
 
ASIA911 said:
...on some other compound.
Click to expand...

Well that should be your first clue. Thermal compounds are not all the same, are they? Therefore, why would you expect the same application method to work on them all?

Arctic Silver is high performance thermal compound and I trust that the fine folks at Arctic Silver know how best to apply their own compound. I use the methods they suggest for applying their compound and will continue to do so until someone conclusively proves otherwise.
 
krameriffic said:
So using this stripe method actually hurt your temps? What method do you use normally?
Click to expand...

I just reseated my heatsink on my Q6600 using the method by spreading your compound evenly with a credit card. Temp dropped back down 5°C. This will probably work but it all depend on the thermal compound that you use.

Actually I saw this technique posted somewhere else and DID NOT mention anything about Artic compound. It was a method that was suppose to do with a Quad Core.
 
I used to do the card method. Took too much time :p

now I do the pea size paste and it works fine.

Same temps eitehr way.
 
calvieee said:
That "empty" space still get hot. The 'whole' heatspreader gets hot. i would put a very thin layer on the whole chip.
Click to expand...

I believe I saw a study from AS showing that AS was more effective with the dot method on single CPU processors, even though AS didn't cover 100% of the chip with this method, it proved to be a more effective and kept the chip cooler. Perhaps microscopic particles still squeezed over the rest of the chip that you just can't see, I don't know.

I wish I could find the old article I read, but unfortunately I can't find it. I assume this is why they recommend using a line or dot, though.
 
Remember that the point of thermal compound is to fill in the gaps between the CPU and HS so the credit card method should work fine as long as all the area above the CPU cores is covered.
 
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