Applying Thermal Paste to 3770k

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TXAG

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I have an i7 3770k and some Arctic mx-4. What is the best method for applying the thermal paste? Is it the line method?
 
A single dot in the middle somewhere around the size of a bb or a pea. The pressure from the HSF will spread it out. In my experiences lines and zig zags have just created heat pockets that cause temps to go up for me.
 
i do 3/4 a grain of rice roughly and spread it with a little cute plastic spatula i got from i dont remember where. i think i got it included with some arctic silver a long time ago.

after i spread it like butter on toast, i then scrape off as much excess as i can, wipe the spatula of the excess, and then even out the spread once more since it'll have uneven areas where i scraped.

second step is unecessary but i'm OCD
 
Given the shape of the core (rectangle) I'd put a line down the center oriented the same way the core is.
 
Forceman said:
Given the shape of the core (rectangle) I'd put a line down the center oriented the same way the core is.
Click to expand...

How can I tell which way the core is oriented?

Also, is "tinting" the heatsink and heat spreader with thermal paste necessary?
 
putting a line down the middle is the lazy way to do it and although it probably yields roughly the same results, i say spread it because usually when u rely on the heatsink pressure spreading it, it usually will not get to the edges if you dont put enough and if you put too much then it globs and too much is bad anyways.

i've tinted before and see zero gains, so i dont bother anymore. a good even mount is more important so take a bit of extra time doing that part of it.
 
with the little corner notch (yellow arrow) pointing to the bottom left, the chip goes up the center.

Look for application instructions on artic silvers website. They have a section for Ivy Bridge.

I'm sure they TIM's more CPU's then all of us combined.
 
Thanks.

Some stuff I read about applying thermal paste said that it is not necessary to have the thermal paste reach the outside edges since the cores are in the center of the heat spreader. It also said that spreading the thermal paste yourself will increase the chance of there being air bubbles.
 
spread with clean credit card

I keep a few of those small grocery store rewards keyfob cards for this
 
The spread method has long been obsoleted. Putting a dab in the middle works better because it doesn't lead to air bubbles in the TIM the way spreading it does.

TXAG said:
How can I tell which way the core is oriented?

Also, is "tinting" the heatsink and heat spreader with thermal paste necessary?
Click to expand...

No need to tint the heatsink or IHS. Here's a pic that shows the alignment.

251a.jpg
 
Forceman said:
Given the shape of the core (rectangle) I'd put a line down the center oriented the same way the core is.
Click to expand...

That is what I did with my 3570k. Used the image you posted to determine position of die.

Didn't smear it. Just squeezed out a line of IC Diamond down the center about 3/5ths of the die. Left 1/5 spacing on the edges. Like a small log of poo with the center of the die being thicker log and taper off on sides. Seems to be working fine.
 
Yeah, I am surprised at how many people are recommending hand spreading the TIM. I guess it may depend on the consistency of the grease and/or peoples' personal experience but I have tried both (several times) and hand spreading is simply a messy hassle that doesn't produce any benefit in my experience.

I have taken to "tinting" the base of the cooler itself if it is a direct heatpipe contact type - just to fill in the groves and minor imperfections - but I always use the rice to pea sized dollop method now.
 
Looking at that picture, does it mean that the middle is more important than the rest of that chip? Of course, hit the rest to have "uniformity" but is it really necessary?
 
deeplove said:
Looking at that picture, does it mean that the middle is more important than the rest of that chip? Of course, hit the rest to have "uniformity" but is it really necessary?
Click to expand...

Good question. It's called a heat spreader for a reason so why not just try to get it all covered just in case.
 
deeplove said:
Looking at that picture, does it mean that the middle is more important than the rest of that chip? Of course, hit the rest to have "uniformity" but is it really necessary?
Click to expand...

The majority of the heat is going to be above the core itself, so that is the most important part (which is why the line/dot method is recommended), but ideally you'd want TIM to cover the whole area. I've tried it both with just a blob in the middle, and with full coverage (checked after putting the heatsink on) and the temps were about the same for both.
 
There is a case for tinting the heat sink IF you have direct contact heat pipes.

They are never perfectly flat where the outside tube corners roll up. You use the TIM to fill the gap. I did this on my CM 212 plus.

I got this advice from Artic Silver's website.
 
DigitalGriffin said:
There is a case for tinting the heat sink IF you have direct contact heat pipes.

They are never perfectly flat where the outside tube corners roll up. You use the TIM to fill the gap. I did this on my CM 212 plus.

I got this advice from Artic Silver's website.
Click to expand...

I just ordered my i7 3770K and looked up this thread because i had the same question as the OP. I havent ever TIM'ed a CPU, though i understand your point, and also the point of others (that you get basically the same results either way).

I was curious though, i ordered the Hyper 212 Evo which has the "Continuous Direct Contact", if you look at the pictures ( http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=3053&product_name=Hyper 212 EVO ) you will see the whole bottom is all heatpipe, no gaps. So dont you think a vertical line would make the most sense?

I own AS-5 but when buying this new rig, heard it wasnt the top dog anymore, so i bought a gram tube of Prolimatech PRO-PK1-1G PK-1.
 
Half a piece of rice works fine too, remember, you only want to fill up the non even spacings between the IHS and the heatsinks base.

The more excess paste you use, the worse conductitivy gets
 
I wish they made the crap thinner...like less viscous, so it would spread out better and thinner under pressure
 
cantonknees said:
putting a line down the middle is the lazy way to do it and although it probably yields roughly the same results, i say spread it because usually when u rely on the heatsink pressure spreading it, it usually will not get to the edges if you dont put enough and if you put too much then it globs and too much is bad anyways.

i've tinted before and see zero gains, so i dont bother anymore. a good even mount is more important so take a bit of extra time doing that part of it.
Click to expand...

Spreading it (especially the thicker stuff) will result in WAY too much TIM. You also don't need edge to edge TIM
 
jojo69 said:
I wish they made the crap thinner...like less viscous, so it would spread out better and thinner under pressure
Click to expand...

The silver stuff that EVGA is rebranding is very thin. I use it all the time for my regular systems as well as when I'm benching LN2
 
jojo69 said:
spread with clean credit card

I keep a few of those small grocery store rewards keyfob cards for this
Click to expand...

In my case, I have (several) old insurance cards (these are credit-card-sized, and normally expire annually) for this; I'll also be using MX-4.
 
Spreading would only make sense in exposed core situations. I can't find any positive in spreading method compared to blob method in case CPU has heat spreader.
 
I've used Indigo Xtreme a few times and it's basically a bonding layer (removeable but a pain in the butt) and it takes a TIM as far as it can go, from a performance perspective. Otherwise, I just use the blob method. Has worked for me for 20+ years.
 
Sprayingmango said:
I've used Indigo Xtreme a few times and it's basically a bonding layer (removeable but a pain in the butt) and it takes a TIM as far as it can go, from a performance perspective. Otherwise, I just use the blob method. Has worked for me for 20+ years.
Click to expand...

This will be the first time I've used something other than AS-5 (or even a third-party HSF) since *pre-Northwood-B* - yes; with Northwood-B and even Northwood-C, I used the stock HSF.
 
According to Arctic Silver, you should put a line the direction of the cores, then use the pressure of the heat sink to spread it out. I'm guessing that would apply to most other TIMS have have a similar consistency.

Also, Benchmark Review did a comparison of different methods of application. It does seem to vary based on the type of cooler you're using. LINK
 
Last edited:
What’s a “BB”? And a “pea” is too much. Grain of rice is more like it – uncooked though. :p

I put one tiny drop in the middle, put the heatsink down centered, then slide it back & forth a bit and rotate it to let the flat surfaces “mate”. If you do it right it really “sticks”. When I’m testing stuff temporarily I don’t even bother with thermal paste.
 
Tisca said:
Good question. It's called a heat spreader for a reason so why not just try to get it all covered just in case.
Click to expand...
Have you ever seen heat uniformly dissipate on a piece of metal? Google 'Thermal heat spreading on metal" for images on a better picture.

As for the technique, IF you've applied thermal paste on a CPU with the credit card method with success then all the power to you. IF you have never applied TIM on a CPU (or have rarely done so) the Pea or Line method is perfectly safe. The biggest concerns (as already stated) are air bubbles within the application of the thermal paste.
 
just to reiterate, as it seems to bear repeating

most people just do not understand how little TIM is optimal

barely any is best folks, thinnest layer you can get
 
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