Is this guys method of applying thermal paste a good idea? Wrap cling wrap over your finger and then use it to spread the paste?

Circumnavigate

Circumnavigate

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 26, 2009
Messages
234
I saw some guy do it on a youtube video

Do you guys think this would be a bad idea or that you risk damaging hardware?
 
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I used to do it this way a long, long time ago. While I never made any scientific attempt to quantify my results vs. any other methods (plenty of YT videos on that subject, now), the fact is that at a system level, it worked just fine, though is technically a little wasteful. Never any issues and the amount of leakage over the side of the CPU was minimal. These days I will do various combinations of the pea method depending on the size of the IHS, whether it's a smaller, desktop size (single pea in the middle) or my preferred large HEDT/Server size which is central pea plus 4 corner dabs.

GPUs I will definitely spread a bit around because it's set up that way from the factory and a butt-ton harder to verify your work after cooler reassembly. The amount of factory grease I have to clean off the components when repasting tells me that as long as you use non-conductive, you're going to have a good time.
 
The video is unavailable? Although, its hard to take someone seriously when they misspell "sorcery" as "socery" in the video title.
 
Circumnavigate said:
I saw some guy do it on a youtube video

Do you guys think this would be a bad idea or that you risk damaging hardware?
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Not any worse than spreading with a tiny spatula. And probably less wasteful.

I don't understand how this could possible "damage" a CPU.
 
MX-6 is good paste but its very thick. Top notch GPU tim. I wouldn't do the finger spread with it. Most likely it would just stick to your finger as its warmer than the cpu. The spatula spread would be easier.
I used to do the finger method exclusively...never damaged any components. Why are you concerned specifically?
 
yeah just get some fresh stuff off the roll. idk if he still does but kyle used to promote using a finger condom(cot?)
 
I started using the spatula that came with my mx-5 and spread it all over the CPU. I find that CPUs are getting too big to rely on the pressure of the HSF mounting to spread and cover the entire CPU.
 
I find that I always make a mess (no matter how little or much I use), so I'm game for something that's neater. I think it's because I rarely manage to get my cooler set on the first try. That said, I've never seen a performance difference from totally messes vs. the rare instance where things are less sloppy.
 
Used this method and all sorts of others in the past. The vagaries make the method irrelevant really. You can do the same method 4 times in a row and get different results every time. As long as the temps are fine and the system isn't wheezing or cutting out...done.

It does make me eye roll when people show a shot of just a light haze of paste between the CPU and the cooler and moan that 'it all squeezed out'. No, that haze of paste is all you want. It's to fill in the micron level gaps not look like sandwich filling.
 
kirbyrj said:
The video is unavailable? Although, its hard to take someone seriously when they misspell "sorcery" as "socery" in the video title.
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going to take a "wild" guess that given his accent English is not probably his 1st Language? I take your point, but I work with people in asia on a regular basis, and while they can communicate essentially effectively there are frequently "head scratching" lost in translation moments when reading documentation from them. ... and to be fair their English is MUCH better than my Chinese.


Back on Topic... it looks fine but more work than I want spend doing this... I just make an "X" and plop that cooler on....
 
I've always just plopped on either a "grain of rice" or a "pea" smack in the middle, then mounted my heatsink, sometimes doing a 1-3 degree twist before it's too clamped down. I never understood the whole idea of spreading it yourself. If your heatsink isn't providing enough pressure, you have other issues, and should check your mounting hardware.

Maybe things are different when your cpu lid is huge, like previously stated on a server or those massive threadripper CPUs, but again, a little goes a long way. 🤣 the comparison to sandwich filling. All I can picture is my kids super thick peanut butter sandwiches.
 
One thing I do after the cooler is fitted, is hold the top of it and just wiggle it round and round a few times. Since its securely fastened, it hardly moves but I think some slight flexing may be helping the fresh paste to find its way and settle.

Little things.
 
devkinetic said:
I've always just plopped on either a "grain of rice" or a "pea" smack in the middle, then mounted my heatsink, sometimes doing a 1-3 degree twist before it's too clamped down. I never understood the whole idea of spreading it yourself. If your heatsink isn't providing enough pressure, you have other issues, and should check your mounting hardware.

Maybe things are different when your cpu lid is huge, like previously stated on a server or those massive threadripper CPUs, but again, a little goes a long way. 🤣 the comparison to sandwich filling. All I can picture is my kids super thick peanut butter sandwiches.
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The grain of rice is just not enough to cover nowadays. CPU IHS are so much bigger now. The grain of rice thing dates back to the days where we had bare dies. No amount of pressure is going to speed a grain of rice to the edges. There is no reason not to do the spread method. Are people really that lazy to take 2 mins to apply paste properly?
 
This spreading thing is some of the dumbest shit to come out of the DIY builder community in awhile.

If you've got a bigger chip then you need more TIM, not to be spreading it around like you're icing a cake 😂
 
With the shape of the new Zen 4 processors, you kinda have to use the spread method. Either that or you won't cover they edges or you'll make a colossal mess.
 
vegeta535 said:
The grain of rice is just not enough to cover nowadays. CPU IHS are so much bigger now. The grain of rice thing dates back to the days where we had bare dies. No amount of pressure is going to speed a grain of rice to the edges. There is no reason not to do the spread method. Are people really that lazy to take 2 mins to apply paste properly?
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You put a few extra dots by the corners. Problem solved. Testing has shown that manually spreading usually has a negligible impact on cooling performance.
 
NightReaver said:
You put a few extra dots by the corners. Problem solved. Testing has shown that manually spreading usually has a negligible impact on cooling performance.
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And the longer you take to do it the more it is drying out. People forget it is to bridge the air gaps in the surface imperfections, not brick laying
 
Pea drop in center, + little dabs on corners IF your IHS is of the larger or rectangular variety...

Been doing it this way since the mid-80's, neveranottaproblemo :D
 
dogDAbone said:
Pea drop in center, + little dabs on corners IF your IHS is of the larger or rectangular variety...

Been doing it this way since the mid-80's, neveranottaproblemo :D
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The Mid 80's? Most CPUs didnt have a user adjustable cooler or heatsink till wayyyyyy later. Mid 90's even.
 
I've had good luck with making a cross starting in the center of the cpu. I don't go all the way out to the edge of the cpu though, maybe a half inch or so before the edges.
 
I've never done anything other than a tiny bb sized dab right in the center (you know, the actually proper way to do it).
Tiny spatulars lmfao!
 
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