• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Processor heat paste...is it worth it?

M

MoreDents

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 9, 2008
Messages
294
What are the chances of you messing up the application of thermal paste (a dot in the center)
I'm scared that the paste might be uneven or in splotches when the head sink squishes down on the dot of head paste

It's just odd that such a big company like Intel or AMD would have inferior heat paste.

Is it really necessary to apply a good heat paste like from Tuniq?
 
im assuming your talking about thermal paste. well you want to have a decent brand so that your processor wont over heat
 
Truthfully, there have been several reviews going both ways on the subject. The advantages of using "specialized" thermal compounds like Arctic Silver 5 and Arctic Cooling MX-2 are that you obtain excellent cooling performance by using just a little bit of the compound.

You don't need to buy thermal compound if your heatsink already comes with some. However, if you swap out processors (and/or CPU coolers), you may want to have some extra handy.
 
yeah thermal paste was what I meant. I know what it does but I was wondering if it was worth it. There's a chance you might apply it wrong and have an uneven spread...that is MUCH worse than just relying on the pre-applied paste.
 
This has been debated since the beginning of overclocking. Search google or the overclock forums and you could read on it for days. The bottom line is that most people have trusted AS5 the longest and it does definitely lower the proc temp better than the stock paste that comes with it if applied correctly.

Once I went through my n00b phase and applied it several times over a period of months, I'm now at the point that I clean each new heat sink I get immediately and apply my own. I've done many many tests with side-by-side comparisons of identical hardware and it's never failed me yet.
 
Id just get hold of some AS5 if you can. I just put it on my PD945 and it lowered load temps by 3-4C... in my books thats well worth it.
 
apparently it lasts for years, although it can separate, just squeeze out any liquid that might have come to the top before you apply it

a while ago I used a tube that was over 2 years old and it's been fine, but if you're unsure just buy some new stuff - it's not expensive

there is a little section of writing on their website about how long it lasts, what way up is best to store it, and keeping it in the fridge to prolong life or something like that
 
Noone's really answered his question regarding the application.

Do any of you have any tips for applying the thermal paste? For instance, do you just put a small amount in the center and then lay the HS over, or do you spread a thin layer across the entire CPU?

What's a good way to maintain the evenness of the compound to ensure maximum conductivity?
 
Considering much of the heat originates from the center of all CPUs, it makes perfect sense to deposit a simple "dot" in the middle. The heat and the weight of the heatsink causes the thermal paste to naturally spread out on its own. Wherever there is heat, it will respond by changing its shape and thin out as it spreads across.

As for the size of the dot, just keep this rule in mind: "less is more". You only want the thermal paste to spread out evenly to a very thin layer. The more thermal paste you put on, the less efficient the heat transfer is. But of course, too little of it can increase the temperature of the CPU as well.

I hope this answers your question.
 
Thanks Zetherin and GeForce

Ok, now is it really worth it to lower the CPU by just 3-5 degrees? I find it odd how Intel and AMD would have inferior thermal paste...
 
Arctic Silver 5 or Ceramique FTW!

I haven't seen any paste that works better than either one of these. Before I used to use the cheap Radio Shack $2 per tube stuff, but after using AS I will never go back. Dropped 4-5 degrees off my temps. Great stuff. :)

The lower your processor/GPU temps, the longer lifetime your hardware will have. Read up on electromigration - one of the problems that very high core temperatures can cause. Higher temps mean more electrical resistance and less life.
 
GeForceX said:
Considering much of the heat originates from the center of all CPUs, it makes perfect sense to deposit a simple "dot" in the middle. The heat and the weight of the heatsink causes the thermal paste to naturally spread out on its own. Wherever there is heat, it will respond by changing its shape and thin out as it spreads across.

As for the size of the dot, just keep this rule in mind: "less is more". You only want the thermal paste to spread out evenly to a very thin layer. The more thermal paste you put on, the less efficient the heat transfer is. But of course, too little of it can increase the temperature of the CPU as well.

I hope this answers your question.
Click to expand...

If the spreading of the compound is the result of not only the weight of the heatsink but the heat of the CPU, then is it safe to assume that the amount in the "dot" varies depending on the CPU and HS? If, for instance, you go with a Thermalright Ultra, which is pretty heavy for a HS, would you put a tad less to ensure that very thin layer? This logic probably doesn't make sense, seeing as the surface area of the CPU doesn't change regardless of what HS is used, right?

On Wikipedia it says: "For computer CPU applications the grease is often applied on both surfaces with a small plastic spatula or similar device." If we were to apply it with a plastic spatula, the heat may cause the compound to leak over the edges with time (I'm assuming this, as you noted the relevance of the heat in the spreading of the compound), which is obviously not what you want.

I guess the best way is just to eye it out, and keep reapplying until you get the perfect "dot" in the center of the CPU (the one that puts your CPU temperature at the lowest temperature). With each reapplication, you use isopropyl alcohol to clean the compound off (also according to wikipedia).
 
Zetherin said:
On Wikipedia it says: "For computer CPU applications the grease is often applied on both surfaces with a small plastic spatula or similar device." If we were to apply it with a plastic spatula, the heat may cause the compound to leak over the edges with time (I'm assuming this, as you noted the relevance of the heat in the spreading of the compound), which is obviously not what you want.
Click to expand...

as noted in other threads sometimes a Wiki is not the best place for current or correct info. Once upon a time those instructions were considered correct for say an, AMD Thunderbird. In fact if you did a search here are some old instructions off the Directon site:

You absolutely MUST apply some interface between the heatsink and the CPU. No matter which one you decide upon, be sure to apply a very thin layer, as less is better. Remember that you are only trying to fill the microscopic irregularities which result from machining the heatsink. Since the thermal compound almost certainly has less conductivity than the heatsink itself, adding more than what is necessary can actually decrease your overall conductivity.
Click to expand...

There weren't heat spreaders over the cores then and you were mounting the sink directly to the core. I would guess a few around here remember the days when forums were full of posts about cores that were either crushed or had corners broken off by heatsinks. But I digress here and getting back on the OP questions, I have applied AS5 per the instructions on the Arctic silver web site on 5-6 CPUs with heatspreaders and have not seen any issues due to heat or found bad coverage of the area when the heatsink was removed at a later date.
 
MoreDents said:
Thanks Zetherin and GeForce

Ok, now is it really worth it to lower the CPU by just 3-5 degrees? I find it odd how Intel and AMD would have inferior thermal paste...
Click to expand...

As other people have said, it is worth it because it prolongs your hardware life. It's like adding the best engine oil to prolong your car's future mileage.
 
Zetherin said:
If the spreading of the compound is the result of not only the weight of the heatsink but the heat of the CPU, then is it safe to assume that the amount in the "dot" varies depending on the CPU and HS? If, for instance, you go with a Thermalright Ultra, which is pretty heavy for a HS, would you put a tad less to ensure that very thin layer? This logic probably doesn't make sense, seeing as the surface area of the CPU doesn't change regardless of what HS is used, right?

On Wikipedia it says: "For computer CPU applications the grease is often applied on both surfaces with a small plastic spatula or similar device." If we were to apply it with a plastic spatula, the heat may cause the compound to leak over the edges with time (I'm assuming this, as you noted the relevance of the heat in the spreading of the compound), which is obviously not what you want.

I guess the best way is just to eye it out, and keep reapplying until you get the perfect "dot" in the center of the CPU (the one that puts your CPU temperature at the lowest temperature). With each reapplication, you use isopropyl alcohol to clean the compound off (also according to wikipedia).
Click to expand...

Maybe I should rephrase what I meant. The heat does cause the thermal paste to spread out but the "tightness" between the CPU and heatsink also helps. But this is an irrelevant point. It really depends on the surface space between the CPU and heatsink. If it's large, then you may need to add little more than normal. If it's small (Athlon XP), then less.

But yes, I rely on the "eye" method as well.
 
Mr. Bluntman said:
Arctic Silver 5 or Ceramique FTW!

I haven't seen any paste that works better than either one of these. Before I used to use the cheap Radio Shack $2 per tube stuff, but after using AS I will never go back. Dropped 4-5 degrees off my temps. Great stuff. :)

The lower your processor/GPU temps, the longer lifetime your hardware will have. Read up on electromigration - one of the problems that very high core temperatures can cause. Higher temps mean more electrical resistance and less life.
Click to expand...

What about Arctic MX2?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top