Thermal Grease question for Socket 939 Processors

J

jasyn

Weaksauce
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Sep 14, 2004
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What's the process to put Thermal Grease onto these processors? I'm planning to put a Zalman CNPS9500 to keep this processor cool. With the OEM retail kits, the grease is like on the heatsink/fan already layered for you. Do I just put a little dab onto the CPU or do I put a little dab onto the Heatsink? What should I use to spread it around? Thanks :)
 
I usually put a dab on the cpu and smooth it around with my finger to be sure its even everywhere, but many people also just put a dab on the cpu and slap the heatsink on.
 
Killa_2327 said:
I usually put a dab on the cpu and smooth it around with my finger to be sure its even everywhere, but many people also just put a dab on the cpu and slap the heatsink on.
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do i need to wear a glove while smoothing it out? i am assuming finger prints aren't a good thing :confused:
 
I prefer just a bare finger, but it is messy and youll be scrubbing your finger for a few minutes afterwards. I think the bare finger would probably be better then a glove anyway.
 
i suggest to not use bare finger... seems to me its will leave finger oils (no matter HOW much you clean your hands) and ruins the contact.... me i use a plastic bag.
 
ive tried it all, small dot in the middle and let pressure spread it, spread it around with a credit card, spread it as a thin film with a glove, bleh none of it ever made much difference. its all good. Just dont put on too much and dont put on too little.
 
Asian Dub Foundation said:
i suggest to not use bare finger... seems to me its will leave finger oils (no matter HOW much you clean your hands) and ruins the contact.... me i use a plastic bag.
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Can't say I've ever heard of that happening. Doesn't matter, its all preference.
 
Then why do the instructions specifically tell you not to use your bare finger? (For exactly that reason)
 
Who reads instructions for thermal paste? I know thats not a good thing to say (you know, not reading instructions) but its thermal paste, it's pretty obvious where it goes, I really wouldn't hesitate to use your bare finger. I've used my bare finger on every computer I've built and they all work fine. All cool, no ruined contacts, no over heating. I suppose not using your bare finger is the right way to do it but whatever, I'll stick with whats worked for me.
 
Killa_2327 said:
Who reads instructions for thermal paste? I know thats not a good thing to say (you know, not reading instructions) but its thermal paste, it's pretty obvious where it goes, I really wouldn't hesitate to use your bare finger.
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haha, there is a lot of people who don't know what they are doing. I know of someone who put the thermal grease in the socket. All over the pins... :p

And using a bare finger is not really the best way. The oils or anything else you might have on your fingers could possibly get wiped off onto the processor/hs. And that will not provide the optimal contact. Of course it is probably a negligible difference anyway.


For bare cores, you are supposed to make a thin layer covering every exposed part of the core. Thin as possible. I use a credit card or whatever flat/straight object I have near me.

But A64 has heatspreader, so it is different. The most heat transfer will occur in the middle of the heat spreader, right above the core. The outside won't transfer much heat. If you cover the entire heat spreader, there is a higher chance of air bubbles/pockets forming. Air does not conduct heat very well, which is why it is best not to cover the entire heat spreader. Just the middle is important. And to reduce the amount of air pockets formed, the best way is to put a dot in the middle of the heat spreader. The pressure from the heatsink will spread out the thermal grease and no air pockets should form if done correctly.


Remember - more is less. Do not get advice from Toms Hardware on this :p
 
i've used plastic gloves, plastics from wallmart, bare fingers, credit cards, razors to spread AS5...after all is said and done, my temps stayed the same no matter what i used.

DedEmbryonicCe11 said:
Then why do the instructions specifically tell you not to use your bare finger? (For exactly that reason)
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Who cares on instructions, instructions are for idiots who can't figure by themselves how to do things. I've read somewhere (in an article) to put a shroud between your fan and your radiator as to negate any deadspot caused by the middle of the fan (120mm, 80mm any fan).... I din't used any shroud my temps are at 32C idle, i used to have a shroud and my temps were 32C idle- din't change a thing. Again, instructions are for idiots who don't know what they are doing. Eventually, when u've been doing it long enough u'll find that the best way to do it is not always as instructions suggested.
 
rysher said:
Who cares on instructions, instructions are for idiots who can't figure by themselves how to do things.
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Instructions are also used to ensure that you do things correctly. Sometimes, when you just try to figure things out yourself you can damage equipment. Or waste time. Or die.
 
ChingChang said:
Or die.
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I think your pushing it there. If you were going to do something where death was at stake I'm pretty damn sure everyone would read the instructions. For most things, who needs instructions when you can have the satisfaction of doing it without help?
 
ChingChang said:
Or die.
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if they are that stupid then they should have some computer shop put it for them. pay xtra $$$$$$ than riosk dying, ROFL i think who ever dies building a computer are the damnest idiots ever and deserves to be tortured and poked by satan's fork.
 
Killa_2327 said:
I think your pushing it there. If you were going to do something where death was at stake I'm pretty damn sure everyone would read the instructions. For most things, who needs instructions when you can have the satisfaction of doing it without help?
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except those idiots who can't figure out how to do things themselves ;)
 
I'm not saying it's going to make a difference measurable by a whole degree celsius. Just for kicks I lapped my stock AMD cheapo aluminum sink and that barely made a degree drop on load. However, the more people who read and follow directions the better in my opinion. Furthermore when you already know AS or whoever wants you to do it a certain way for "best results" it's not like it's a huge hardship to go through sticking your finger in a ziploc bag or using a tool instead of your finger. It adds thirty seconds to the preparation in return for that warm fuzzy feeling of knowing part of your body isn't boiling between the heatsink and your CPU. ;) (Unless you're into that...)
 
i think most of us follow the guidelines on the arctic silver website where we apply "about the size of one and a half uncooked grains of short-grain white rice or 3/4 of a BB."

is this the same for dual-core processors? or should we apply a little more since there are two cores?
 
boscogne said:
i think most of us follow the guidelines on the arctic silver website where we apply "about the size of one and a half uncooked grains of short-grain white rice or 3/4 of a BB."

is this the same for dual-core processors? or should we apply a little more since there are two cores?
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actually, AMD dual cores are actually 2 cpu cores cramed into 1 die. thus if you unseat the IHS all you will see is still that one die.

intel's implementation of dual core is 2 single core die solder onto 1 pcb. upcoming conroe however, will be 2 cores on 1 die
 
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