Applying thermal paste

[mitchgixer6]

So after a small change of plan, I'm having to apply thermal paste to me CPU tomorrow. I've got some Arctic Cooling 5 on the way from Scan, so hopefully I've gone for some of the best stuff.

Any tips on how to apply properly on a Sandy Bridge i3 2100? I've read so many conflicting guides online I'm a bit stuck as to what to do. I was planning on putting a 1mm line down the middle then just fitting the heatsink (arctic freezer 7) and letting that spread the paste.

Any tips, anecdotes etc?

Thanks

[shaithis]

I normally place a small pea-sized amount in the middle of the CPU....attach the heatsink and then leave it for a good 5 hours of use before doing any overclocking. The paste spreads itself thinly and evenly under the pressure of the heatsink.

[kalniel]

For Sandybridge just a grain of rice sized bit in the middle. Don't pre-spread, the heatsink pressure will provide adequate coverage and you want it to be as thin as possible, it's not a large cover.

[Saracen]

For Sandybridge just a grain of rice sized bit in the middle. Don't pre-spread, the heatsink pressure will provide adequate coverage and you want it to be as thin as possible, it's not a large cover.

I do pre-spread. I know what the advice generally is, but a few years ago (and not on Sandy Bridge, I admit) I tested various methods with an old processor by applying in various ways, then apply the heatsink and subsequently carefully removing it an examining the distribution of compound. I got better coverage by pre-spreading a very thin layer than by leaving either a little dollop (be it pea or grain of rice) or by 1mm line down the middle method.

So, that's how I now do it, but I don't advise others to do it that way. I just say it tried it various ways and that's what worked best for me.

What I do advise is to be cautious with quantity. Too much can be as problematic as not enough.

[melon]

For Sandybridge just a grain of rice sized bit in the middle. Don't pre-spread, the heatsink pressure will provide adequate coverage and you want it to be as thin as possible, it's not a large cover.

Thats what worries me ( the small surface area ) i saw one guy spread it like jam right to the edges- but surely thats little daring ?

Is it sill advised to do this even if not overclocking ( at least for now ) ?

m

[Saracen]

Thats what worries me ( the small surface area ) i saw one guy spread it like jam right to the edges- but surely thats little daring ?

Is it sill advised to do this even if not overclocking ( at least for now ) ?

m

The mental picture I have of the correct amount is something akin to spreading butter on toast, which I will then press together. I want just enough to fill in the holes in the surface of the toast, but not enough to keep the two slices of toast apart, and I don't really want too much oozing out the sides.

In other words, I want metal to metal contract between CPU and heatsink where there is metal, but where imperfections in the metal surfaces leave air gaps, I want them filled in with compound, rather than air. And ideally, I want just enough to do that, and no more. If some squeezes out the sides, I very carefully wipe it away, but the ideal is 100% coverage of the surface so as to fill any such surface imperfections, and as little as possible oozing out.

So I guess it depends how thick that guy likes his jam, but from that description, all I'd draw from someone doing that is to ignore his advice on how to do it.

All IMHO, of course.

[mitchgixer6]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I was hoping to use the original heatsink to avoid this issue as it's pre applied, but that's not an option now. My worry is that it seems pretty tough to get it exactly right, ie not too much and not too little. The only up side is that I can't overclock my CPU, so will just be running at standard temps.

Am I correct in thinking that it's more important on Sandy Bridge to make sure the middle is covered as that's where the cores are?

[kalniel]

Am I correct in thinking that it's more important on Sandy Bridge to make sure the middle is covered as that's where the cores are?

The cover over the chip is an integrated heat speader - it will transfer heat across the area far quicker than the transfer between the cover and the thermal grease and then the heatsink-fan surface. In other words, the location of cores is irrelevant.

In other words, I want metal to metal contract between CPU and heatsink where there is metal, but where imperfections in the metal surfaces leave air gaps, I want them filled in with compound, rather than air. And ideally, I want just enough to do that, and no more.

Agree with this, certainly. It can help to look at the surface and see how level it is, but for two smooth and flat surfaces you barely need any thermal grease at all.

[mitchgixer6]

Bricking it now that I mess it up! I take it if have messed it up I'll know pretty quickly? BSOD?

[kalniel]

Bricking it now that I mess it up! I take it if have messed it up I'll know pretty quickly? BSOD?

It's really hard to mess up. *any* amount of thermal grease will provide enough conduction to be safe, the difference between anything and getting it perfect is only going to make a difference if you're on the edge of cooling, which if you're not overclocking/volting you won't need.

Worst comes to the worst (and you forget to remove the plastic film for eg) then the CPU will throttle itself automatically or even shut down if it has to to prevent damage. The latter will be more like the computer shutting itself down suddenly, the former will result in a frequency drop - use CPU-Z and some loading program (prime 95) to monitor.

[pollaxe]

I used to use the thin spread method, I'd put a finger in the corner of a plastic bag and work a thin, smooth and even covering over the chip. With my last couple of systems though, I was expecting the CPU may not stay in place for long, so I went over to the blob of paste in the centre and plonking the cooler on top approach.

I've not noticed an appreciable advantage in terms of temperature with either technique so I now use the latter as it's a lot less time consuming/fiddly...

[Saracen]

I used to use the thin spread method, I'd put a finger in the corner of a plastic bag and work a thin, smooth and even covering over the chip. With my last couple of systems though, I was expecting the CPU may not stay in place for long, so I went over to the blob of paste in the centre and plonking the cooler on top approach.

I've not noticed an appreciable advantage in terms of temperature with either technique so I now use the latter as it's a lot less time consuming/fiddly...

I'd agree with that and with kalniel about the differences being on the edge of cooling. It helps, but if you have proper contact, it's relatively marginal.

Bricking it now that I mess it up! I take it if have messed it up I'll know pretty quickly? BSOD?

I doubt it. If you mess up getting the heatsink in contact at all, or crush the core, you'll know pretty quickly. But differences in thermal grease are much more marginal. I did run one test system for a week without any at all, only realising it at all when I went to change the processor. And that was on an old chip with out any ability to self-throttle and when they'd cook themselves to death inside a few seconds if you got the contact wrong.

I really think you're getting over-worried.

All I do is get a small blob, about the size of a grain of rice and plonk it in the centre of the chip. I then use the edge of a credit card to spread it out fairly evenly in all directions. and then the pressure of the heatsink when applied completes the spreading process. You can tell when you take the heatsink back off if the coverage was thorough, and so far, it always has been. This technique has served me well for a large number of years, which is why I still use it.

And you could always do a dry run.

Put a grain of rice blob on the chip, put the heatsink on and apply modest and even pressure manually. Then lift the heatsink. You'll get a pretty good idea of the extent that that blob has spread. Just apply the pressure to a modest level and evenly. You don't want to damage the chip.

But honestly, I think you're worrying too much. It's not as hard as you seem to think. Hell, I can do it so anyone can.

[Gudzy]

I tend to spread it out a bit with a credit card before putting the cooler on. It's really easy to do actually, just take your time if you're worried.

[mitchgixer6]

Feeling a lot more relaxed about it now, thanks guys. Think i,ll try the blob in the middle and give it a wee smooth over with the credit card option first. Won't be overclocking at all just now, plus I have an Aerocool fan controller that will keep an eye on temps for me.

thanks again.

[Phage]

Seen this ?
http://www.arcticsilver.com/methods.html

[Pob255]

One thing to note is that is does depend on your cooler and paste. Some of the very viscus pastes can struggle with the single drop method at first, but after a few heat cycles it spreads out more.

This one was pretty good. http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.ph...=170&Itemid=38