How thermal compound spreads

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

This may interest some people:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyXLu1Ms-q4

[Rob_B]

Haha I can't believe I just watched that with interest

[Uriel]

Awesome. I've tended to spread after getting poor results using AS5 with pea/rice methods.

I use MX-2 now. Maybe I'll go back to pea.

[Rob_B]

Dotting it would seem best. Although the air trapped with the spread method would soon be squeezed out no?

[Blackmage]

The cross method looked really effective!

[Iron Sights]

Would be interesting to hear what methods people here use and prefer

[Predator]

They should have tried a diagonal line (half the cross) and see if that did much

[Terbinator]

As long as you apply it sensibly i don't think you can go too wrong.

[Legthigh]

Always done the 'spread' method myself.

[Predator]

Are airbubbles bad?

[matty-hodgson]

Are airbubbles bad?

Yes, air is what they use in insulation materials to prevent the transfer of heat.

[Biscuit]

I always used spread as well, seems its not the most efficient!

Surely when doing a line/dot/cross its best to research what CPU you are using and where the actual cores are underneath the metal cover then apply the paste accordingly?

[LuckyNV]

rice grain for many years now

[Sputnik]

I used to spread a thin layer on the CPU but, For the last few years have dotted the centre. Never bothered with 'tinting' and run reasonable temps. 36c at 100% load.

[Iron Sights]

Thread hijack!

Which is better:

Both are roughtly the same price

Arctic Cooling MX-2

or

Thermalright Chill Factor 2

While the differences I know are going to be small which do you prefer

[blackbox]

Also slightly off topic, but which compound do you guys/girls prefer?