Question regarding CPU thermal paste applications

Ive heard many methods regarding this, and i dont know which is the best way to go.
1) Apply a rice grain size drop to the middle of the CPU, and attach
2) Apply a rice grain size drop to the middle of the CPU and evenly spread it with gloves or a sandwich bag.
3) Apply a rice grain size drop to the heatsink, spread evenly and attach.
I dont know which one is the right way!

 

I like to spread it out prior to insure complete coverage.

2 and 3 are essentially the same thing. It doesnt really matter what you spread it with (something flat is ideal like an old credit card though.)

But both ways can be considered correct, but i think the latter is the best.

 

wait so you dont have to cover the whole cpu iron part with paste

 

i saw the 1st method on a youtube method, but im inclined to use method 3, as it wouldnt be an issue if i get some paste over the metal center, i could just clean that off.

 

how mucch to attach then cause i heard to much it to much you have a link

 

just as big as a rice grain

 

Before you apply thermal paste, clean the two surfaces well with alcohol or thermal paste cleanser, then wipe w/ lint free tissue. I usually put a small blob on the heatsink to fill in the imperfections in the surface and a small blob on the cpu and spread both with my finger in a non latex glove. You can also use a razor or credit card. Don't put too much, you want a thin layer on both to minimize air pockets.

It also helps if you flatten the surface of the CPU/GPU and the heatsink by lapping it, but this is for desktop variants. Lapping on desktops provide more of a benefit than the thermal paste itself. TechARP has a great article on lapping.

 

i'm planning on installing it on a laptop

 

The success of thermal paste varies greatly from one computer to the next. The reason TIM is used, is to help fill in the small gaps between the heatsink and the cpu.
People lap (sand) their heatsinks to get them to lay flatter on their cpu.
Personally I think TIM is overrated, it hardly does wonders which people say they do. You can install it any way you want, everyone says different approaches are better than others. But seriously, how do you know that the cpu is laying the same way each time. You dont.
The flatter and more secure the heatsink is, the better the thermal energy will conduct.
When you hear people say that applying TIM decreased temperature by more than 10 degrees, that means that their heatsink is not lying flat on the cpu.
Others may notice absolutely no change in cpu temperature, and thats because the heatsink is already lying really flat on the cpu.

K-TRON

 

I put a small spot onto the CPU IHS or core directly and then squarely put the heat sink on the top. This will force the TIM out to the side and cover the whole core or IHS as needed. I took an old laptop apart the other day and found all the TIM i had used had spread out and down the side of the core, this was a good sign as it meant that the core was totally flat to the heat sink.

TIM is needed as both surfaces will never be totally flat and TIM has a greater heat conductance than air (but a lot less than metal to metal). The problem is that some people apply to much which means that there is less metal to metal contact which then raises the temperature. TIM is not as heat conductive as metal and can actually act as a good insulator if its to thick (how many of us have seen the poor use of TIM where someone has plastered the whole CPU in a tube of the stuff thinking that more is better).

 

Just follow these instructions and you should be on the right way:
http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

TIM is not overrated. It's essential for a silent PC. The difference between different products is sometimes overrated, but still a difference is there.
And if you want the best results then use liquid metal.

 

Just not on aluminum...

 

The new pads also work on aluminium and shall be easier to apply and also to remove, with the same efficiency.
After the installation you only have to do a Burn In once, heat the CPU above 60 degree to melt the pad.

But I haven't used them, I'm a bit afraid on using them directly on the die.

 

That's interesting since gallium reacts violently with aluminum... I'd have to see proof of this since it would mean they changed the chemical composition.

 

From my personal experience with various laptops, I would say that K-tron is right; success does vary from computer to computer after applying new thermal paste. The reason is, I believe, because different models have different quality pastes applied; cheap computers sometimes use thermal pads (as is common with AMD CPUs), while some are better.

I applied AS5 to my old HP and watched as the temps dropped by 10 degrees. When I applied AS5 to my Dell Studio 15 and IBM T42, the temps barely moved. The improvements of applying thermal paste really do vary; but given the potential of that improvement, I still think its worth the time and money to apply new thermal compound to each computer.

 

The liquid pro uses Gallium
The liquid metal pad uses Indium, Copper and Bismuth

 

Ahh makes sense.... I'd like to see how the liquid metal cooler does, they tested that compound as a thermal paste and it beats out the coollaboratory.