Re-pasting Methodes

Which re-pasting method is best? The ones that I have witnessed as the better ones are the X, pea, and line method.

 

Not exactly sure if the small chip size makes a difference with different methods but for all my machines I use the "pea size" method. Simple, doesn't get messy, keeps air bubbles out. Head sink does the work of spreading.

 

I'm sure a lot of folks will argue, but we find the pea-sized method to be effective.

 

The different thermal compound brands have suggested ways to apply it which is usually bet to stick with. IC Diamond says pea size in the middle while Arctic silver suggest vertical line, horizontal line, pea or spread depending on which CPU you have. If you have a type of thermal compound selected check how they suggest to do it.

 

+1 for Pea sized... especially on mobile chips. I have had success with the line method + AS5 on desktop chips (with IHS) but on bare core I always use the pea method.

 

yep, same here. i used to spread it thin before, but switching to pea method gave me most even temps across all cores. Worth mentioning that on my CPU i would use a line, as the chip's heat spreader is a fair bit longer than wider, so pea method may not ensure its all covered by tim.

 

Small dab in the middle and let the heatsink do the spreading. I don't call it the pea method though since an actual pea sized dab is too much TIM. And too much TIM is just as bad if not worse than too little.

 

The thermal compound I will be using is GELID's GC-Extreme thermal compound

 

That GELID's GC-Extreme thermal compound comes with it own applicator which looks like its made for the spread method. Put a pea size amount in the middle the spread out with the applicator.

 

But from what I've researched, spreading it causes a lot of air bubbles.

 

yep, i use Gelid as well and pea method is more effective

 

pea method FTW. throw out that spreader... it is better to do the pea method with gelid

 

+1 for the pea method as well. Lines are good for HDT coolers on desktops where you have pipes making direct contact followed by a gap.

 

Pea size? Am i missing something here? Isn't that too much for notebook?

 

I guess that depends on compound you are using. Mine is non conductive and not very thick so when the heatsink is screwed on any excess is very easily squeezed out.

 

I did line with the 3610QM since it's a long rectangle. And I did a dot with 7970M since it was a square.

I also find ICD7 to be the best for laptops since the heatsink isn't flushed perfectly, or lapped perfect, lots of imperfections, ICD7 just seems best when you can't get the perfect application. But I still used very little. A pea size is much too large, I'd say 1/4 size of a pea. And on the line, again, a very very thin line.

 

I heard a myth that the more icd 7 you put on the better the performance , is this true?

 

Unlikely. The purpose of TIM is to fill the gaps between the heatsink and the cpu/gpu because of imperfections/porousness in the metal. The best case would be that both sides are near perfectly even and very little TIM would be needed. Without lapping though this isn't likely. But you still only want as little as you need to fill the gaps between the heatsink and cpu/gpu. Any more is actually bad and will give you higher temps.

 

I thought it was only bad for the old thermal paste since they were capacitive and electrically conductive and don't have as great heat transfer. I shouldn't have said better performance but safer as in more consistent temps across multiple repaste and different computers but same model ofcourse.