Thermal Interface Material?

[buckman341]

Just got a new Core 2 Duo processor (retail with heatsink and fan). So the instructions recommend leaving the Thermal Interface Material in place (looks like some gray strips).

Anyways I'm sure this question has been asked before, but do you think I should just leave it or clean it off with alcohol and replace it with some silver paste. There's a 3 year warranty on this unit and it cost a pretty penny so I'm concerned about voiding the warranty here.

Btw, does silver paste "go bad" or lose its consistency over time? I have a tube from about a year ago...

Thanks for any help.

 

[darkop16]

By silver paste you mean arctic silver 5 right? If so then clean that nasty thermal compound strip right off. You will only need two "grain of rice size" drops on the cpu (i spread myn out with a credit card..some don't...its a preference). I use 90+% isopropyl alcohol to clean the cpu surface , heatsink surface, and the edge of the credit card (cause im a neat freak ). AS5 doesn't go bad. It will take a 200hr "normal" (leaving it on all day and turning it off at night) cure period until your temps really take a dive though .

Hope that explains it

 

[buckman341]

yes Antec Formula 5 silver thermal compound

Thank you for the detailed reply, I've done the silver paste before but I didn't know about the 200 hour thing!

I don't OC much but I like to keep my temps low to extend the life of the CPU.