Applying Thermal paste

[PZEROFGH]

i read somewhere here that when you are applying thermal paste on an amd athlon 64 that you should put a grain and a half on the cpu and just put the heatsink on without spreading it? is that right or should you spread it then put the heatsink on?

 

[Chankama]

Well if I remember correctly, Arctic Silver 5 recommends that. It really depends on the paste you use I would imagine. If you use AS5, then yeah. That' what you should do. And I think you have to twist in clockwise and counter-clockwise a little bit.

Otherwise, read the instruction that relates to your paste. If the paste is not capable of diffusing out consistently, then you'd have to do it yourself I would imagine. Supposedly, AS5 can do it.

 

[PZEROFGH]

well im using AS5 so does that mean i should just put a grain and a half in the middle of the cpu, and just put the heatsink on and kind of twist a little bit to help spread it out?

 

[Chankama]

Yup! Well don't like slide the heatsink or anything like that. Just twist it CW and CCW slightly and let it do its thing. Also, for about a week, make sure you turn your computer off and let it come to room temperature. After that you don't have to turn it off. It's important to say this as many people including me, never turn their computers off!

 

[Flanker]

AS5 Instructions right from the AS website.

 

[PZEROFGH]

Yup! Well don't like slide the heatsink or anything like that. Just twist it CW and CCW slightly and let it do its thing. Also, for about a week, make sure you turn your computer off and let it come to room temperature. After that you don't have to turn it off. It's important to say this as many people including me, never turn their computers off!

TURN OFF MY COMPUTER FOR A WHOLE WEEK!!!!!!!! how about a day

 

[Chankama]

lol. That's not what I meant!.. I mean, during the first week after application, make sure ur comp is off "some of the time" .. Like during the night when you are not using it..

 

[Flanker]

lol. That's not what I meant!.. I mean, during the first week after application, make sure ur comp is off "some of the time" .. Like during the night when you are not using it..

First 2* weeks. It takes 200 hours of on-off working for it to settle in, so if you turn it off when you go to bed, you'll be done in 2 weeks, thats when you get your max heat transfer.

 

[Chankama]

It's actually more like 200/24=8.3 days. I think 1 week should be more than enough. The suggested time usually takes into account the worst possible environment possible I would imagine. If you really want to stick to the AS5 official time of 200 hours, I guess you can go one extra day - 1 week and 1 day..

 

[HAVOC]

I do the following:

Clean CPU die surface with purifying solution.
Apply a good sized drop of AS5 to die.
Use an old credit card to spread out the AS5 evenly across the die.
Then carefully... Kinda like a "mason", scrap off excess AS5... Leaving only a very, very thin layer of AS5 over the die. My thermal grease is now very smooth with little to no air pockets.

Then i carefully lower the HS&FAN onto the die and fasten it into place....

Works well.