cooler install

[Nagasama]

okay i have a zalman 9500 coming.
also got some as-5 last week.
on arctic silver's website, they say "just a bb sized dot in the approximate center of the cpu (if it has a heatspreader, mine does), as the as-5 draws the heat up and out, so it's actually more important to have a good interface directly above the cpu core...

http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appinstruct/as5/ins_as5_amd_dual_wcap.pdf
(see finishing the application)

on the zalman site, they say cover it lightly from corner to corner (ie the entire top) with grease.
which is correct?
thanks!

 

[b1gapl]

Zalman always says spread over. But I think a dab of AS5 w/o spreading will be fine, because when you put the heatsink on, it will spread anyway.

 

[Mjmitch2]

I just put a rice size dot in the middle and let the pressure from tightening the Zalman spread it.

 

[Nagasama]

sweet that's what i figured...
i used it with my stock, seems to have dropped a few degrees. i know it has to "burn in", but i will have the zalman monday and have to start all over...sigh.