Do I need Thermal Compund?

[forlorn_ronin]

Urgent... Answer ASAP.

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 3200+, 512KB L2 Cache, Socket 939 64-bit Processor - Retail - Stock Fan

Will I need ARCTIC SILVER 5 thermal compound and if so whats the nearest retail store I can buy it at?

 

[dale5605]

You don't NEED it. The retail comes with a thermal pad. But if you want lower temps (between 3-9C lower temps) then you would want to get the Arctic Silver 5.
Retail store, umm try a computer shop, like compusa or circuit city, I don't know.

 

[xteam02001]

from what ive seen, circuit city carries arctic silver 3 but not 5. you should just temporarily use the thermal pad that comes with the heatsink and later on get some AS5

 

[Codeine]

forlorn_ronin, you dont need that stuff at all. You need some type of thermal paste. Just use the paste that came with your processor. I used the normal stuff, with my cooling system im in the 20's : )

 

[Nubius]

Yeah but his stock heatsink will come with a thermal pad on it. DO NOT USE THERMAL COMPOUND AND THE STOCK PAD...

If you want to use paste and your stock heatsink you need to remove the thermal pad using a credit card edge and 99% isopropyl alcohol

 

[Codeine]

Nubius, whats wrong with the PAD yo?

 

[Nubius]

I never said there WAS anything wrong with it. I simply said don't use both the pad and compound at the same time.

That pad is more like a rubber than it is a good compound. It won't give as good of results in the end

 

[ApM]

And really hard to get off if you have been using the pad for around 2years.

 

[Codeine]

Oh ok lol. Im not completely sure if i removed it. But im not on stock cooling, so thats not a problem. Good to know.

 

[forlorn_ronin]

Guys shoot. I already installed it. I didn't use the pad. ( I believe that was the black pad with the processor ). What I did was apply the Antec Formula 5 to the top of the chip and the bottom of the fan. Was this correct?! If not what do I do now?! Also I noticed that on the bottom of the fan was like a square of paste already it seemed. I put the Antec Formula 5 on that also. HELP!