Applying thermal paste to dual core CPUs

[Icepick]

I received my e6300 along with the other parts for my new build yesterday. Is the procedure to apply thermal paste the same as with single core CPUs? The last PC I built in 2004 the recommended procedure was to apply a drop of paste the size of a grain of rice in the center of the CPU. Then allow the heatsink to spread it as you clamp down on it. Will this work for dual core CPUs as well?

If I should manually spread the paste onto the entire surface of the CPU myself then what should be used? A credit card or razor blade?

CPU: e6300
heatsink: Scythe Ninja Revision B

Thanks

 

[tylerw13]

ive applied thermal paste both ways and the best and most effective way of doing it is placing the thermal paste in the center and letting the heatsink do its thing...it seems to work alot better than trying to manually spread it with something

 

[Icepick]

Thanks tylerw13. I found this document over at Arcticsilver.com and they agree with you!
http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appinstruct/as5/ins_as5_intel_dual_wcap.pdf

 

[GundamSonicZeroX]

Originally posted by: Icepick
Thanks tylerw13. I found this document over at Arcticsilver.com and they agree with you!
http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appinstruct/as5/ins_as5_intel_dual_wcap.pdf

Cool. this has helped me out as well.

 

[slash196]

Yeah, that pressure spreads it thinner and smoother than any human could manage and you don't have to worry about bare patches.

 

[Conky]

I guess I'm old school on this... I use a clean credit card to spread a super thin layer on both the chip and the heatsink. Then I put the heatsink on without fastening it down and give it a little pressure and pull it off and see how well it's connecting. I like full contact between the chip and the heatsink with minimal paste and am not about to leave it to chance. I've always had very good luck with controlling temps too.

 

[Markbnj]

Originally posted by: Icepick
Thanks tylerw13. I found this document over at Arcticsilver.com and they agree with you!
http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appinstruct/as5/ins_as5_intel_dual_wcap.pdf

That's the same doc I relied on when I built my rig, X2 4400+, and the method worked great. I didn't really try to identify the point of contact between the HSF and the IHS, because I didn't want to pull the mobo so I could see it. I just put the drop in the middle and clamped her down.

 

[Ayah]

I just put a small bead in the center of the IHS and let pressure spread it out.

 

[Athlongamer]

word up

 

[bearxor]

I have always spread it out to a smooth layer on the processor and then spread it on the heatsink and wipe it off with a cloth, but not clean it. I'm pretty sure this was the preferred method on the AS web site at one point.

I just got a Opteron 165. I've burned it for about twenty hours with the way I normally apply AS. I was getting temps of 54 with two instances of Prime running.

After reading the thread I pulled it out and tried laying some down and letting the heatsink do the work. So far, temps are holding steady at 55 with two instances of Prime. Don't notice a difference yet but I know it takes a while for it to actually settle in.

 

[justin emalius]

Boxed Intel® Core?2 Duo processors come with a new thermal interface material applied to the bottom of the heatsink in a 3 bar application from the factory. I would guess this is sufficient for heat transfer during normal operation. Whether it's ok for the kind of extreme overclocking it might get from Anandtech users is an open question but my guess is it's ok for that too. The URLs for Intel's info on Core 2 thermal solutions are: http://www.intel.com/support/processors/core2duo/sb/CS-023108.htm and http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-023107.htm