Conroe E6400 and heatsink installation

[jxzus]

When installing my brand-new retail-boxed E6400 processor, I found that the heatsink which comes with the processor box has some material (3 light, grey color, narrow strips) on the copper surface. This appears obviously to be the thermal pad preinstalled by manufacture. But I want to exercise extra caution to confirm with whomever had installed it.

1) Am I right at this? -- The thermal pad already come in with the heatsind with the retail box? and I don't need put my own thermal pad on the new processor?
2) Do I need to clean and maybe even polish the surface of the new processor in order to have better contact, as some technical reference suggests?
3) Is the manufacture's preinstalled thermal pad come with the heatsink good enough? Some people said it is usually inferior quality.

Your advice, please!!!

 

[eelw]

Originally posted by: jxzus
1) Am I right at this? -- The thermal pad already come in with the heatsind with the retail box? and I don't need put my own thermal pad on the new processor?

Yup

Originally posted by: jxzus
2) Do I need to clean and maybe even polish the surface of the new processor in order to have better contact, as some technical reference suggests?

As long you didn't get the IHS dirty, it's fine. No need to clean it.

Originally posted by: jxzus
3) Is the manufacture's preinstalled thermal pad come with the heatsink good enough? Some people said it is usually inferior quality.

Your advice, please!!!

It's fine. Way too many people here will bash the stock HSF. It's not that noisy and since the C2D runs cool, it's fine if you're not OCing it too much.

 

[RMSe17]

I personally used Arctic Silver 5, I hear it makes a little difference, but I am going for max overclock that I can get. One thing though, got to be careful when installing the heatsink/fan combo, I read that it sometimes it takes several tries to get it sitted properly, so it is flush with the whole area of the chip.

 

[jxzus]

Thank you very much eelw! BUt I do plan oc-ing a little bit. DO you think I need something like ceremic thermal material?
thank you once again.

 

[jxzus]

I got my E6400 with retail box. the package doesn't include any information about what thermal pad it is on the copper base of the heatsink, and I don't know either what brand and model of the heatsink.
would you have anything to say about this? thanks.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: eelw

It's fine. Way too many people here will bash the stock HSF. It's not that noisy and since the C2D runs cool, it's fine if you're not OCing it too much.

Yeh the stock heatsink is fine. My biggest gripe is the retention mechanism. I feel much more comfotable with a heatsink with a back support.