How important is it to glue processor to heatsink?

[hackmole]

I just put together a system with a Pentium IV 1.6ghz processor. I decided not to put any glue at all on the processor for the heatsink.

Does anyone have any opinions about this. Knowing how hot celerons get, I would probably put glue on those processors but the Pentium doesn't seem to get that hot.

 

[frank84]

huh? Glue?

-frank

 

[potato28]

U DIDNT PUT PASTE ON THE CPU?!?! TURN THAT THING OFF RIGHT NOW AND PUT SOME ON!

 

[Howard]

If you don't know what you're doing, don't do it. Damn.

 

[hackmole]

You know, artic glue on the top of the processor so the heatsink is supposed to cool it more. But I don't think you really need it. I just think it is being overly cautious because Pentiums don't get that hot anyway. I didn't even use a freaking fan on the processor at all on my 600mhz Pentium processor and it ran perfectly for the 3 years I used it.

 

[Howard]

 

[Aluvus]

In order to establish a good thermal interface between the processor and heatsink, you might use one of a few materials:

Thermal paste, thermal grease: thermally conductive goop.

Thermal adhesive: mostly the same stuff, but with an adhesive to stick things together permanently.

Thermal pad: a solid pad that melts when heated to produce something similar to regular thermal paste.

You need to use one of these. You don't necessarily need to use thermal adhesive (which is more or less "glue"), but you need to use something.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: hackmole
You know, artic glue on the top of the processor so the heatsink is supposed to cool it more. But I don't think you really need it. I just think it is being overly cautious because Pentiums don't get that hot anyway. I didn't even use a freaking fan on the processor at all on my 600mhz Pentium processor and it ran perfectly for the 3 years I used it.

and where were your parents while all this was happenning???

ahh I know....your mom was on the phone to Aunt GHarriet bragging about how little hackmole was going to be a computer Engineer one day...

 

[hackmole]

Well, first I'm going to get a program to run a temperature check on my processor. If it is not high then I don't see any reason in the world why I need to do anything. And I will bet that the temperature will be just fine.

I noticed too that there was some kind of copper-like pad or something on top of the processor. I think I ripped the pad when I pulled the processor off of the heatsink since it was stuck to it pretty tightly. There is a diagnal cut in the middle of the pad from top to bottom. I don't know what that pad is unless you are supposed to fill it with glue or something.

 

[nomagic]

Originally posted by: hackmole
You know, artic glue on the top of the processor so the heatsink is supposed to cool it more. But I don't think you really need it. I just think it is being overly cautious because Pentiums don't get that hot anyway. I didn't even use a freaking fan on the processor at all on my 600mhz Pentium processor and it ran perfectly for the 3 years I used it.

That is not correct. In some cases, not applying thermal paste (or pad) could damage the processor permanently due to slow heat conduction.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Originally posted by: hackmole
You know, artic glue on the top of the processor so the heatsink is supposed to cool it more. But I don't think you really need it. I just think it is being overly cautious because Pentiums don't get that hot anyway. I didn't even use a freaking fan on the processor at all on my 600mhz Pentium processor and it ran perfectly for the 3 years I used it.

First off it isn't glue, it is thermal compound/paste/goop.
Secondly, yes the P4 gets hot, VERY HOT. Especially the prescott - a.k.a. presshot - cores. At least as hot or hotter than celerons (celerons are just crippled P4's anyway with less cache, same basic core design though).

You could get away with no thermal goop on the original pentium and even the P3 sometimes, but anything newer than that you need that paste. It fills in the otherwise potentially deadly air gaps.

And comparing the P4 to a 600MHz P3 doesn't work, the P4 gets much much hotter than that P3 ever would.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: hackmoleI noticed too that there was some kind of copper-like pad or something on top of the processor. I think I ripped the pad when I pulled the processor off of the heatsink since it was stuck to it pretty tightly. There is a diagnal cut in the middle of the pad from top to bottom. I don't know what that pad is unless you are supposed to fill it with glue or something.

There shouldn't be anything on top of the processor (unless you consider the IHS but if you ripped that off you probably have bigger problems). There was probably a thermal pad on the base of the stock HSF, but if that's gone, you need to do something about it.

 

[nomagic]

Originally posted by: hackmole
Well, first I'm going to get a program to run a temperature check on my processor. If it is not high then I don't see any reason in the world why I need to do anything. And I will bet that the temperature will be just fine.

I noticed too that there was some kind of copper-like pad or something on top of the processor. I think I ripped the pad when I pulled the processor off of the heatsink since it was stuck to it pretty tightly. There is a diagnal cut in the middle of the pad from top to bottom. I don't know what that pad is unless you are supposed to fill it with glue or something.

Now that you have taken the processor and the heatsink apart, I suggest that you clean the contact surface of any residue and apply thermal paste. But that may not be necessary since you are not OCing and dont have a prescott...

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Are you kin to that guy who was lucky enough to get a Tuniq Tower but didn't think he needed thermal paste??? Yeah..... you need it... The reason the heatsink is cool is because there isn't enough contact with the CPU to transfer heat adequately.

P.S.

2,000 post! :laugh:

 

[Baked]

Who gives a fvck, it's his money. And LOL @ glue.

 

[Kinslayer777]

He feels it doesnt matter. We tell him it matters.

What else can be done?

 

[Kromis]

Originally posted by: Kinslayer777
He feels it doesnt matter. We tell him it matters.

What else can be done?

Not much. We'll just have to wait and see. A lot of people like to learn through experience...and sometimes money!

 

[Maximilian]

All cpus should have thermal paste on them, since its a 1.6ghz p4 it wont get very hot at all, as its not a prescott. But you still need paste on it for longevity, and good practice. Putting no thermal paste on somthing like the 3.8ghz p4 spells a very short life for it.

You said somthing about a copper pad on the cpu? Do you mean on the heatsink? If its made of copper and built into the heatsink its for conducting heat better than aluminium, if its more of a pink color its a thermal pad and its supposed to do the same job as thermal goo. Many scrape the pad off and use their own stuff, but for a 1.6 p4 a thermal pad would be fine.

Actually, those p4's could run without a heatsink at all, probably not for very long but tomshardware had a video of it running without one at all, and still managing to play quake 3 albeit very slowly. Thats just a random fact DONT go and run it without the heatsink

 

[hackmole]

OK, maybe the heatsink pad stuck to the processor when I pulled it apart. It was stuck together pretty tight. I also bent the processor pins when I pulled it out of the socket and had a hard time straightening out the pins and then getting the bent side to fit back in to the slot. Those pins are really tiny and I don't have a microscope for eyes.

Then when I pulled apart the heatsink from the processor, I must have torn the pad which was sticking to the processor instead of the heatsink where I guess it was supposed to be. The pad was made of a strong metallic and felt like copper. Yeah, I cleaned all the goop off of it and the heatsink, pushed the torn ends in the middle of the pad down and then put the heatsink back.

I just don't really want to open it up again because of all the trouble I went through and I feel like if I mess with it, I will just make it worse but I will see if I can find some artic glue somewhere around the house and get the unpleasant job done as fast as I can because I really hate opening and closing computer parts and boxes. But maybe I don't even need to since there is that copper pad there anyway. It's just not glued down that's all.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Baked
Who gives a fvck, it's his money. And LOL @ glue.

hehehe agreed!! Thats dude will have a BAKED CPU!!!

 

[phile]

Am I the only one here who thinks hackmole is just messing with all of us?

The jig is up, hackmole.

-phil

P.S. A squirt of Elmer's School Glue will do the trick, hackmole. Not only will it keep your CPU really cool, it will boost processor speeds by up to eleventy-nine-hundred percent.

 

[Saku]

I love the smell of glue in the morning.

 

[TheStu]

im with phile on this one... i get a strong feeling of leg pulling action in this thread

But you know, youve got to hand it to the guy if that is what he is doing, what better way to get this crowd huh?

 

[frank84]

Originally posted by: hackmole
OK, maybe the heatsink pad stuck to the processor when I pulled it apart. It was stuck together pretty tight. I also bent the processor pins when I pulled it out of the socket and had a hard time straightening out the pins and then getting the bent side to fit back in to the slot. Those pins are really tiny and I don't have a microscope for eyes.

Then when I pulled apart the heatsink from the processor, I must have torn the pad which was sticking to the processor instead of the heatsink where I guess it was supposed to be. The pad was made of a strong metallic and felt like copper. Yeah, I cleaned all the goop off of it and the heatsink, pushed the torn ends in the middle of the pad down and then put the heatsink back.

I just don't really want to open it up again because of all the trouble I went through and I feel like if I mess with it, I will just make it worse but I will see if I can find some artic glue somewhere around the house and get the unpleasant job done as fast as I can because I really hate opening and closing computer parts and boxes. But maybe I don't even need to since there is that copper pad there anyway. It's just not glued down that's all.

ok, hackmole, fist of all
stop calling it a glue.. it's NOT glue
when you heatsink is stuck to cpu, you are not supposed to 'pull' you are supposed to twist and pull

now, if you cpu pins are bent, it's your fault for not being careful.

if you dont want to go through the pain or hassle, i dont know what you want to do in the future with computer

finally.

from what i am reading.. you are pretty much dont want to open it up and deal with this thing.. then why the heck did you start this post?

-frank