If a Heatsink has a copper base, would you still want to use thermal paste???

[ShawnReeves]

It may sound dumb but I was thinking.....If you apply thermal paste then the cpu isnt even touching the Heatsink right?
Copper is a great heat transfer. Someone explain plz.

 

[Corporate Thug]

you need thermal grease even if its copper.

 

[mechBgon]

The surfaces of the heatsink and CPU core aren't perfectly planar, and they flex under pressure too. As a result, there's a microgap between them and what is it full of? Air. Air is excellent at transferring heat... NOT. Use thermal grease or a phase-change thermal patch to fill that microgap.

 

[BaboonGuy]

why dont they just make cpus with heatsinks welded onto the core already. it would make things much easier

 

[r0ck]

then people would have to do Heatsink mods to get better cooling lol

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: BaboonGuy
why dont they just make cpus with heatsinks welded onto the core already. it would make things much easier

Don't worry, I'm sure it won't take them long to try it, so we won't be able to overclock without completely voiding our warranty.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: BaboonGuy
why dont they just make cpus with heatsinks welded onto the core already. it would make things much easier

Cause I don't want to have to break out the plasma cutter or the band saw to change heatsinks. Both AMD and Intel use heat spreaders now, which is mainly to protect the core from fumbling fools who can't install a simple heatsink correctly =)

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: BaboonGuy
why dont they just make cpus with heatsinks welded onto the core already. it would make things much easier

Because not everybody wants to use the stock HSF.

However, CPUs have gone to the next best thing, which is a heat spreader.

 

[Big Lar]

Basically, Paste was originally made to fill the minute scratches in the Heatsink and the cpu, I still look at it that way, and apply paste that way,very very thin layer is the ONLY way to go. Another way to look at it is= if the HS actually does move,( I doubt it moves much), then the actual cpu, will expand to the void(if you will), that is created in the move, heat draws heat.