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Intel Stock Thermal Pad Thickness?

P

Phew

Senior member
Hello, does anyone know the thickness of the thermal pad on the retail P4 HSF? I am trying to use thermal grease instead, but I don't know how much I need to shim the surface the cams roll on so that I still get good CPU/HSF contact. This is a work computer, and I never saw the pad (it was scraped off by another employee).

Thanks
 
OK, I used shims that were about 1/16" thick, and that seemed to be a little too much (the clamping mechanism almost snapped when I was attaching the HSF), but CPU contact seems to be good (temps around 50C). Without the shims, the CPU temps were over 90C!
 
First off, what type of socket are you using (LGA 775 or 478)? I do believe you do not need the pad for the 478. Thermal paste should suffice. As for the 775, I'm not sure. I would assume that the pad wouldn't be needed and you could just use thermal paste. Let us know.
 
Why would you use a shim on a P4? Just slap the heatsink on with a bit of thermal paste and go. This is assuming you're leaving the heatspreader on.
 
I don't think I explained the problem clearly. I'll try again:

1. The Intel stock HSF is designed for use with a thermal pad
2. The thermal pad has some thickness (1/8th inch maybe)
3. When you torque the levers with the cams to clamp the HS onto the CPU, it fits snugly and perfectly if you used the stock thermal pad
4. If you replace the thermal pad with thermal grease (which has no thickness), when you torque the lever all the way down, the HS sits only loosely on the CPU, and it overheats

I had to put tiny shims under the cams so that the HS would be pressed snugly onto the CPU when the levers were closed. I thought this was a satisfactory solution, but lately this computer has been having heat issues again.

What should I do? I don't want to buy an aftermarket HSF or anything. I don't know what socket, I'm an AMD guy. It was a 3.2GHz bought new like 3 months ago if that helps.

Thanks
 
I've never heard of any heatsink being 'too lose' when you used thermal grease instead of the pad. IF the heatsink is worth a damn, it should function just as well no matter if a thermal pad or compound (grease) is used. If the heatsink is that lose with the thermal compound, then get a better/quality heatsink and use that.
 
Holy bump from three months ago!

Anyways, there shouldn't be a difference at all. I scraped the pad off of my 3.2C's retail heatsink and it's running 60C full load. Also, when a thermal pad melts under the pressure the heatsink applies to the CPU it oozes out a bit and thins out to about the thickness paste would be. The things also work for heatspreader-less Mobile P4s and Celerons, there's no way you should need to use a shim. Sounds like you've worn out the retention mechanism so it doesn't apply the proper pressure.
 
where are the shims being placed?
between the metal clip and heatsink the presure point on the heatsink

sounds good!
 
The shims are mounted under the cams that press the assembly together when you close the levers.

If I don't use the shims, closing the levers completely doesn't apply enough pressure to snugly seat the HS on the CPU. This is a just the HSF from a retail P4 package, I didn't modify anything other than replacing the pad with grease. The mobo is an Assrock.
 
The thermal pad is not that thick. The amount of play there is in the clip should be enough even if you remove the thermal pad. The only explanation is that the lever/clip is damaged!
 
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