Intel thermal pad or radio shack paste

[McFear]

What is better Intel Thermal pad on the p4 retail heatsink or some plain old radio shack type thermal paste. My temparature on 1.8a P4 is higher than what other's post, 36-39c idle 26c case temp, room temp 74 f , playing games after a quick check is 44 to 47 and this with normal room temp. So would it be better to remove the thermal pad and put some radio shack thermal paste on instead?
The heat sink is on properly, i removed and reinstalled , same temp's.

 

[KenAF]

Those temps do look very high...How about using some Artic Silver III instead of the RS stuff?

Still, if you can overclock fine to 2400+MHz with the thermal pad, why bother? Unless you want to take it farther, of course...

 

[McFear]

Im not overclocking and all i have right now is radio shack past.

 

[Richardito]

The thermal paste will be much better than the thermal pad. Remove the thermal pad by scrapping the heat sink with a plastic card (like an old credit card). This way you are 100% sure that the surface won't be scratched and ruined. Then clean the remaining pad with a paper towel containing some rubbing alcohol. Then apply the thermal paste to the core and some to the heat sink before installing. It's that simple...

 

[KenAF]

Yes, if you are going to apply thermal paste, make sure you completely remove the thermal pad first...otherwise the thermal paste could just make it worse. Don't put too much thermal paste on, or it won't do much good...the thermal paste should be applied in a paper thin amount, as seen right here in the thermal paste tutorial.

 

[MrThompson]

Be warned the current Radio Shack paste dries out very quickly. One of the premium themal pastes is a better long term solution.

 

[littletemple]

How often or at all should one reapply the thermal paste?

 

[daclayman]

ooh ooooh oooh. I modded my P4 retail heatsink today. I thought 'scrape and sand'. Not so Mr. daclay. I scraped 95%, started to sand and I couldn't figure out why that gooey black crap wasnt sanding away. Intel uses a very thin tin foil lookin' thing on the P4 Heatsinks. They apply that black crap to a sheet of metal foil the size of Texas, then 2x2 it, and glue your very own slice of hell to your heatsink. It will peel off. I don't know how or why mine did, but its gotta go too. Then you're left with something to work with. If that's too much work, the Intel TIM will be fine

da