so what is the best way to apply thermal compound?

[mikerand]

so what is the best way to apply cooling grease?
How thick should it be?
Is there a web page or site out there that discusses this?

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Base your thickness on how "flat" your heatsink/cpu are.

I do this:

Clean off existing grease(of course, if you start fresh with a grease, it is better, since it is impossible to remove all of an old grease).

I use the "finger in a ziploc bag" method. I get really thin, even layers(you should get even layers regardless of thickness).

Then mount your heatsink with minimal twisting or pushign, or tilting.


Mike

 

[shiznut123]

If you twist it too much, bubbles might be created in the compound.

 

[lhampel]

(using Mike's Finger in a zip lock bag is a good idea)

I've always put a very small amount of H/S compound on the CPU die & on the HeatSync.
Reason for this was that I noticed (back in the Celeron 300a days) that when attaching the H/S to the CPU it wouldn't always seat perfectly. One side a bit higher that the other & that would cause some of the H/S compound to slightly build up on one side of the CPU.
It is very noticable with current CPUs (T-bird, duron, coppermine).
Some AMD HeatSyncs have clamps that are downright hard to lock into place & while wiggling the H/S around trying to get the clip properly attached...the H/S compound moves to the side of the CPU to where there is less pressure.
So adding a small amount of H/S compound across the surface of the Heatsync will help insure that you get the maximum amount of heat transfer between your CPU & H/S.

Make sense?

 

[GiZzO]

Hmmm safe sex with my CPU

 

[BuckNaked]

I always use the edge of a business card, like a spatula... Gives a very thin, flat, even surface.

Dave

 

[satori]

Hey, reiterating what Buck-Naked said, I've always just put a small dab of AS on the CPU and then used my Texaco gas-card to spread it out evenly. I guess you end up wasting some of it though, since part of it ends up staying on the card.

 

[Dan]

I'm another one who always uses the "safe sex" method for thermal compound application.

 

[Viperoni]

I just use a tissue.