Thermal Paste Tips Please

[Fides]

I'm a bit noobish at overclocking and I get my new Coolmaster Aeor 7+ in a few days.
Any tips on how to remove the old paste and apply the new?

Help much appreciated

 

[hamster30]

you can remove the old paste with alcohol and a q-tip. when you apply the new apply it super thin. i big mistake a lot of people make is to much grease. which insulates the heat in rather than draw it to the hsf.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Just to add to Hamster's comments...

I recommend using a lint-free cloth (a coffee filter works great) to remove the old paste with rubbing alcohol. It's fine to "glob" the new paste on and get it spread around, but use a straight, flat object like a credit card, razor, index card, etc., to remove the excess and provide a thin, uniform layer before putting the HS on.

 

[wkabel23]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
Just to add to Hamster's comments...

I recommend using a lint-free cloth (a coffee filter works great) to remove the old paste with rubbing alcohol. It's fine to "glob" the new paste on and get it spread around, but use a straight, flat object like a credit card, razor, index card, etc., to remove the excess and provide a thin, uniform layer before putting the HS on.

Good tips, especially the last part.

 

[DeRailur]

Whats the bar none best way to put it back on, detail please

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: DeRailur
Whats the bar none best way to put it back on, detail please

Artic Silver Instructions

While the link above is for AS5, the instructions cover applying most any type of thermal paste.

 

[MDE]

Don't forget to rub a little onto the heatsink base to fill in the microscopic gaps.

 

[wkabel23]

If your heatsink has a thermal 'pad' mounted on it, this pad must be removed before using Arctic Silver thermal compound. Thermal pads are made with paraffin wax that melts once it gets hot. When it melts, it will fill in the microscopic valleys in the heatsink with wax. To minimize the permanent contamination of the mounting surface with wax, the thermal pad should be removed before it is used and melted. Never use heat or hot water to remove the pad, the heat will melt the wax into the heatsink.

The thermal pad they are talking about here, do the retail HSF fans on a P4 C series come with that pad? THey had something on the bottom of the heatsink but i'm not sure if that is what it was. I applied the AS over it anyways and it worked but for future reference it would be nice to know if the thermal pad comes on the HSF of a p4 C.

 

[MDE]

There's a black waxy pad on the P4 heatsinks, and that is a thermal pad. I'd scrape it off and reapply your AS.

 

[wkabel23]

Originally posted by: MonkeyDriveExpress
There's a black waxy pad on the P4 heatsinks, and that is a thermal pad. I'd scrape it off and reapply your AS.

Exactly what I was looking for, thanks.

 

[buckmasterson]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: DeRailur
Whats the bar none best way to put it back on, detail please

Artic Silver Instructions

While the link above is for AS5, the instructions cover applying most any type of thermal paste.

Note the VERY SMALL amount of arctic silver used on the chip. Too much can cause problems also.