When applying thermal paste..

[trigun500]

The instructions in my Zalman cooler says for me to put paste on the bottom of the cooler AND on the processor. But any other guide I've read online never says anything about putting the paste on the coolers. Which way do I do it?


Thanks

 

[myocardia]

Which way you do it is dependent upon which thermal paste you use. For the kinds of TIM we use and recommend around here, you only need to apply a small amount to the top of the IHS (CPU).

 

[bailw]

Apply one pea size of TIM on the center of the CPU.

 

[rfatcheric]

When faced with the same questions this article answer all of my questions.

http://benchmarkreviews.com/in...k=view&id=170&Itemid=1

Also, its worth mentioning that a "pea sized drop in the center" technique is not the best way to go acording to this article, the article has pics and exampels as to why.

 

[error8]

Last summer, when I've installed my 4000+ X2, I've used Arctic Silver 5 paste, with a thermalright ultra 90. I've cleaned both the cooler and the cpu with isopropylic alcohol before applying the paste.

I've installed it first using the pea size drop, spreading it evenly onto the cpu with my finger covered with the plastic bag. Then I've installed the cooler and to my horror, full load temperature managed to hit 67 C with the chip clocked around 3 ghz. Took the heatsink out, washed it again with alcohol, reapplied thermal paste, but this time onto the heatsink surface as well as on the chip. My temperature reached only around 58 C, room temperature was 32-34 C.

When I got the cooler out after the first attempt, it looked like the paste didn't sticked at all to the heatsink so applying just a very tinny amount of paste onto it, improved the contact dramatically.

 

[Mondoman]

Just to clarify, the conventional wisdom I've seen has been a "rice grain sized" drop, not a big pea-sized drop.

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: Mondoman
Just to clarify, the conventional wisdom I've seen has been a "rice grain sized" drop, not a big pea-sized drop.

Well, when we say pea size, we refer to a very small type of pea.

 

[rbk123]

Since his CPU is a Q6600, I would recommend he follow the AS5 process of a very thin line across the middle, not the grain of rice in the center meant for duals.