CPU Paste

[computergeek1]

What is the best CPU Paste do you guys find is the best for CPU's.

[MHCG]

I use Arctic Silver. Work great, last long time.

[angry_geek]

You will find this to be a subject of great debate on many oc'ing forums. For overclocking, Arctic Silver or another silver based compound. For general work, I buy some of the cheaper stuff on newegg. One $3.00 tube should last through many repairs and work just fine if you apply it correctly. The most common mistake people make when applying is using too much or spreading it before placing the heatsink. Most of the time it takes only a pea-sized amount. Then place your heatsink and give it a little twist before locking it down. This will ensure the compound is forced into all the tiny imperfections and spread evenly.

[MHCG]

It's a couple bucks more for a tube of the good stuff that seems to last forever, so I just buy it.

[thecoldone06]

I use Zerotherm from Newegg. Haven't had any problems with it.

[vontreigo]

just remember "less is more"

you just want to fill in the air gaps and you still want metal to metal contact.

[TechGirl86]

Gots to have the artic silver, all the way.

[Kenhelms]

Artic Silver or antex formula 5.

[hondablaster]

Artic silver 5 does last a long time. Its stays tacky BUT it CONDUCTS A CURRENT!

Be careful use for cpus only. Doing graphics cards and small surfaces areas it can squeeze out and get on the card ruining it. I have witnessed this first hand! Artic Silver 5 conducts electricity. There are alternatives that are AS5 like but don't conduct current.

I use to use alot but now I use BB sized drop maybe a pea if im not careful.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007

3000 5 star reviews will tell you the same thing we all have!

Hondablaster

[14049752]

The most common mistake people make when applying is using too much or spreading it before placing the heatsink.

Actually...it depends on the chip you're applying it to. If the cpu has a heat spreader, then you don't spread it. If the core is exposed, you spread it.

[hondablaster]

Actually...it depends on the chip you're applying it to. If the cpu has a heat spreader, then you don't spread it. If the core is exposed, you spread it.


Would you still use Arctic Silver 5 if you took off the heat spreader can the exposed CPU conduct a current through the paste? There appears to be layers laminate over all the pieces but I would not want to use AS5 on the bare CPU.

Has anyone tried this?

[14049752]

Would you still use Arctic Silver 5 if you took off the heat spreader can the exposed CPU conduct a current through the paste? There appears to be layers laminate over all the pieces but I would not want to use AS5 on the bare CPU.



I'm not really clear what you're asking. You mean take the heat spreader off... Say a Socket 478 Pentium 4....and then just apply thermal compound to the core?

You can do that, but you would also have to come up with a way to get the heatsink slightly closer to the processor to make up for the fact that the heat spreader is removed

[hondablaster]

I popped a cap off a CPU once an saw that it had little capacitors. Ive also seen this on laptop CPU Ive never had to place thermal paste directly on the CPU die.

I figure I would not want to use AS5 maybe a plastic thermal paste instead. I think what Im saying Does removing the heat spreader off the CPU make it prone to conducting a current?

http://img.tomshardware.com/us/2006/08/22/amd_dual_core_laptops_have_arrived/intro.jpg

[14049752]

No. You'd only put the thermal paste on the core, not anything else. The core should still be ceramic of some sort. If you're applying enough that it smooshes out over anything else, you're putting too much on.

[hondablaster]

I included a picture. (i think your responded while I was adding editing the photo to my post) Would someone still risk using Aritc Silver if your CPU looked like that ?. Or would you use something else?

[14049752]

There's no risk. People put arctic silver on CPUs like that all the time.

[angry_geek]

The core is ceramic. Ceramic is a pretty good insulator. It's the same basic material the utility company uses on poles.

[Galdorf]

I use Arctic Silver 5 and to clean before applying:

http://www.arcticsilver.com/images_v2/arcticlean/arcticlean_sml.jpg

The 120ml version it does a very good job i bought this a year ago and it still half full.

[thebeardedone]

I use Akasa AK-450 ... does a decent job :)

[angry_geek]

I use some rubbing alcohol. Works wonders...

I usually do the same with isopropyl alcohol or denatured alcohol and cotton balls and q-tips. A pint of the stuff lasts for better than a year, and it costs about $2.00. The arctic clean stuff and others is usually just alcohol with a few additives in it or flux cleaner.

Just make sure to get the highest purity you can get, 90% or above.

[Doctor Micro]

Back in the day I used to use Carbon Tet, but after losing too many brain cells, I switched to lighter fluid, razor blade, a q-tip and a tissue. Denatured alcohol doesn't always get the gummy residue that some of the OEM thermal pads leave behind.

[Galdorf]

I usually do the same with isopropyl alcohol or denatured alcohol and cotton balls and q-tips. A pint of the stuff lasts for better than a year, and it costs about $2.00. The arctic clean stuff and others is usually just alcohol with a few additives in it or flux cleaner.

Just make sure to get the highest purity you can get, 90% or above.

No the thermal paste remover is an emulsifier citrus and soy based solvents and is not alcohol based the cleaner after you use the remover is purified ionized water with cationic surfactants.

My guess the two 150ml bottles will last me another 3 years only needs a few drops.

visually it might look like the heat sink and cpu surface are clean using alcohol but if you look under an microscope valleys in the metal still contain residue and oxidization, using cleaners in both metal surfaces reduce oxidization metal looks much more shiny than using alcohol which i use to use.

Even baked on pads melt off with 1 wipe of micro fiber cloth takes a few seconds to work.