The mechanism of thermal paste

[studiot]

All thermal pastes and washers, without exception, have a substantially poorer heat transfer coefficient than metal.

So how many understand why and therefore how we use them?

 

[14049752]

I do...but if I prove that I know why, wouldn't that sort of give it away to those that don't?

 

[MrUnknown]

So how many understand why and therefore how we use them?

Thermal Paste has better heat transfer than air. The metal is not perfectly smooth, paste fills those gaps. If you are smothering the CPU/Heatsink with paste like too many OEMs, then you are applying it wrong. You apply a small amount, smear it around, and scrape off any excess.

 

[Cue]

Well Ive bean doing it wrong.
Thank you for asking this question so I learned my mistake.
o yes, and thank you for answering

 

[MrUnknown]

and hell, there is more than one way to do it. Just less is better.

Artic Silver's instructions have you place an extremely thin line on the heat spreader and the pressure of the heat sink will spread it. This is fine too. So long as it is a very thin line. The point is to fill in air gaps, not metal to metal contact.

http://www.articsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

 

[Cue]

about the size of one and a half uncooked grains of short-grain white rice or ¾ of a BB.

OMG

 

[NYJimbo]

All thermal pastes and washers, without exception, have a substantially poorer heat transfer coefficient than metal.

So how many understand why and therefore how we use them?

Flexibility and conductivity, maybe even a form of adhesion, probably dispersive.......meh......

 

[Cue]

Thats the scary part.
This small grain was on a heatspreder.
I would understand that this small amount was on a "exposed die".

Carefully apply Arctic Silver 5 directly to the heatspreader of the CPU. Only apply thermal compound to the top of the actual CPU heatspreader. Understand that we are just putting thermal compound in close proximity to the center of the heatspreader. Only a small amount of Arctic Silver is needed. The example at left shows you an approximate amount to use, about the size of one and a half uncooked grains of short-grain white rice or ¾ of a BB.

http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appinstruct/as5/ins_as5_amd_dual_wcap.pdf

 

[NYJimbo]

You know in the old days we didn't ask nobody how to apply thermal paste and we done it good.

We pretty much put a very thin layer accross the top of the CPU chip itself, not coverin' the whole package, mind you. But pretty much coverin' it where it looked like the heatsink sat on it's face. 'Cause it'll do that.....

We put the heat sink back on, locked it down and got on with our life.

Never had a PC come back for lack of or too much of that there thermal paste.

Now stop wastin' time worryin' about this here thermal paste and get back to makin' money......

 

[MrUnknown]

Now stop wastin' time worryin' about this here thermal paste and get back to makin' money......

im here cause im not making any money right now. Waiting for parts. wee!

 

[studiot]

Trust me, less is better.

Agreed 7,9,11,13,15,17,19.