How do you apply your thermal paste?

[1nf3rn0x]

Just a poll on how people apply the thermal paste onto cpus/gpus.

 

[GotNoRice]

maybe somewhere between pea and grain of rice, but I voted pea.

 

[adulaamin]

Pea sized blob of thermal paste in the middle and I just let the heatsink spread the paste for me... I use Tuniq TX-4 btw and my cpu never goes over 70degC when crunching/stress testing.

 

[Jetster]

You know there are instructions
http://www.arcticsilver.com/instructions.htm

No one ever mentions Tinting? Look at Intel Vertical line instructions
http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appmeth/int/vl/intel_app_method_vertical_line_v1.1.pdf

 

[1nf3rn0x]

You know there are instructions
http://www.arcticsilver.com/instructions.htm

No one ever mentions Tinting? Look at Intel Vertical line instructions
http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appmeth/int/vl/intel_app_method_vertical_line_v1.1.pdf

I know how to apply thermal paste. Just wondering how the rest of you guys do it. I use the pea or line depends how much paste I have left XD

 

[Jetster]

I figured you did just though it was a good read

 

[1nf3rn0x]

I figured you did just though it was a good read

 

[CDdude55]

I always usually just put a blob in the middle (sometimes a tad bigger then a pea) and let the heatsink spread it out.

 

[brandonwh64]

I am a spreader. I spread a thin later on the CPU and according on if the cooler I am using is a DHPT cooler, I put some on it to fill in the cracks.

 

[Law-II]

Hi

this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&feature=iv&src_vid=EyXLu1Ms-q4&v=ffK7L0Qj13Q

Edit: Voted pea, but use line method on direct contact heatpipes

atb

Law-II

 

[Arctucas]

For CPU; grain of rice.

For GPU; multiple parallel lines.

 

[MasterInvader]

Intel CPU´s and AMD Gpu´s small "grain" in the middle, the pressure from the cooler finish the job.

AMD Cpu´s and Nvidia GPU´s 100% spread, very thin layer.

 

[_JP_]

I voted "Other", because it depends how much time I have to get the system running again.
I resort to pea from time to time, if its straight on the die and the die itself is small enough, or a small square if not. But most of the times I just spread the paste over the surface evenly.

 

[scaminatrix]

Other:

I first look at the heatsink.
If the heatsink is one of the circle (like stock) ones that doesn't fully cover the CPU, then I'll spread it in a circle evenly over the heatsink.
If the heatsink is a square that fully covers the CPU, I'll spread it in a square evenly over the CPU.

 

[pantherx12]

Depends how I feel, if I'm in a rush I'll do a small blob and turn it into a square with the nossle of the TIM.

If I've got time I'll make make a very thin perfect level of tim over the how IHS.

 

[ThE_MaD_ShOt]

I am a spreader. I spread a thin later on the CPU and according on if the cooler I am using is a DHPT cooler, I put some on it to fill in the cracks.

I too spread a very thin layer across the cpu. My temps never go above 62c under full load crunching. Most of the time they stay in the higher 50's unless it is a very hot day.

 

[agent00skid]

My one cooler change for a CPU, I just used what was left on the CPU plus what was preapplied on the cooler. (The paste on the CPU was fairly fresh)

 

[Black Panther]

I found out that a rice-grain size spread by heatsink pressure gives better temps than putting more and try to spread it myself using a credit card.

 

[de.das.dude]

i clean both surfaces with rubbing alcohol.
mask off the area to be applied (which is usually a guess from experience of how much the CPU covers)
then i apply a line on one edge of the masked area. if the heatsink has a grain direction, i use the edge which is perpendicular to the grain direction. this avoids bubbles in the next step.

next i take a smooth card(credit card or coolermaster card that comes with HTK200) and spread it while making a very low angle b/w the card and surface.

then i make a line on the opp edge if necessary and repeat.

after all the area masked off is covered i make a third line on an edge perpendicular to ones i used(parallel to grain now) and do a final time.

i end up with this:-

or this

 

[Kantastic]

I squeeze a dot slightly shy of the size of a pea and that's that.

I apply TIM differently for open-heatpipe heatsinks though, I put a small line on every exposed heatpipe since some of the compound gets trapped in the gaps.

 

[Norton]

I use the grain of rice method on solid heatsinks and the line method on direct contact heatsinks (one thin line down each heatpipe)

I do "tint" as jetster suggested, prior to applying TIM- clean the heatsink and CPU> spread a very small amount of TIM on each> wipe off with lint free cloth. Surface will have a slightly grey appearance.

I've had no issues with this method...

 

[pantherx12]

i clean both surfaces with rubbing alcohol.
mask off the area to be applied (which is usually a guess from experience of how much the CPU covers)
then i apply a line on one edge of the masked area. if the heatsink has a grain direction, i use the edge which is perpendicular to the grain direction. this avoids bubbles in the next step.

next i take a smooth card(credit card or coolermaster card that comes with HTK200) and spread it while making a very low angle b/w the card and surface.

then i make a line on the opp edge if necessary and repeat.

after all the area masked off is covered i make a third line on an edge perpendicular to ones i used(parallel to grain now) and do a final time.

i end up with this:-
http://img.techpowerup.org/120722/10032012092.jpg
or this
http://img.techpowerup.org/120722/10032012088.jpg

Best way I've seen! looks factory fresh!

 

[sttubs]

I use AS5 and use between a rice & pea sized then spread it out evenly over the entire area.

 

[micropage7]

i usually use pea size for most except for direct touch heatpipes. for direct touch heat pipes i use line method

 

[gopal]

Pea method