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Do you use the little spatula with thermal paste?

Oh, I almost forgot the funniest thing about TIM interfaces and drugs...
This is how I get the cheapest КПТ-8 paste in the local office supply store:

View attachment 84688

Good thing I only live around the corner, cause this would provoke some unexpected questions from local policemen ))

That's that IV paste?
 
Interesting. Seems like the majority of you guys spread it and I've been using pressure from the water block all these years!

I have some thermal grizzly coming, and I don't speak German, so can anyone tell me if this stuff is conductive?
 
I use them for small dies like GPU's and bridge chips. Those spreaders are almost perfect size for such things.

For CPU'S, I have my own special method for applying paste.
 
Interesting. Seems like the majority of you guys spread it and I've been using pressure from the water block all these years!

I have some thermal grizzly coming, and I don't speak German, so can anyone tell me if this stuff is conductive?
Sometimes I do the same, if i use cheap paste and I have a lot of it.
I've been getting lots of broken laptops lately, so that 2cc syringe will only last me 'till next week (if I use it sparingly).

Thermal Grizzly is non-conductive, I believe.
 
I spread tim on bare die's, but use a small blob on heatspreaders

On a side note, it has always bugged me that the 2 metrics for describing the amount of tim to use is always either a grain of rice or a pea... a pea (depending on variety) is about the size of 4-6 grains of rice, and far too much, even if you decide to use a bit the size of a petis-pois, the smallest common pea.
 
I spread tim on bare die's, but use a small blob on heatspreaders

On a side note, it has always bugged me that the 2 metrics for describing the amount of tim to use is always either a grain of rice or a pea... a pea (depending on variety) is about the size of 4-6 grains of rice, and far too much, even if you decide to use a bit the size of a petis-pois, the smallest common pea.

Yea, more like 1-2 grains of rice total. Then eat the other 4 with chopsticks lol
 
I use a rubber glove or I wrap plastic around my finger and spread it out. I leave a little more paste in the center.
 
One thing any semi-intelligent human should be able to discern from reading through just this thread alone ,is that short of you doing something egregiously wrong ,every method works within reason.

Same goes for what thermal interface material you use as well
 
I keep a deck of playing cards handy. Good to spread paste or epoxy then just toss
 
I spread Rice sized amount on the CPU only and have always been good. I remember a debate years ago about this subject and generally people figured spreading both CPU and heat sync would cause trapped air bubbles.....Bottom line is if your temperatures are not what they should be when finished then it is probably time to try again.
 
Q-tip here, but ofcourse I first remove the cotton thoroughly. Works like a spatula anyways. Tried the credit card once, but felt I had less control in the spreading and overall thicknes of the paste.
I aplly a firm dot on my heatsink and spread it roughly the size of the cpu, but this will most likely differ from cpu to cpu and heatsink ofcourse. In my case this works.
Also, for me it works better if I use plenty of mx-4 paste. Tested this several times, but the trick ofcourse is to use just that much so it doesn't go over the edges of the cpu surface.
Hence why I prefer the Q-tip, which acts like a painting brush.
 
I use a rubber glove or I wrap plastic around my finger and spread it out. I leave a little more paste in the center.

HS! I thought I was the only person who did that!!! :toast:

I use about a half grain on the CPU, then dab it with my finger till it has a very thin coat all over. Then I do the same on the HSF/waterblock.
 
Good to spread epoxy then just toss

Is this like your take on a danger fap? So is this 60 second stuff considered expert difficulty? :P

eposy.png
 
I use a card to spread it out, just a little enough to cover the CPU works best for me with great temps as result.

Depends, average machines i use the rice grain method, my machines i use spread.
 
I'm gonna continue doing the line method lol
 
Quote "I break off the end of a qtip and use the stick to spread."
Make sure to buy the Q-tips with the plastic stick, not the cardboard stick.
Cut with sizzors (Do not run) at an angle. Spread very thin, think painting a wall, not frosting a cake.
 
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