Finger on thermal paste.... (how do you spread yours?)

[Lonyo]

DO NOT use your bare finger to apply or smooth the compound (skin cells, and oils again).

From Arctic Silver 5 instructions.

pply a small amount of thermal paste to the center of the CPU heat spreader, then smooth it out a bit using your finger, a razor blade, etc.

Anandtech guide to Venice overclocking.

Someone needs to edit that part of the article to ensure people don't use their bare fingers.

Personally I get some cling film or a plastic food bag (like they show on the AS site) and use that to spread the paste slightly. Anyone else got tips on how they spread?

 

[biostud]

tongue

 

[LTC8K6]

Wash your hand first, and your finger is fine.

 

[phaxmohdem]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Wash your hand first, and your finger is fine.

What abaout us freaks with two hands???

 

[Coquito]

The edge of an old credit/id card.

 

[SuperFubario]

Originally posted by: Coquito
The edge of an old credit/id card.

Same here

 

[Thor86]

Wrap your finger in a new/clean plastic baggy.

 

[Elcs]

I use the AS nozzle to spread it roughly then let gravity and pressure take card of the rest. (Socket A installation)

 

[govtcheez75]

Originally posted by: Coquito
The edge of an old credit/id card.

for anyone that's ever been to a casino, they give you these comp cards. They are perfect for spreading it on the heatsink. On the core or processor, no need to spread. Just a little rice grain sized dab.

 

[RichUK]

i just jizz on the IHS, the apply the heatsink for teh goodness .. j/k

the rice size in the centre of the IHS, does me just fine

 

[orangat]

lol I'd like to see someone try to spread AS5 with their finger (inside a plastic baggie or gloves), its waay to thick.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

A razor & a straw....oh, we're talking AS5, sorry.:Q

 

[imported_Kensai]

One dab on the IHS and one dab on the heatsink does it for me.

 

[Avalon]

I used to use my credit cards to spread AS5 on my socket A chips. Now, with my A64s, all I need do is put a drop on the center of the IHS and plop the HSF down on it.

 

[cw42]

i just put a drop on now, and let the weight of my HSF spread it out. If i wanted to spread it, i'd put my finger in a ziplock bag and spread that as5 goodness, or use the side of something like a credit card.

 

[andrewbabcock]

I thought the instructions were to put a little dab in the center of the chip and the heating up and cooling down of the cpu would spread it out naturally, which is a lot better than with your finger. I think thats straight from the AS website. At least thats what they said at DFI-street...

 

[rise]

are plastic bags manufactured in some "clean room" or something? i don't understand why thats any better than using a clean finger?

i usually just use the nozzle of the tube itself on IHS but i've used my finger on the chipset cores before.

 

[Budman]

as others said,on an A64 or P4 no need to spread anything just put a small blob in the center & let the force of the heatsink spread it.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
Anyone else got tips on how they spread?

I just whisper sweet nothings into her ear and she spreads...

Oh, you mean thermal compound? On small cores like Athlon XP and mobile Celerons I just use a tiny blip in the middle of the core (I use Arctic Alumina). On larger cores with IHS, I'll just squirt down a small drop sized blob and let the heatsink squish it down, sometimes "working it" back/forth a bit. If I want to go ultra-extreme-3D-internet-deluxe-XT-LE style, I'll use a bit of plastic wrapped around my finger (piece of grocery bag, cling wrap, etc.) and then I'll "finger it" until it is wet all over - AHEM, with compound in a thin layer.

 

[RichUK]

Originally posted by: Zap

Originally posted by: Lonyo
Anyone else got tips on how they spread?

I just whisper sweet nothings into her ear and she spreads...

Oh, you mean thermal compound? On small cores like Athlon XP and mobile Celerons I just use a tiny blip in the middle of the core (I use Arctic Alumina). On larger cores with IHS, I'll just squirt down a small drop sized blob and let the heatsink squish it down, sometimes "working it" back/forth a bit. If I want to go ultra-extreme-3D-internet-deluxe-XT-LE style, I'll use a bit of plastic wrapped around my finger (piece of grocery bag, cling wrap, etc.) and then I'll "finger it" until it is wet all over - AHEM, with compound in a thin layer.

lol

 

[redhatlinux]

The point is that your finger is never clean. The oils in your skin can mess up the AS, thats why its not recommended to use your finger.

 

[Mucker]

I've used my washed finger, a plastic bag, etc... and finally settled on the recommended method for AS5, which is also the easiest, a dab on the IHS and smaller dab on the sink. All methods have worked equally well, I've never had a cpu cooling issue. Doesn't get much easier than the dab method....

m

 

[theMan]

dot in center, let hsf squish it down.

 

[Leper Messiah]

I use my ID card.

 

[imported_i2k]

Originally posted by: Coquito
The edge of an old credit/id card.

ditto