thermal paste

[Lasker]

how much is too much?

 

[damien6]

When it squishes out the all four corners in excess.

Just apply barely enough so that you can't see through it.

 

[Lasker]

Well, my dad is an electrical engineer and he just smothered the thing. It's the arctic silver thermal paste by the way. Is that bad?

 

[MorbidDog]

You got a very good paste but to much is not good.

 

[potac]

What is the paste made of...lithium?

 

[compuwiz1]

All you need is a thin film to fill the surface imperfections and promote good thermal transfer between the two materials.

 

[Lasker]

Ah, maybe removing some of it would help then? My dad's thinking was that I should seal it so there is no air between the surfaces.

 

[compuwiz1]

Well, Dad's right too, but just not too thick.

 

[tmj]

I've had good results with a very thin layer; On mine, you can see the heatsink through it. Maybe more would be better?

 

[youseelabruin]

dad's are always right...

i have had success with putting a generous layer with my finger onto the cpu and hs. creating little circles, like waxing a car, with the radioshack paste. not a lot of goop, but not a thin layer that is see through... i get a good bond between the two when i stick them together and there is no excess of the sides. no more crashes on two different computers just with use of thermal grease.

works for me.

 

[Rankor]

Just apply a thin film probably about as thin as a sheet of paper and spread it evenly throughout the area of contact with the HS.

Don't frost it like a cake (though).

I know someone who squirted it onto my former Celery 300A (that I sold him) and the goop came ooozing out the sides and into the SECC2 PCB.

It was a mess.

AND the final indignity: He wasn't going to oc the sucker!

I shake my head every time I see that Celery 300A not clocked up to 504.

 

[Mikewarrior2]

I wouldn't touch it with your finger, though... it might contaminate the stuff.

About the Artic Silver stuff, its really awesome stuff, so if you do happen to get too much on it, it squishes into a thin layer really easily.



mike