What do you guys use to apply Arctic Silver?

[kehi]

My brother and I used to have a little small plastic applicator but we have lost it and can not remember where we bought it from. It was something like this. Please lmk what you use and what you think is the best. Thanks in advance

 

[screw3d]

Old credit cards and razor blades are fine.

 

[Corporate Thug]

credit cards, gift cards, something like that

 

[THUGSROOK]

plastic baggy over your finger just like the instructions say to

 

[Thor86]

Originally posted by: THUGSROOK
plastic baggy over your finger just like the instructions say to

 

[Jeff7181]

I use a plastic bag... apply a small amount to the heatsink, work it in with the bag over my finger... then use what's on the bag to put a thin coating on the CPU core. I never apply the compound directly from the tube onto the CPU core like you see in a lot of pictures.

 

[ChampionAtTufshop]

Originally posted by: Thor86

Originally posted by: THUGSROOK
plastic baggy over your finger just like the instructions say to

exactamundo

 

[MachoDonut]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
I use a plastic bag... apply a small amount to the heatsink, work it in with the bag over my finger... then use what's on the bag to put a thin coating on the CPU core. I never apply the compound directly from the tube onto the CPU core like you see in a lot of pictures.

Agreed. If you sqeeze it directly from the tube onto the core, you will have a big, nasty mess. Just put a tiny bit on another clean baggy or whatever and just dab a touch of it onto your baggy-covered finger.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

You should try the ceramique instead as I hear it's a lot neater, especially if you're inexperienced, that way you can't end up with the mess which is ASI-III can be if you smudge a little

 

[Nate-X]

I'm manly and use the side of a swiss army knife blade!

 

[SupermanCK]

Originally posted by: shady06
credit cards, gift cards, something like that

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: NateX
I'm manly and use the side of a swiss army knife blade!

Need to be careful with that... if you scratch the core that's bad for it... that's why they say to use a plastic bag or credit card, because plastic won't scratch the core of the CPU.

 

[CraigRT]

finger works fine for me...
not really difficult.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
finger works fine for me...
not really difficult.

Hope you have a plastic bag covering your finger... the oils from your skin will contaminate the thermal compound and cause it to break down prematurely. That's the whole reason for cleaning the CPU core and heatsink with alcohol... to remove all traces of oil and other contaminants without leaving any residue behind.

 

[nmcglennon]

What kind of alcohol? I never did that! I just broke out the CPU, the Artic Silver, and the HSF and sandwiched it all together...

 

[KF]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: NateX
I'm manly and use the side of a swiss army knife blade!

Need to be careful with that... if you scratch the core that's bad for it... that's why they say to use a plastic bag or credit card, because plastic won't scratch the core of the CPU.

Well... he said he was manly. Me, I'm a wimp and use a baggy. I just don't let any on see me.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: nmcglennon
What kind of alcohol? I never did that! I just broke out the CPU, the Artic Silver, and the HSF and sandwiched it all together...

Isopropyl alcohol, aka. rubbing alcohol. I use 99% pure isopropyl... but I think anything about 75% is ok. Nail polish remover (acetone) can be used to clean off crap from thermal pads, but you should follow that with alcohol because nail polish remover may leave a residue.