What paste should I use?

[ingeborgdot]

I put in the H40 but had to take it out to replace it with a new one. I did notice that the preapplied paste did not cover the entire chip. Should I put on my own that I have and make sure the entire surface is covered?

 

[lsv]

At about :40s they should just how much to use;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7rPqCvCt0g

You don't need much after pressure is applied to the chip by the HSF.

Edit - if you still don't have enough and need to buy a tube of something I'd recommend cleaning off whatever's there with high % rubbing alcohol (70%+) and q-tips then applying the new paste.

I use Arctic Silver 5 and Arctic MX4 for various machines.

 

[mmaestro]

If you've removed your heatsink, you should remove the old paste and reapply before reseating. It doesn't need to cover the whole surface of the processor, just where the cores are under the CPU cap (Arctic Silver's instructions have a good image of this, page 5 here - pdf link). For most folks, a BB or rice grain sized amount is enough and will spread adequately when you place the heatsink onto the CPU.

Your post title was what paste? Most of them are pretty decent. I'm currently working my way through some ThermalFusion 400 that's worked pretty well for me. Other folks here seem pretty enamored of MX-4.

 

[aigomorla]

you only need paste to cover where your die would be located at.

So a rice grain in the center.. and then when you put your sink on, give it a slight twist with pressure so you get it distributed.

You do NOT need to cover the entire IHS, unless its the DIE.

A IHS is silver and it is usually protecting a die underside... a DIE is typically black.

My recommended Paste:
Prolima PK-1

 

[Modelworks]

overall don't worry about it. Choice of paste isn't important for the majority of users.
I still use silicon white paste that has been around 30 years.

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

Yeah paste job is just to suck the heatsink against the cpu. Not much difference between them. Theres no better paste just a correctly applied paste. Your ambient and cooling will influence your temps more than anything else

 

[ingeborgdot]

The H40 has a preapplied paste. I just am using the preapplied paste that came with it. I think it must be working because my idle temps are resting now between 27-30 degrees with a 4.0OC.

 

[deimos3428]

Unless they changed it on the H40, Corsair uses pre-applied Shin Etsu, which is some of the best TIM. I forget which formulation; they have several.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Its a little expensive but this stuff here is as good as you can get its wonderful stuff . Rather than tell ya about it heres a video . I have never used it But my wife did on her last build . Opened my eyes it did .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvemuIPi9rQ

 

[ctk1981]

If you wanna go cheap and have good performance, tim consultants quantum is about 4.65 shipped for a 1.3g syringe and good for about 8 cpus. If you want the best period, indigo extreme.

I like quantum because of the price and its easy to work with. As stated above, they all perform fairly close so long as you apply them properly.

 

[NickR]

I like Antec Diamond Formula 7 or whatever it is. It's available at Staples, and it works well. Combined lapping the cooling block and switching from AS5 lowered temps on my PhII X4 from 55 under load to 48 under load. And that's using two completely silent Rocketfish 120mm BB fans in push-pull on the radiator of my H50,.

 

[ingeborgdot]

I went ahead and just used the preapplied paste that was already on the cooler and it works great. Idle temps are 27 and under sometimes with even a low fan. Hard usage yesterday was still under 40. I think someone told me someplace that corsair uses a very good paste.