what did I do wrong with thermal paste?

[michaelb15 0]

I just went and got some new thermal paste to make sure my heatsink was mounted to my processor perfectly, because when I got my processor and heatsink origionally I didnt actually put any on. (exept what ever it came with) I dont know what it came with.. it wasnt even paste. it was more like a layer of grey metalic tape or somthing. but Ive taken the heatsink off and reinstalled it a couple of times without replacing the stuff so I figured its time to replace it. but anyway it seems now my processor heats up much more then it did before I put some on.. I tried using lots.. I tried using very very little.. but nothing seems to work as good as what ever was on there before.. my processor is more then 5 degrees celicus hotter then what it was before. So what am I doing wrong?

[superglide17 11]

Not all thermal grease is the same for many different reasons. How it is applied can make or break an installation. Here is a discussion of application: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/How-To-Correctly-Apply-Thermal-Grease/274/1 What you had before was probably something like this: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/12911/thr-100/Fujipoly_Premium_Thermal_Pad_-_VGA_Block_-_60_x_50_x_15_-_Thermal_Conductivity_60_WmK.html?tl=g8. This is what I will probably be using next time I need to redo my CPU cooling: http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g8/c127/s1046/list/p1/Thermal-Thermal_Interface_Materials-Indigo_Xtreme_ETI-Page1.html

[Kosta 122]

Did you remove the previous material before applying the new one?Did you clean the surface(s) thoroughly, preferrably with alcohol or some similar non-aggressive cleaners?Then applied about a rice-size of paste onto middle of the CPU, spread it over the whole surface with a plastic card (credit care for instance) to get less than about 1/2mm of paste on the CPU, in the end getting a thin film of paste on the CPU?Then putting a cooler back on, but before fixating it, moving it over the surface of the CPU to get an even spread? Moving I suggest is in about half a centimeter left, right, up, down, circular... to get all airbubbles or uneven parts out.That's how you mount a cooler. You're gonna need more than 1-2 trys to get it right. Good luck.

[Guest jahman]

Indigo Xtreme is what you want to get (10x better than anything else: Essentially it's a metal the goes liquid when the CPU heats up),´Clean the surfaces thoroughly before applying, follow instructions to the letter. Cheers, - jahman.

[Kosta 122]

Indigo Xtreme is what you want to get (10x better than anything else: Essentially it's a metal the goes liquid when the CPU heats up),´Clean the surfaces thoroughly before applying, follow instructions to the letter. Cheers, - jahman.

Hold on, isn't that the thing that you gotta scrap off the CPU if you want to reapply it? Can't clean it the usual way. And the cleaners to clean it are very aggressive, can even damage CPU? Or am I mistaken?

[Guest jahman]

Hold on, isn't that the thing that you gotta scrap off the CPU if you want to reapply it? Can't clean it the usual way. And the cleaners to clean it are very aggressive, can even damage CPU? Or am I mistaken?

Not sure, Word Not Allowed, might have to check with the manufacturer. But for my next build I'm ditching the Arctic Silver and going for Indigo Xtreme. Cheers, - jahman.

[superglide17 11]

One of the links I gave you (the bottom one) was to Indigo Xtreme.

[Gary A 8]

Indigo Xtreme is what you want to get (10x better than anything else: Essentially it's a metal the goes liquid when the CPU heats up),´Clean the surfaces thoroughly before applying, follow instructions to the letter. Cheers, - jahman.

Not something I would likely use. If you are an extreme enthusiast pushing the envelope on temps and need the extra 1/10^th of a degree cooling maybe. I would not have the heart to take my cpu to throttling for the burn-in. Not to mention loss of sleep over keeping my MOBO horizontal and wondering if the stuff was reflowing in the vertical. Couple that with non-compatibility with many of the most popular HSF’s on the market and or conditional compatibility and I think I would be barking up a different tree. If you have to push a Sandy Bridge that far in temperature there is more going on there than a necessary TIM application when you consider the number of folks pushing 4.5 to 5GHz without the need for such an elaborate TIM. Not normal and not needed IMHO. Interesting read and product to look at though I enjoyed the opportunity.

[superglide17 11]

I think it is very interesting. All aspects of the technology are moving in directions who would have thought of a few years ago. I'm looking at it not so much as a way to push the overclocking even further but, a clean and very precise way to apply the latest thermal conductive materials. No more guessing is this the right sized "pea" for the application or should I place 2 or 3 rows along the heat pipes and how much, etc, etc. I think it appeals to the engineer in me.

[Guest jahman]

Not something I would likely use. If you are an extreme enthusiast pushing the envelope on temps and need the extra 1/10^th of a degree cooling maybe....

Not 1/10^th of a degree, rather almost 4 ºC over Artic Silver 5, and you don't have to be a serious overclocker, just a regular simmer hoping to reach 4.7 - 5.0 GHz on the 2500K or 2600K you bought so you can run FSX without stutters and a decent FSP over say NYC and KJFK. Many in this community fit that categry. Of course if you don't OC at all, don't boother.

I think it is very interesting. All aspects of the technology are moving in directions who would have thought of a few years ago. I'm looking at it not so much as a way to push the overclocking even further but, a clean and very precise way to apply the latest thermal conductive materials. No more guessing is this the right sized "pea" for the application or should I place 2 or 3 rows along the heat pipes and how much, etc, etc. I think it appeals to the engineer in me.

With the Indigo Xtreme your pea-size worries are history. Cheers, - jahman.

[cmeeks 8]

I've been tempted to try it myself. Somebody post a report on how goes it if they decide to try it.

[Guest simmer9304]

To clean off old thermal paste use a coffee filter. It's fiber-less and rough enough to scrape away hardened paste without damaging the CPU EDIT: Just re-read and realised you guys were talking about removing something besides typical thermal paste, my bad!

[Guest jahman]

To fully remove previous thermal grease before applying Indogo Xtreme you must use a special wiper cloth (supplied with the kit), according to Installation Step 2, and you must use the supplied cleaning fluid (degreaser solvent) that comes with the Indigo Xtreme kit to clean the surfaces of the heat sink and CPU lid (even if they are new!), according to Installation Step 3 of the Socket 1155 Installation Document. Note: Indigo Xtreme will specifically not work with certain heatsinks that do not fully and completely contact the CPU lid, such as Heat-Pipe Direct Touch heatsinks and water blocks with ridges or screws, according to this Heatsink Compatibility Document. Removal: Indigo Xtreme can be removed by simply peeling off from the CPU lid and heatsink surfaces. Any Residual Indigo Xtreme can be removed via the edge of a credit card together with a cotton swab dabbed in acetone, again according to the the Socket 1155 Installation Document. Cheers, - jahman.

[Kosta 122]

I read the document, it seems very interesting. While being very very complicated, and sure has much more behind it than simple cleaning with ethylalcohol, it sure is a break from the standard applying mess of the Arctic Silver.The only downside as it seems to me is a very high cost. Around 20€ incl. shippment from online shop in UK, and that is for two applications? For 10€ I get a huge tube of Artic Silver for at least 20 applications... it stands in no relation.

[Humpty 751]

I would first check all fans on the cooler / cabinet. The best thermal paste to my knowledge is Artic MX-4.