I scratched my ninja

DanW · Post by **DanW** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:32 pm

when I was first installing the ninja I had a few problems. When I removed the thermal pad to make sure it wasn't that I accidently scratched the bottom of the heat sink.

Is the scratch going to make much difference to cooling ability?

And if I decide to put another thermal pad on the bottom on the ninja will one pad be enough? and will it thransfer enough heat to be effective?

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:55 pm

Hello Dan,

Where is the scratch, and can you feel it with your fingernail? If it is too deep, and/or if it is near the center, then it will affect the heat transfer, and you probably should "lap" it.

I use a small piece of polished stone (granite or marble), or any truely flat surface will do, and use some wet sand paper -- and it takes a fair amount of elbow grease, too.

You might even get it to be better than new?

Post by **MikeC** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:55 pm

It's got to be a pretty big scratch to make any real difference. And what kind of pads are you talking about? You should be using the TIM goop that came with the Ninja.

nici · Post by **nici** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:58 pm

What kind of scratch? If you scratched it with your nail it's nothing, if you scratched with an axe or chainsaw you might have a problem.

As always with thermal interface material, the thinner the better. It's just there to fill the tiny imperfections in the surface.

DanW · Post by **DanW** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:51 am

nici wrote:What kind of scratch? If you scratched it with your nail it's nothing, if you scratched with an axe or chainsaw you might have a problem.

with a screwdriver.

MikeC wrote:You should be using the TIM goop that came with the Ninja.

The white stuff that came in a small packet? Yeah I'm using that at the moment.

The pads I'm talking about are Asaka "ShinEtsu" thermal interface pads.

JazzJackRabbit · Post by **JazzJackRabbit** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 12:14 pm

MikeC wrote:It's got to be a pretty big scratch to make any real difference. And what kind of pads are you talking about? You should be using the TIM goop that came with the Ninja.

Would depend on the scratch. If the "scratch" has raised edges as most of them do it will elevate heatink and definitely affect contact.

TicTac · Post by **TicTac** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 2:21 pm

On my Ninja I thought that was thermalpaste so I used AS5 instead thinking it would be better. . .
Why should one use the white stuff?

Gorsnak · Post by **Gorsnak** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 11:52 pm

Arctic Silver will be marginally better than the generic white thermal grease supplied with the heatsink. Either will be superior to a thermal pad.