Ways of applying thermal paste: which could be the best way?

[javitxi]

Hi,

I've searched through the forum and I haven't found anything, so sorry if it was posted early.

Looking for different methods, I've come across with these 2 videos on youtube shows many methods:

video1
video2

The reason for which you put thermal paste on chips with heatsink is to fill the space between the chip and the heatsink, so the thermal transmission is improved.

As the videos demonstrate, the spread method was the worst because of air bubbles. I thought that with the spread method you ensure not to mess the rest of the chip and cover the whole area. Someone does this method with some solid plastic card while others spread the paste with the finger with a plastic glove on. I though that the spread method + finger spreading was the best because you put a thin -more or less- uniform surface.

As the user of the first video states:

"It is not necessary to cover the whole CPU/heat spreader. Because most of the heat is concentrated around the core area which is at the center. Hence the center of the CPU is more important"

and his theory over here, which also resembles that spread method is not so bad (although we have the fact of air bubbles).

Also, some people claims that there are 2 methods: one for CPU and another different for GPU.

So, what do you think about?

Many thanks for your feedback & suggestions

[Parappaman]

I think the best method is the X: making a X whit the syringe and letting the heatsink pressure spread it. It has the advantage of both the pea and the even spreading, without any of the drawbacks. Try it and let me know!

[Lawrence Lee]

Depends on the CPU - the die layouts differ. For example the cores on Intel quad core chips are layed out in a line, so dropping a pea-sized dollop at the center is only optimal for the middle cores.

[lm]

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silv ... ctions.htm

There are separate instructions for each type of core.

[javitxi]

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silv ... ctions.htm

There are separate instructions for each type of core.

So according to Artic Silver 5 manuals:

- for i-7s,5s, Quads and Duals the best method is the line
- for Monocores from Intel and Quads, Duals and Monocores from AMD, the dot
- for small cores from Intel & AMD, spread method

So, I suppose these methods are the same to the GPUs: depending on the architecture and surface exposed you will do line, dot/pea or spread method. Am I correct?

Then, if you don't know what kind of structure has your chip, probably X method can be the best method, can't it?

Also, I've read that you shall use a different thermal paste for GPUs. For example, Artic Silver 5 to CPU and Artic Ceramique to GPU. What is the real difference /reason that you shall use two different thermal pastes?

AS5 has better thermal conductance than Ceramique, but while AS5 is not conductive, it may make some capacitance issues if dropped in the wrong place. Meanwhile, Ceramique is a perfect insulator as well as Alumina and MX.

In the ohter hand Artic Silver 5, as the webpage resembles, is the top performance of the 4: 3 to 12 ºC less at full load.

Many thanks for your replies