hi as a few of you know i,m a noobie when it comes to building a pc so have been looking on vids and tutriols and how to build,i,m getting confused which is best for applying the paste,So whats is the best way,2 vids showing how to do it but which is better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7rPqCvCt0g&feature=related from 42 secs in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3gx6c62D7I&feature=relmfu from 3.25 mins in

Can't watch the videos at work but its pretty simple. Smear your product of choice over HS, even & thin, put onto CPU.

Theres something about leaving it out on the side for xx amount of time or something or other but meh, when I get new kit I want to throw it together as soon as possible

As for what to use to smear... One of those plastic glue things is best but I've used credit cards and coasters before

i always smear it in a spiral from outside to inside. then let the heatsink do the spreading. not had a cpu fail yet. which is a bad thing to say!

Quote from: Brian_A on January 13, 2011, 12:52:47 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7rPqCvCt0g&feature=related from 42 secs in.

That's how I and I imagine most people do it, you just need a thin layer, I doubt how it gets there matters 

theres also a rule of thumb about cleaning every last spec of old paste off the cpu first... personally I just give it a qucik once over and its always been enough

Quote from: Rivkid on January 13, 2011, 13:10:45 PM
theres also a rule of thumb about cleaning every last spec of old paste off the cpu first... personally I just give it a qucik once over and its always been enough

I have a bottle of this for when I need to remove it, TIM clean just rips through it, it's wicked 

I swear I have a bottle of TIM clean somewhere but down know where, it is legendary stuff though 

As for applying it, I always get a bit of cling film and wrap it over my index finger, it makes the perfect smooth applicator. You just need a good sized blob stuck on the end of your cling filmed finger and then gently smear it over the CPU evenly.

To clean them i'd advise running it under a tap, but make sure its cold or you will damage the processor.  Ok, don't do that.

When i apply i use a Credit Card or something similar.

Quote from: Clock'd 0Ne on January 13, 2011, 13:21:50 PM

As for applying it, I always get a bit of cling film and wrap it over my index finger, it makes the perfect smooth applicator. You just need a good sized blob stuck on the end of your cling filmed finger and then gently smear it over

Not even asking where you learnt that technique, but I suspect Alan might have been involved....

Quote from: Bacon on January 13, 2011, 13:24:15 PM
To clean them i'd advise running it under a tap, but make sure its cold or you will damage the processor.  Ok, don't do that.



now im not that stupid,Oh hang on i did spill drink on my mb and blew it up,so maybe i am 

Smearing all over the chip isn't the best method anymore, it used to be before heatspreads on CPU's became mainstream, with the extra surface area it can lead to air bubbles being trapped between the 2 surfaces. 

I now use the cross method, I first of all polish both surfaces of the CPU and heatsink with a small amount of thermal compound on a tissue, then make a thin cross with thermal compound on the CPU going from corner to corner covering about ¾ of the diagonal length, then do the same on the other diagonal, it doesn't matter if you have a little more where the 2 lines meet in the centre,  when you push the heatsink down onto the chip any air has a easy path out from in-between, without being trapped by thermal compound on another area of the chip 

Quote from: Shaun on January 13, 2011, 16:58:22 PM
Smearing all over the chip isn't the best method anymore, it used to be before heatspreads on CPU's became mainstream, with the extra surface area it can lead to air bubbles being trapped between the 2 surfaces. 

I now use the cross method, I first of all polish both surfaces of the CPU and heatsink with a small amount of thermal compound on a tissue, then make a thin cross with thermal compound on the CPU going from corner to corner covering about ¾ of the diagonal length, then do the same on the other diagonal, it doesn't matter if you have a little more where the 2 lines meet in the centre,  when you push the heatsink down onto the chip any air has a easy path out from in-between, without being trapped by thermal compound on another area of the chip 

did they not cover differential flow of thermal compound between dissimilar surfaces on your computer enginnering degree course? your cpu is royally f**ked fella, switch off now and redo it!!!!

Same as clock'd 0Ne, but don't waste time with the cling film

ok thanks guys i go with the clingfilm on finger then.

Quote from: shofty on January 13, 2011, 20:50:36 PM

Quote from: Shaun on January 13, 2011, 16:58:22 PM
Smearing all over the chip isn't the best method anymore, it used to be before heatspreads on CPU's became mainstream, with the extra surface area it can lead to air bubbles being trapped between the 2 surfaces. 

I now use the cross method, I first of all polish both surfaces of the CPU and heatsink with a small amount of thermal compound on a tissue, then make a thin cross with thermal compound on the CPU going from corner to corner covering about ¾ of the diagonal length, then do the same on the other diagonal, it doesn't matter if you have a little more where the 2 lines meet in the centre,  when you push the heatsink down onto the chip any air has a easy path out from in-between, without being trapped by thermal compound on another area of the chip 

did they not cover differential flow of thermal compound between dissimilar surfaces on your computer enginnering degree course? your cpu is royally f**ked fella, switch off now and redo it!!!!

As somebody who has experience of using both phase-change and water cooling and had the 4th fastest Orb score for a AMD based system, that  I need the basics covered in a degree course quoted to me thank you.