Thermal Paste Question

[GrizzGolf]

So my H7 heat sink finally got here for my i5 8400. It came with thermal paste. Do I just put some the size of rice on my CPU and spread it or do I just put the heat sink on it and it does the rest for me?

[Monk]

Do you it came pre applied or a separate tube? If pre applied, just fit it as is, if a separate tube, yeah just a pea in the centre and bolt the cooler on, no real need to spread it the clamping force will take care of that, if you do choose to spread it (I do personally) don't use your finger unless it's in a glove or plastic bag etc and ensure an even distribution, though only the centre really gets hot and needs it, all applications tend to run identical temps within margin if error.

Good luck.

[GrizzGolf]

引用自 Monk：

Do you it came pre applied or a separate tube? If pre applied, just fit it as is, if a separate tube, yeah just a pea in the centre and bolt the cooler on, no real need to spread it the clamping force will take care of that, if you do choose to spread it (I do personally) don't use your finger unless it's in a glove or plastic bag etc and ensure an even distribution, though only the centre really gets hot and needs it, all applications tend to run identical temps within margin if error.

Good luck.

It came as a separate tube. If i get nervous and spread it out how much should I spread it out?

[_I_]

if the cpu and cooler surfaces are flat, a dot abot half the size of a pea is enough

if its rough like the 212+/evo using a credit card to fill in the gaps, then scrape it off and add a dot the size of a grain of rice works best

spreading it causes bubbles when they surfaces are pressed together
giving it a dot (high spot) and squishing presses out the air

[Raoul]

there's not too much difference with the methods but putting too less or way too much can be bad on a cpu. I would say go with the pea sized method it's safe and after you put it all together make sure you monitor your temps etc you should be fine tbh. Also when assembling the heatsink put all screws in slowly so it spreads out as evenly as possibly on all sides. GL

[GrizzGolf]

Well if it’s safe I’ll give it a shot just adding the heatsink. I was always taught to spread it out so I was shocked that people put a pea sized amount on and then attach the heatsink

[Raoul]

引用自 GrizzGolf：

Well if it’s safe I’ll give it a shot just adding the heatsink. I was always taught to spread it out so I was shocked that people put a pea sized amount on and then attach the heatsink

well its not much that you need cause you only literally need a very thin spread to cover it and it's more important for the heatsink to have a good connection in the first place. You run the problem of overshooting the amount when you spread and heat issues happen when heatsinks aren't connected tightly enough. Make sure its finger tight and no movement and you should be good to go. Take a note on how much you put this time and later down th eline when you take the heatsink off for any reason see how it had spread for better judgement the next time you apply. GL

[Arya]

引用自 GrizzGolf：

Well if it’s safe I’ll give it a shot just adding the heatsink. I was always taught to spread it out so I was shocked that people put a pea sized amount on and then attach the heatsink

Thermal Paste has more urban myths around it than the Chupacabra, Bigfoot and the Illuminati put together. And they're all about as untrue.

Spreading paste yourself is one such myth. At best it means you're using far too much paste. At worst it'll go absolutely everywhere when you put the heatsink on and create a huge mess. It's also totally unnecessary because CPU coolers spread the paste evenly for you.

Put a bead of paste directly on the CPU's top plate(the IHS). You want a bead roughly the size of a Baby Pea or a large grain of rize. Now put the CPU Cooler assembly on and press it down firmly until it Bites onto it's mounts. Give each mount two turns, then move to the next mount, rotating through the two or four mounts with two turns each. This lowers the cooler evenly and ensures the Thermal Paste spreads evenly.

A couple of other myths that I hear a lot...

> Choosing Thermal Paste is super cereal

Not really. Most of the mainstream brands will return effectively the same temps. Thermal Grizzly performs a lot better, but even it only provides a mild improvement for a major cost increase. It's only a sensible option for Overclockers and Power Users with money to burn.

> If you make ANY mistake applying thermal paste your PC will EXPLODE and kill you

Modern CPUs have Throttling systems to prevent them reaching a dangerous temperature. And if throttling doesn't help, they automatically shut off before damage can be done. You can run your CPU without any CPU cooler, it'll throttle like crazy and run like crap, but it will still work. Barely

> You MUST change your Thermal Paste every year or your PC will ASPLODE and destroy
the entire universe

That was sort-of true a few years ago. Older pastes would eventually burn out and overheat the CPU, and be a misery to clean off. Like baked-on lasagna. Modern pastes are infinitely better and should last 3+ years without any degradation. Use a quality paste like MX5 or NH-T1 and this ceases to be a problem - your PC will be obsolete before the paste can bake.