Best Way To Apply Thermal Paste?

[Tender Loins]

I just bought mx-4 thermal paste, and I've seen many different opinions on the best method from pea, cross, line, spread, whatever.

So what should I use? Leaning on pea method but idk I've never done this before.

[Azza ☠]

What CPU and Heatsink do you have?

Never spread it, that's a major rocky mistake... use a pea or line and it will spread out by itself into a oval without air pockets.

It will depend on the CPU type to get the more optimal way - for example if it's Intel quad core, you would use a line across it to cover each core. On the other hand, AMD would be a dot in the middle.


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Firstly to clean off original thermal paste:

1. Detach the heatsink or waterblock from the CPU and remove the CPU from the motherboard.
2. Place both on a clean, flat working area with the thermal surfaces facing up.
3. Use a credit card or similar plastic piece to scrape off the majority of the pad. Be careful not to scratch the base of the heatsink.
4. Then use a cloth (lint free is important)

You need Isopropyl Alcohol, at least 70% or greatly... 90% if possible. Some places sell Isopropyl Alcohol pads for cleaning wounds, so long it's high enough content, they should do the trick as well as you can use multiple ones to clean and then discard with the alcohol already on and no lint. The higher the level of the alcohol, the quicker it dries and doesn't leave residue.

Paper towels can be used, but normally leave lint behind, so not recommended.

Rub in an outward motion, using clean folds of the pad/cloth or flipping it over. Repeat this process until your heatsink is nice and shiny with no traces of paste on it! No LINT, no HAIR, no DUST, and no FINGERPRINTS!


Look up your CPU type or thermal paste directions for the best thermal path...

For example: http://www.elitekiller.com/pics/AS5_application.jpg

Lets say you have a Intel Quad Core.

Since the quad core are two rectangular cores you will need to apply a thin straight line of compound above the core directly to the heatspreader. Be CAREFUL to apply the thermal compound in the CORRECT DIRECTION. Orient your CPU heatspreader with the triangle mark on the chip pointing down and to the left. With your tube of thermal grease, start at the left side of the heatspreader and move the tip of the syringe to about 1/4" in from the left edge. You will apply thermal compound horizontally across the heatspreader. Stop 1/4" from the right edge of the heatspreader.

So it's important to understand it's a single line only!

After you apply the line of thermal compound do NOT spread the line out yourself. This is where people make a rookie mistake.

When you place the heatsink on top of the heatspreader the thermal compound will spread out just like an oval pancake. This will insure proper thermal material coverage for your quad core. This will give you ZERO bubbles, full contact, and all your cores are cooled effectively.

Be sure to lower the heatsink straight down onto the CPU. Once the heatsink is properly mounted, grasp the heatsink and very gently twist it slightly clockwise and counterclockwise one time each if possible (Just one or two degrees or so). Then use some force to click it into locked/correct position.

Re-attach the fans, etc.

You need to run the system for 200 hours before optimal cooling has reached maximum conductivity. So run the PC as normal without overclocking, etc. After that temperature will often drop an additional 2C to 5C over this "break-in" period.

I personally activity 12 degrees lowered temperature compared to standard thermal.

[Tender Loins]

I'm getting an i7-2600 so the picture at the bottom right of that link is what I'll be using I suppose.

When you say reattach fans and all, what do you mean? You mean the fan attached to the heatsink? Because why can't you just leave the fan on when doing this if that's what you meant.

And can this all be done with the motherboard inside the case because I don't feel like taking it all out again : /

[YarpYarp]

Since there is a very discriptive explaination above, here is a video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2p6Hk4IfqI

[ZAP]

I use Gelid GC-Extreme and spread it with the included spatula. I prefer to have the intire IHS covered for maximum heat transfer as in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc7bCC1TmVg

It might not be totally needed in every case but my 5820K@4.9GHz seems to appriciate it.

[Azza ☠]

Originally posted by Patrick World-Star:

I'm getting an i7-2600 so the picture at the bottom right of that link is what I'll be using I suppose.

When you say reattach fans and all, what do you mean? You mean the fan attached to the heatsink? Because why can't you just leave the fan on when doing this if that's what you meant.

And can this all be done with the motherboard inside the case because I don't feel like taking it all out again : /

i7-2600 is a quad core CPU - You use the line across it to best cover all cores. When the heatsink is mounted on, slightly rotate it left and right a few degrees before clicking into place (just don't lift it up). You will find the line flattens by itself into an oval shape across all cores, without any gap.

I would still NOT recommend using a glob or spread method... you just don't need that much paste and it will actually start acting more as a blockage between the two component rather than a transfer. Less is more. Understand it's micro-gaps you are filling only to ensure there's no air pocket (as tiny gaps of air with no escape will just heat up inbetween the two component), directing the heat across (the more direct surface to surface, the better), not just covering the lot.

As for re-attaching the fans, that will depending on your CPU cooler. Most third party coolers, such as a Noctua NH-D15 for example are just a huge heatsink, the fans are attached afterwards. However, if you have a standard heatsink/fan setup, you won't need to separate them. Just don't forget plugging in the CPU fan power from the motherboard before running the system again. Check the fan is spinning upon startup.

If the heatsink is large, they normally come with a back plate to hold it stable on the motherboard. This normally means removing of the motherboard is also required. Unless your PC case has full access to the rear of the motherboard or your CPU heatsink doesn't require a backplate.

[Meurock460]

Originally posted by Patrick World-Star:

I just bought mx-4 thermal paste, and I've seen many different opinions on the best method from pea, cross, line, spread, whatever.

So what should I use? Leaning on pea method but idk I've never done this before.

I usually use the pea method. The paste tends to spread itself out as you attach the cooler and tighten the mounting system.

With this method, use only a pea size amount of paste (hence why its "called" the pea method) as too much paste can be just as harmful as too little.

[ZAP]

Originally posted by Azza ☠:

Originally posted by Patrick World-Star:

I'm getting an i7-2600 so the picture at the bottom right of that link is what I'll be using I suppose.

When you say reattach fans and all, what do you mean? You mean the fan attached to the heatsink? Because why can't you just leave the fan on when doing this if that's what you meant.

And can this all be done with the motherboard inside the case because I don't feel like taking it all out again : /

i7-2600 is a quad core CPU - You use the line across it to best cover all cores. When the heatsink is mounted on, slightly rotate it left and right a few degrees before clicking into place (just don't lift it up). You will find the line flattens by itself into an oval shape across all cores, without any gap.

I would still NOT recommend using a glob or spread method... you just don't need that much paste and it will actually start acting more as a blockage between the two component rather than a transfer. Less is more. Understand it's micro-gaps you are filling only to ensure there's no air pocket (as tiny gaps of air with no escape will just heat up inbetween the two component), directing the heat across (the more direct surface to surface, the better), not just covering the lot.

As for re-attaching the fans, that will depending on your CPU cooler. Most third party coolers, such as a Noctua NH-D15 for example are just a huge heatsink, the fans are attached afterwards. However, if you have a standard heatsink/fan setup, you won't need to separate them.

If the heatsink is large, they normally come with a back plate to hold it stable on the motherboard. This normally means removing of the motherboard is also required. Unless your PC case has full access to the rear of the motherboard or your CPU heatsink doesn't require a backplate.

The Integrated Heat Speader doesn't make full contact with the cooler unless it's fully covered with TIM. It's possble to spread a thinner layer than by using pressure.

I'm running one of the highest 24/7 clocks in the world for my CPU if that matters at all. Also, the dude in the video I posted is the #3 overclocker in the world.

[Tender Loins]

my motherboard is odd. it has a backplate that cant be removed because its from hp, so i had to get an hp custom fan. ok thanks everyone i think im good.

and again, im not overclocking because i cant, so perfect application of paste isnt really necessary.

[Azza ☠]

Originally posted by ZAP:

Originally posted by Azza ☠:

i7-2600 is a quad core CPU - You use the line across it to best cover all cores. When the heatsink is mounted on, slightly rotate it left and right a few degrees before clicking into place (just don't lift it up). You will find the line flattens by itself into an oval shape across all cores, without any gap.

I would still NOT recommend using a glob or spread method... you just don't need that much paste and it will actually start acting more as a blockage between the two component rather than a transfer. Less is more. Understand it's micro-gaps you are filling only to ensure there's no air pocket (as tiny gaps of air with no escape will just heat up inbetween the two component), directing the heat across (the more direct surface to surface, the better), not just covering the lot.

As for re-attaching the fans, that will depending on your CPU cooler. Most third party coolers, such as a Noctua NH-D15 for example are just a huge heatsink, the fans are attached afterwards. However, if you have a standard heatsink/fan setup, you won't need to separate them.

If the heatsink is large, they normally come with a back plate to hold it stable on the motherboard. This normally means removing of the motherboard is also required. Unless your PC case has full access to the rear of the motherboard or your CPU heatsink doesn't require a backplate.

The Integrated Heat Speader doesn't make full contact with the cooler unless it's fully covered with TIM. It's possble to spread a thinner layer than by using pressure.

I'm running one of the highest 24/7 clocks in the world for my CPU if that matters at all. Also, the dude in the video I posted is the #3 overclocker in the world.

I'm not saying it won't work, rather it's much more risky to get right. Someone, specially being his first time at it, can contaminate the paste with additional particles by spreading it.

A finger print, dust, or even a hair can cause major heat issues.

I've seen some people use fingers to spread (which is just nuts). Others use a tool which has tiny loose particles that end up in the paste.

Getting the right amount, very thin layer is also hard and most tend to use far too much, having it smear all out the sides.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Just go by the "pea sized blob in middle" if you are new to building.
Then as long as you sit the cooler carefully in the middle and then apply the needed preasure during installing it, the blob should spread out correctly and evenly. Once the cooler makes contact with paste, try your best not to move it around or take it off, thus avoiding the paste application coming out badly.

[ZAP]

Originally posted by Azza ☠:

Originally posted by ZAP:

The Integrated Heat Speader doesn't make full contact with the cooler unless it's fully covered with TIM. It's possble to spread a thinner layer than by using pressure.

I'm running one of the highest 24/7 clocks in the world for my CPU if that matters at all. Also, the dude in the video I posted is the #3 overclocker in the world.

I'm not saying it won't work, rather it's much more risky to get right. Someone, specially being his first time at it, can contaminate the paste with additional particles by spreading it.

A finger print, dust, or even a hair can cause major heat issues.

I've seen some people use fingers to spread (which is just nuts). Others use a tool which has tiny loose particles that end up in the paste.

Getting the right amount, very thin layer is also hard and most tend to use far too much, having it smear all out the sides.

All true. When spreading the trick is to push way harder than you think you need to.

I only use CPUs that have a die basically the size of the IHS so this is less critical for people on the mainstream platform for sure. This is just my best way as the OP asked. I'm kinda into TIM so I had to respond

[FluffyPinkDecoyBunny]

I've been doing this wrong the whole time.....I've been using my tongue!

Joking aside. I just put a little amount in the center (about half the size of a pea) and drizzle a very thin line near the edge (make a square) around the edges - sometimes the pea sized doesn't get a complete coverage and misses the corners/edges a little.

[Tender Loins]

i saw a video of a guy use the line method and it seemed to cover more than the pea. he used glass over it to demonstrate.

[Azza ☠]

Originally posted by Patrick World-Star:

i saw a video of a guy use the line method and it seemed to cover more than the pea. he used glass over it to demonstrate.

As mentioned in my first post, if you wish to use the line method:

"Since the quad core are two rectangular cores you will need to apply a thin straight line of compound above the core directly to the heatspreader. Be CAREFUL to apply the thermal compound in the CORRECT DIRECTION. Orient your CPU heatspreader with the triangle mark on the chip pointing down and to the left. With your tube of thermal grease, start at the left side of the heatspreader and move the tip of the syringe to about 1/4" in from the left edge. You will apply thermal compound horizontally across the heatspreader. Stop 1/4" from the right edge of the heatspreader."

The line method directs the heat flow between all four cores to the middle and upwards to the heat sink, when done correctly.

[Tender Loins]

yeha this is what im going to do. i get the science behind it all, you want it there to remove airspace, but you dotn want too much because its less conductive than metla to metal which is what it would be if the heatsink and cpu touched, so the thicker the stuff, the ahrder it is for heat to transfer.

thats what ive learned.