i will be receiving my replacement mobo (ABIT kn9 sli) in the next few days

just remembered i will need to get some of this cpu thermal paste for the heatsink / cpu

Where should i buy it from? Internet?

what make, since i will only ever need to do this once or a few times (if unsuccessful)...... is there a very cheap option? , i know there is Arctic silver

also, is it neccessary to clean the heatsink and processor surface with a spirit before re-seating them? I have at the moment just scraped off the sticky stuff off with a Card, is that sufficient?

Any video tutorials anyone knows of will be appreciated

i have AM2 Socket AMD 64 3800+ (single) on an AM2 motherboard

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last time I looked (a couple of yrs ago) the best in the world was Shin-Etsu G751 thermal paste. Followed by artic silver ceramique.

Technology may have moved on since then though.
Buy it through the net tbh

Also, you can buy thermal paste remover from maplins in manchester (I know they stock em, because I've seen it). Its in a white bottle, citrus aroma. Just ask or go to components section


Remember the thermal paste is ONLY there to fill in the microsize pits on the mating metal sufaces of the cpu to the heatsink.
Anymore and it will insulate rather than aid transfer. Apply using an old credit card very, very thinly

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My weekly run in Kinder Scout (17 miles, 2000ft above sea level)http://tinyurl.com/4hcpn

ey? i was under the impression you squeeze out a tiny drop on the centre of the chip, then place the heatsink on it? what point does a credit card come into applying new paste? I probly have this wrong because i actually remember the way the heatsink had sticky edges around the edges or something? cant remember..was 3 months ago and the paste came on it...

might need to see a vid tut of this if there is any, must be surely.

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dependant on how you removed the previous gunk from cpu/hsf, jetwash, sandblasted, electric sander

the credit card method ensures any 'pits' on the cpu and hsf are covered without any trapped air

but then again, i may be wrong

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mmmmYou sir, are a swaggering addlepated jackanapes!
m

I have always used the credit card method, I feel the center blob method a bit too random. Wouldn't it squeeze out of the edges and not reach teh corners? Still people of repute have said both methods work so perhaps they both do.

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Don't worry Sony, I'll just cancel my date of birth and get a new one.

ok i am not feeling confident about doing this any more

can someone give me a link for some suitable paste so i can order some?
failing that i am in manchester on monday so i can pick some up then perhaps..

also as i asked above does anyone know if it is neccessary to clean the heatsink and processor surface with a spirit before re-seating them? I have at the moment just scraped off the sticky stuff off with a Card, is that sufficient?

i think the previous method (there was some sticky stuff on the heatsink already, cant remember where though but if i look on the heatsink it looks just like a square of grey dirty in the centre from where i scraped it off on removal and on the processor it just looks a bit dirty, hard to clean because of the pins..

also, the credit card method, should it cover the cpu completely? I don't feel confident about the methadology of doing it...how much paste to apply, how to physically spread it with a card..

i so need a vid tutorial

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Theres a guide on arctic silver that says they find the blob method more effective as it makes sure there is no air trapped (you might "fold" in air with a credit card), and also as the core is in the middle, and the heat spreader doesnt spread it to the very edges. Theyve done loads of tests or something, but basically, in the end spreading to the corners is too much effort and doesnt make a difference in temps.

They say 3/4's of a BB in the center of the heat spreader, then push it down.

I took my spreader off and theres a circle about the diameter of the chip, so you only really miss the corners.

Arctic silver 5 is better than arctic silver ceramique, not sure about that other stuff.

One small tube is about £3 and you can do probably 10+ CPUs as you only need a tiny amount.

For cleaning off, use isoclene or whitespirit.

edit: just looked at that guide again: http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

They say use the credit card on open cores, blob on ones with spreaders

I got the price wrong, cheapest I found it was on ebay: h4xttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180028081670

in most tests ceramique performs better (was developed later). I used both.
Also on a side note I ended up arguing on HardCOP with the OWNER of Artic Silver about 5 odd years back. Kyle from hard ocp told me he's like that and to ignore him.

Just dont get artic silver on any other components - it killed my old 4600 ti gfx card



Mike - get on trillo and I'll talk u through it. I wont be on till 9pm on Friday though in the cs channel. Done loads of em for my machines.

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My weekly run in Kinder Scout (17 miles, 2000ft above sea level)http://tinyurl.com/4hcpn

i wont have the motherboard or the paste by that time, waiting to receive the board, and yet to buy paste, but thanks for the offer to help


and thanks for advise, (going to read through the links carefully just posted now)

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careful i once broke a bit off the die by doing this (k maybe that wasn't helpful)

rmove the old paste with a soft tissue...very gentle and carefully...then put a small film of paste on the die

good paste makes a difference of 2-3 °C i think so it's not the world but id go for the expensive stuff

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any 1/2 decent past will do - waht u gone do overclock it 50%

the square gunk is usally good enough - i see aprox 500 pc`s made a week and its fine for them

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i would do that if i had more confidence in my mobo and psu, but i dont as it stands..

the kn9 sli has had some marks made in a few reviews saying it's not the best at overclocking

and i am scared my 450watt smart power 2 seems as though it is only just coping with the current demand so i don't want to push my luck

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grab me anytime in game then and ask me to go into trillo> ill talk u thru it

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My weekly run in Kinder Scout (17 miles, 2000ft above sea level)http://tinyurl.com/4hcpn

i don't know what that means exactly, i'm a noob

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/signed.

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The Road!