new heatsink and thermal compound

[andreadebiase]

Hello,
soon I will receive a new heatsink w/ fan. So far I dealt with heat sinks carrying a thermal pad on the bottom and it was easy.....just remove the protective plastic strap and stick it on top http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif, but this time I am going to receive a tube of thermal paste that I have to “squirt” like toothpaste on top of the processor. The processor I have is a Duron. I would like to know if there is anything I should be aware of before making a mess http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/mad.gif How much I have to put? a very thin or thick layer? where exactly? (I guess all over the central core only), is it going to leak on the mobo when the processor will be hot (by gravity, considering the mobo is 90 degrees with the ground)? Is my old heat sink with thermal pad re-usable? Do I have to remove any leftovers from the old heat sink on top of central core?

thanks

[blazer2boy]

Andreadebiase

I believe that you should use it sparingly. Too much is worse than not enough. So a Verrrrry thin layer is best.

As far as the Old heatsink you should be able to reuse it on another processor of the same type.


Cheers http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Blazer

[Reid]

Yes, use a thin layer of heatsink compound, just thick enough so that you can't see through the layer, and apply just to the CPU core in the center.

The thermal patches are phase-change material and can only be used once. I have read that mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol may be used to remove the material. Just use a few drops on a clean cloth. Thicker parts may have to be lightly scraped first.

I found this Agilent (http://www.semiconductor.agilent.com/arcticooler/html/techtalk.html) information that says the heatsink temperature must be greater than 51C before the phase-change material will properly convert, so they recommend that the fans of their Arctic Cooler be disabled after installation until the CPU reaches 65C. I think that helps document that heatsink paste compound is the preferred material.


------------------
reido@my-deja.com

Friends don't let friends install Windows ME

[sleddog]

Use a thin layer -- no more than paper thickness -- spread evenly over the central raised 'die' of the CPU. Try to spread it evenly using a straight-edge piece of plastic or something, but don't get obsessive about it http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif The pressure of the heatsink will squish out excess. If you use only a thin layer only a little will get squished out. And no, it won't run and get on other components. Even if it did it's not dangerous. White silicon compound is electrically non-conductive.

The thermal pad will leave residue on the die. You should first clean the die with rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth. Likewise clean the surface of the heatsink... some are packaged with a protective layer of oil or grease which you should definitely get off.

You need to be *very* careful installing a heatsink on a Duron, its possible to cruch the edgesof the die by applying pressure to the heatsink when it isn't exactly level on the die. I *highly* recommend that, if possible, you remove the motherboard from the case to install the heatsink. May seem like a lot of trouble, but it may be less trouble in the long run. Often it's difficult to get the heatsink on level and there's an increased chance of damage when working with your hands all jammed up in the case.

------------------
sleddog
[sleddog.f2s.com] (http://www.sleddog.f2s.com)

[andreadebiase]

Do i really need to disable the fan to get the thermal paste to "phase-change" temperature? until i get to load Win and the sofware to check temp. I`ll "cook" the cpu don`t I? oh! i forgot, i can monitor the temperature in the Bios and this should be fast and give me enought time to swich off the pc and re-attach the fan right?

[Reid]

No, thermal paste does not undergo a phase-change, just the thermal patches that are pre-installed on some heatsinks. Do not leave the fan disconnected. I have always read that the paste compounds are preferred over the phase-change material. I just put that link in to show one reason why paste should be the preferred material.

Check this AMD Duron (http://www1.amd.com/duron/config) link for cooling solutions and installation information.

------------------
reido@my-deja.com

Friends don't let friends install Windows ME



[This message has been edited by Reid (edited 03-19-2001).]