Replacing CPU fan and heat sink: Thermal paste/pad question.

Wisewiz · Jun 5, 2024

Many thanks for all your help in this thread, Jason. Points above.

jvickers · Jun 5, 2024

Wisewiz said:
Many thanks for all your help in this thread, Jason. Points above.

Thanks, Dan. Good luck with the new heat sink and installation.

TM21 · Jun 5, 2024

I've not bought a new Heat Sink fan in oh so many years.
However, when mine gets noisy, it's usually because it's Dirty.
That's one of those things we don't even think about till it's screaming at us, "Clean Me!".

I just remove the fan from the heat-sink, and clean the blades using Q-Tips and a cleaning solution.
(they are Fragile, so be careful)*

* I'll clean the CPU heat sink with a soft brush and a vacuum cleaner crevice tool.

Then, if I've not done it already, I will poke a tiny hole in the center of the label on the back of the fan motor,
and inject a drop or two of a Fine Machine Oil. I still have several Pocket Oilers, that I got from Radio Shack, years ago.
They work great for oiling little PC fans.

Waste not, want not!

TM

Likewise, I clean and oil, GPU fans, case fans, and even the fans inside of the PSU.

Rollback_Jockey · Jun 5, 2024

Wisewiz said:
@Ghot

Thanks for that. Very instructive video. But where does the guy get those little glass squares to press the paste with?

Laboratory suppliers?

hdmi · Jun 5, 2024

The spread method shown in the video above is the best hands down. You can take it a few steps further:

Use blue painter's tape (masking tape) around the CPU, then spread. Put the tape 1/32nd of an inch in on the CPU itself. After application, peel off the tape for a perfect application. When you apply the cooler, it will squeeze perfectly to the edge and not drop to motherboard or glob underneath the CPU.
Instead of spreading with a plastic spatula or smearing with your finger while wearing a rubber glove, just wrap your finger with some plastic wrap, then smear.
Spread and then place a small dot in the middle so there are no potential air bubbles.
For coolers with exposed heat pipes on the cold plate, use the spread method in the little gaps on the cold plate before mounting. What's left on the spreader after doing the CPU is usually enough.
Read the part about tinting the heatsink and metal cap from this document: http://www.arcticsilver.com/PDF/appmeth/amd/vl/amd_app_method_vl_1.3.pdf

bobkn · Jun 5, 2024

Wisewiz said:
@Ghot

Thanks for that. Very instructive video. But where does the guy get those little glass squares to press the paste with?

It may have been mentioned already, but the glass plates were just used to illustrate the flow of the paste.

I would never use one to press out the paste. When you remove it, it might cause a mess that could have pockets that trap air.

I've applied paste using the little spatula. I've also done single blobs, multiple dots, and lines. I have never tried to do a semi-scientific comparison. I've seen online reviews of pastes, but I suspect that technique may matter more than paste make.

If you really want to go for broke, the liquid metal compounds are clearly the best. They are highly conductive, so keeping them from destroying your CPU or motherboard is a bit of a trick. They may also attack the metal base of the heatsink, I believe (even though they probably don't contain mercury).

Wisewiz · Jun 5, 2024

bobkn said:
It may have been mentioned already, but the glass plates were just used to illustrate the flow of the paste.

Hi, @bobkn ! I was just pulling @Ghot's leg a couple of times there. The glass plates did an excellent job of showing how different applications of paste dispersed when pressure (as from the heat sink) was applied. That's all they were supposed to do. The maker of the video never intended that we should use little glass plates ourselves.

Thanks for clarifying, though, in case somebody comes along and is misled by either my joking around OR the video's actual use of little glass plates.

Dan

Winuser · Jun 5, 2024

Wisewiz said:
And then there's the problem of the little glass squares. I'm all out of those just now. And cuttting glass has never been one of my strong suits. I wind up cutting myself as much as the glass.

I would never use a piece of glass. If the glass was to break I'm sure the blood from the cut finger and pieces of glass would be a pain to clean up. Back in the days when I use to do it I used a drop of Artic Silver in the center and the heat sink to to press out the drop. I also wouldn't remove the heat sink to check out how it spread. If I did I would have cleaned off the paste and start over.

bobkn · Jun 5, 2024

Winuser said:
I would never use a piece of glass. If the glass was to break I'm sure the blood from the cut finger and pieces of glass would be a pain to clean up. Back in the days when I use to do it I used a drop of Artic Silver in the center and the heat sink to to press out the drop. I also wouldn't remove the heat sink to check out how it spread. If I did I would have cleaned off the paste and start over.

But the sacrifice of blood might improve the cooling performance.

Wisewiz · Jun 5, 2024

Hold it right there! This is my thread, and I'll have no discussions of blood sacrifices in it! You hear? :zany:

Wizardry, okay. Witchcraft, definitely not! :dizzy:

Wisewiz · Jun 5, 2024

Winuser said:
Back in the days when I use to do it I used a drop of Artic Silver in the center and the heat sink to to press out the drop.

That's exactly what I intend to do. I've ordered the Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut paste, and it'll be here before the new heatsink-fan arrives. Had to get the new parts from the US, and the vendor wanted more than the cost of the part to ship the part to me in Canada, so I had them ship it to my son in Florida (free, because vendor is in Florida, too, and USPS service for the transfer was just one day). Said son (Scott: "That Software Guy" on the Web) received it this AM and has already relabeled it and passed it to UPS for transfer to me. Costs much less than the vendor wanted.

Thanks for the support, Winuser!

Ww

TM21 · Jun 5, 2024

The only time I get out the 44 yr old container of Thermal Paste, is when I absolutely MUST separate the cpu from its heat sink.
Then I'll carefully clean off the old paste, and reapply a thin covering of new paste to Cover the top of the CPU.
Then put on the heat-sink and lock'er down.

That little one ounce container of Thermal Paste has lasted me for 44 years now. Kind of like that Hair Goo..... "a little dab will do ya!"

Cheers Mates,
TM

Wisewiz · Jun 5, 2024

Thanks, TM. And for your #63 above. All of this input from so many members has given me all the confidence I need to get the job done, and well done.

BTW, my PCs are in a controlled temp office with hardwood flooring and no carpets anywhere near. The office is cleaned thoroughly and mopped very week by our housekeeper. The amount of dust I find in my cases every year when I take them out to the deck and blow them out is negligible.

Nevertheless, I DO blow them out once a year. But I can't access the fan blades in the PSU or the fan blades in the CPU heatsink-fan device (fused together), so if I hear noise inside the machine, and if it's coming from the CPU cooling package, the best thing for me to do is replace the CPU cooling package. And so it goes.

PerpetualCycle · Jun 5, 2024

My workplace was prestige asfaras dust - cleaning, individual crack wit HEPA filters. . Wish my home was like that. A dust bomb with two shedder dogs

flhthemi · Jun 5, 2024

Just wondering....might be wrong but isn't the hottest part of a CPU the center and maybe that's why the various applications in the video were all close to each others temperatures?

Wisewiz · Jun 5, 2024

pparks1 · Jun 5, 2024

I didn't realize there was so much to talk about with respect to this topic. I usually just do a small pea sized amount in the middle for anything that didn't have the paste already on it. I've never pulled a cooler to reapply.

Wisewiz · Jun 5, 2024

pparks1 said:
I didn't realize there was so much to talk about with respect to this topic.

I certainly didn't either. I tried to shut it down last night, assuming that everything that needed saying had been said. No such luck.

antspants · Jun 5, 2024

I’m about to post my recipe for Mustard Sauce.

antspants · Jun 5, 2024

Here we go:

Make this closer to serving time, so the liquid is stewed properly.
I have been making Corned Beef for near 50 years since my mother taught me at very young age.

Mustard Sauce:

1 Cup of liquid from the pot you’re making the Corned Beef in (strain the onion and stuff from it)
1 TBS (Table Spoon) of plain flour
1 TBS Brown Sugar
1 TBS Butter
2 TBS of Brown Malt Vinegar (Or just brown)
1 TBS of Mustard Powder (Maybe a tad more)
1 EGG

I take the hot liquid, add the Brown Sugar so it dissolves and put in the butter so melts. (Easier when the liquid is still hot)
Once the butter is melted (give it a stir to help) add the Vinegar while the liquid is cooling down. (Make sure it’s cool before proceeding)

This is important: (avoid adding egg to a hot liquid)

Take the egg and crack it in a separate cooking bowl & beat it with a whisk until it’s mixed and separated really well.
Add the flower & Mustard Powder to the egg and whisk again until all the flour and mustard powder are mixed into the egg properly.
I believe it’s much easier to add powders to cold and mix straight away as it helps prevent the powders going gluggy, as it can in a hot liquid.

Once the liquid with the butter and vinegar in it is completely cool, add the liquid to the mixed egg, flour and mustard powder.
It’s important the liquid is cool before adding the egg mix or it will start to turn white and cause lumps because it’s partially cooked due to a hot liquid.

Stir in together whith a whisk.

Place all the mixed ingredients into a saucepan, put it on a medium heat and continue stirring constantly until the sauce goes thick.

Put it on your meal, or chug it down in a pint glass (I won’t judge)

This is also important:

When slow cooking the Corned Beef, add some mixed pickling herbs if you can buy them OR just use about 10 peppercorns and about 2 of bay leaves and a 4 cloves.
Chop an onion finely and place it all in the water that is just covering the corned beef.
Add a quarter of a cup of Brown Malt Vinegar and a quarter of a cop of Brown Sugar to the water.
Cover with a lid, simmering for as long as you can.

Enjoy.

Replacing CPU fan and heat sink: Thermal paste/pad question.

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