air bubbles?

Rashio_UK · Jul 30, 2003

hi,
just a quick question about air bubbles?

i just put the thermal paste down with the hsf on when i lifted it up and found it had pockets in so i put some more thermal paste down and now i dont know if there is air bubbles in it.

so how do i know?

thanks

palee72 · Jul 30, 2003

I would think that if you have air bubbles in it, you're putting it on too thick. A little goes a long way. Put it on nice and thin. Rub some into the core, and rub it into the heatsink. Then place a thin film of it on the core. Use a razor blade to thin and level it.

stompah · Jul 30, 2003

When you put it on too thick the paste likes to pull back with the heatsink and leave little mountains around teh edges.

But no matter how thick you lay it on if you arent squeezing it out then your mounting clip isnt tight enough and that is the greater problem.

Rashio_UK · Jul 30, 2003

well i have all ready put the thermal paste(as3) on 2 days ago but i have not turned it on yet so will the paste still be wet if not how can i take the paste off?

Yodums · Jul 30, 2003

Are you applying it right? Did you follow the instructions to put it on? http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

What I do is squeeze about a pea size drop onto the heatsink and transfer little by little using a blade onto the core to spread it then I rub the rest into the heatsink.

Are you sure the paste itself is good? Are you cleaning the core and base of the heatsink with alcohol and not something like water?

Just checkin'

Yodums

pik4chu · Jul 30, 2003

also, I dont think as3 will ever really "dry" unless its the epoxy kind. mine's still 'wet' after like 2 years of running it.

stompah · Jul 30, 2003

Yodums 'PEA-SIZED'... dude I use a drop less than half the size of a grain of rice and still its too much.

InThrees · Jul 31, 2003

Yah, 'pea-sized' has to be a mistake, that's enough grease for 10 HSFs.

Rashio, the #1 newbie mistake (and I'm not using 'newbie' in any sort of insulting fashion) is to use TOO MUCH thermal paste.

The only reason you want thermal paste is to replace the miniscule amount of air that would exist between your cpu and HSF surface - that's it. Spread it on really really thin, rub it in to both the HSF and core (after cleaning with high-test rubbing alcohol) and then spread a SUPAR-THIN layer over the core, a layer so thin you can easily see through it. It doesn't have to be perfect - the most important part is the rubbing-it-in part.

You should be able to all of this with about 1/4 to 1/2 of an uncooked grain of rice-sized amount of AS3, as stompah said.

CPFitz14 · Jul 31, 2003

Keep in mind though, if he's using the newer "Ceramique" its a little bit harder to spread. I found myself using a little bit more than usual, because its not quite so easy to smooth it around. However, my temperatures dropped ~2C.

Even if you used to much thermal grease, there will never be air bubbles, the mounting clip/holes/whatever should hold it down nice and tight.

-CPFitz-

Melhisedek · Jul 31, 2003

InThrees said:
Yah, 'pea-sized' has to be a mistake, that's enough grease for 10 HSFs.

Rashio, the #1 newbie mistake (and I'm not using 'newbie' in any sort of insulting fashion) is to use TOO MUCH thermal paste.

The only reason you want thermal paste is to replace the miniscule amount of air that would exist between your cpu and HSF surface - that's it. Spread it on really really thin, rub it in to both the HSF and core (after cleaning with high-test rubbing alcohol) and then spread a SUPAR-THIN layer over the core, a layer so thin you can easily see through it. It doesn't have to be perfect - the most important part is the rubbing-it-in part.

You should be able to all of this with about 1/4 to 1/2 of an uncooked grain of rice-sized amount of AS3, as stompah said.

Easily see through it ?...
What happens if you put on too much ? If you are right then I have way too much

Anyone ?

ThetaDot · Jul 31, 2003

I recently put mine on ( my first time ) and it ended up fairly thin. Messy stuff!

Ugmore Baggage · Aug 1, 2003

BB size, if that, on AMD. I supppose a P4 needs lots more.

And I use a credit card. I think my hand would shake from nervousness if I brought anything sharp near my core.

InThrees · Aug 1, 2003

Melhisedek said:
Easily see through it ?...
What happens if you put on too much ? If you are right then I have way too much
Anyone ?

Too much acts as an insulator, so your temps would be higher than they could be if you used too much.

Case in point, the first time or two I tried applying AS3, I didn't do a very good job. Then inspiration struck and the 'cellophane paintbrush' method formed in my mind, and my temps dropped a fairly significant amount.

bubba gump · Aug 2, 2003

Ugmore Baggage>>It's an intel

but Thetadot that still looks like a semi-big layer...just as InThrees said use a cc or a knife of somesort (utility blade, exacto etc) to scrape the majority off...Good luck

Fold and Frag on
Brian

countermods · Aug 2, 2003

i use my finger to spread it out and never had a problem

Robrules18 · Aug 2, 2003

suposedly if you use your finger the oil and any dead skin cells will hinder perfoermance of paste.

CrystalMethod · Aug 2, 2003

ThetaDot said:
I recently put mine on ( my first time ) and it ended up fairly thin. Messy stuff!

Are you using the stock Intel fan? It kinda looks you didn't remove the thermal pad (the black stuff). Or maybe it's just the angle the pic was taken at.

air bubbles?

Rashio_UK

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palee72

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stompah

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Rashio_UK

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Yodums

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pik4chu

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stompah

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InThrees

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ThetaDot

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