Re-applying thermal paste...

OK so I had a little trouble getting the heatsink on and put it on/took it off 5 or 6 times...as a result temps are 35 C idle and 46 C on full load with stock cooling

Do I need to remove the thermal paste that is already on there and then apply some Artic Silver 5?

Also how much should I put on and should I spread it around?

46 Load on stock cooling is not bad, however it would probably be better to get an aftermarket HSF on there if you plan on overclocking it(if you haven't already). Here is the AS website for instructions on how to apply it.

footballfanatic said:

Also how much should I put on and should I spread it around?

Click to expand...

Although the article is abit dated , the procedure is still very valid , APPLYING AS5

AS5 takes about 200hours to "cure", or actually reach its optimal performance, or "burn-in", so to speak. So I'd say your actual temperatures should even show a 2-5C decrease in the course of 1-2 weeks.

Post your system specs in your signature so we know what your working with, 46C on stock cooling is pretty good.

AS5's websites and instructions state you should put a pellet, the size of a grain of rice or bb pellet in the middle of your CPU, then just put the heatsink on top and it'll spread by itself.

if you want to get a really super heatsink, get the thermalright xp90c, i just got one, everything about it is awesome, including installation. I love every aspect of it, not to mention how well it cools. I recommend a variable speed 80mm fan to go with it.