thermal paste on retail cpu question

OBLIVIONLORD · Oct 3, 2006

Got my 4600 Windsor yesterday and connected everything. I noticed that on the retail factory heatsink that it has a square of paste already on the heatsink to completly cover the heatspreader on the CPU. Exactly how efficient is this compared to the "rice size" drop that I would normaly have done using Artic Silver 5? I'm asking because this is the way AMD recomends it to be put it on out of the box.

||Console|| · Oct 3, 2006

well i think as5 will only give you a 2-3deg difference vs the stock pad

But then again i never even used the stoc hsf from my 4400+ or the 3200+ i had before that , after market cooling all the way =)

Nebulous · Oct 3, 2006

Factory thermal gum is crap, unless you're running straight up stock speed and are going to use the stock cooler then it's adequate. I personally use AS5 or ceramique even when using the stock cooler. 3-5c difference is huge in my book

Nautica · Oct 3, 2006

its not nearly as good as a properly applied tim like as5.

the pad is big and bulky and made to work well enough while still being idot proof (where idot refers to 90% of the people installing the hsf)

if you have some as5 and were going to use the stock hsf id recommend replacing the gunk with the good stuff

OBLIVIONLORD · Oct 4, 2006

For this Windsor and others with the large heat spreader, is it still just a rice sized amount drop of AS5 on the cpu?

Nautica · Oct 4, 2006

yes as that grain size of as5 will still spread out over the ihs and cover the entire cpu beneath it.

Ive used the grain of rice technique on all my a64 cpus single and dual core without any problems

K15 · Oct 4, 2006

Nautica said:
yes as that grain size of as5 will still spread out over the ihs and cover the entire cpu beneath it.

Ive used the grain of rice technique on all my a64 cpus single and dual core without any problems

As have I. I didn't even use a TOL brand like as5, temps still went down.

The Wicker Man · Oct 5, 2006

The stock TIM should be Shin-Etsu, just as good if not better then AS5.

hitbyaprkedcar7 · Oct 5, 2006

Nautica said:
its not nearly as good as a properly applied tim like as5.

the pad is big and bulky and made to work well enough while still being idot proof (where idot refers to 90% of the people installing the hsf)

if you have some as5 and were going to use the stock hsf id recommend replacing the gunk with the good stuff

Well they did a ****ty job of making the HSF idiot proof! I almost broke the damn thing trying to get it on LOL

The Wicker Man said:
The stock TIM should be Shin-Etsu, just as good if not better then AS5.

There is no possible way that stock tim is "as good or better than AS5"

The Wicker Man · Oct 6, 2006

Looking at AMD forums, it is Shin_etsu, which is just as good, some people think it's better, then AS5........

http://forums.amd.com/index.php?act=idx

I had awesome results, right on par with AS5 when I had the stock TIM on the HS.....

inkfx · Oct 6, 2006

I wish Intel had some decent stock TIM. Whatever was on there prior to me rubbing it all off and replacing it with AS5 was complete garbage. Anyways, I never really used the stock TIM that came with my AMD procs. But thats probably because I always had a XP-120 or watercooling. AS5 has always served me well, especially after its had about a week to set in.

OBLIVIONLORD · Oct 6, 2006

got everything connected and the cpu is at 44c idle with the HSF exposed as in no cover to the Tower. Is this a result in bad application by just using that thermal gum stuff since thats all I did?

The Wicker Man · Oct 6, 2006

Before the Opteron, I ran a 3700, and got a Opteron HS, let the stock TIM on there, ran it up too 2900mhz, and only seldomdid it ever hit over 40.
The stock TIM is good stuff, on AMD heatsinks.....

The last Intel CPU I bought was a 533 Celeron, had some white just on the heatsink.....heh

OBLIVIONLORD · Oct 6, 2006

ok well if the TIM is decent as you say then the heatsink was put on poorly if im getting high idle temps. I shall redo the process

funnyperson1 · Oct 6, 2006

The Wicker Man said:
Looking at AMD forums, it is Shin_etsu, which is just as good, some people think it's better, then AS5........

http://forums.amd.com/index.php?act=idx

I had awesome results, right on par with AS5 when I had the stock TIM on the HS.....

I agree, I had also read this and kept the stock paste on, the performance of the stock heatsink is very acceptable for its design. I doubt one would see much of a gain with AS5.

They may have changed it, but mine definitely came with the Shin Etsu paste, not a pad and keeps my CPU under 50 full load (our apt is at like 77F) with an 800mhz overclock.

billb · Oct 6, 2006

funnyperson1 said:
I agree, I had also read this and kept the stock paste on, the performance of the stock heatsink is very acceptable for its design. I doubt one would see much of a gain with AS5.

They may have changed it, but mine definitely came with the Shin Etsu paste, not a pad and keeps my CPU under 50 full load (our apt is at like 77F) with an 800mhz overclock.

microsi.com, the problem is finding a retailer. http://microsi.com/packaging/thermal_grease.htm

OBLIVIONLORD · Oct 6, 2006

well the idle temps im getting in a compact SFF case like Q-Pack is Idle at 46-47c ... im thinking that the HSF was put on poorly to start with and needs to be put on again. So im going to have to get out the Alchol and Q-Tips and use the AS5 now since the Gum is trashed.

Precision · Oct 6, 2006

I would think you should see a temp drop of 3-4c at least. Just don't use too much. I go by the rice sized bead thing that most here seem to go by as well.

thermal paste on retail cpu question

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