Confused About Using Arctic Silver 5

[dotnet]

Hey all. I'm a little confused about how to properly use Arctic Silver 5. The instructions found here:

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

say to put a bb sized glob of arctic silver 5 on the center of my AMD Athlon 64 CPU's heat spreader, drop the my heatsink/fan on the CPU, rotate the heatsink/fan slightly and then clamp it down.

But before finding the instructions on the Arctic Silver website, I googled on how to apply thermal grease and it seems much more involved than just applying a drop of AS5 on the CPU.

I'm finding instructions that involve spreading thermal grease across the CPU and prepping the heat sink with thermal grease. None of that is discussed in the Arctic Silver 5 instructions.

So should I go with the instructions on the Arctic Silver site or what?

Stats: AMD Athlon 64 3800+ socket 939

I'll be installing a Zalman CNPS9500 LED heatsink/fan

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Rey...

 

[inkfx]

Go with the instructions on the site. I've used the small bb size glob (or whatever you want to call it) method for years now. Works like a charm every time.

 

[Radical]

You can either spread it or simply follow the instructions on the AS website and use a BB-sized (or half rice grain-sized) glob of paste without spreading it. Either of these methods should be the same in terms of resultant temps. When in doubt, you can't go wrong by following the directions on their website. Of course, there's nothing like trying both ways and see which is easier and yields better temps.

 

[dotnet]

Holy cow!! Those were quick replies! Thanks so much for the advice. Just wanted to confirm before I messed something up.

 

[golfking222]

I agree with the BB sized dot in the center. Sometimes when you try to spread you apply way to much and it kills your temps.

 

[UglyChild]

Yup, a little drop is all you need.

 

[JMScomp]

Is there any way to be sure that you've used enough without pulling the heatsink back off? I hate wasting good AS5.

 

[bing]

Is there any way to be sure that you've used enough without pulling the heatsink back off? I hate wasting good AS5.

Want to be a goop aplicator expert ? -> HERE <-

 

[JMScomp]

Want to be a goop aplicator expert ? -> HERE <-

Thanks, that's a good one. I can use up that old stock crap that came with my CPU for practice

 

[nd4spdbh2]

as everyone has said... a lil bb sized dot... personally i go a grain of rice size (japanese sticky rice grain size) or maybe 1.5x the ammount they say to use, so it spreads over the entire surface of the IHS... although it really doesnt matter, you dont need much..

and BTW to OCFORUMS!

 

[millhouse]

dotnet sorry for this helpless post but...

WELCOME TO THE FORUMS!!!

Yeah... they all speak the truth!!

 

[ChillPhatCat]

I take a rice grain sized drop of grease and spread it thin with a credit card, then I take a small bit and rub it into the bottom of the heatsink, just enough to see that a greasy substance has been put there, then I install the heatsink.

 

[ps2cho]

I am coming to believe that I am using too much. If you are supposed to only use as much as the pictures show....I am probably using 4-5x as much.

Hmm...maybe I should go clean mine up.

 

[Inceptor]

Remember: The more you use on your CPU the less there will be left over for tasty snacking. Also that's a joke dont eat it.

I use the spread with an old laminated card method myself. A paper-thin sheen of it over nearly all of the CPU's heatspreader.

 

[ps2cho]

Oh man yeh I must have been using too much! I just cleaned and did it again, this time using the amount shown and I spread it with one of those junk mail fake credit cards they send you (Hey I found a use for them!)

Spread it very thinly and now my temperatures are 45c as compared to 48c before! Also I have to get the break in period over so they might drop a little more too

Awesome!