desperate attempt at cooling lol

[Fuzzoe]

My main computer will no longer work as of yesterday. Spent all day trying to fix it(like 4 hours). Will not show any video, onboard video on the motherboard isn't working. This is an old gateway E-series i was using until i get my student loans and buy a new computer. In a desperate attempt to get back online to turn in my last document for orientation classes online(phoenix online), I rigged up an old dell inspiron 4700, put a 2.8 ghz pentium 4 processor i had lying around in and hooked everything up. Then i realized something....oh crap, i have no thermal paste. I walked to the nearest stores to see if anyone had some (of course they wouldn't but i was desperate so meh :| ). So then i got on my friends cell and looked up a home made thermal compound (mixture of toothpaste and vaseline lol) I know, I know....this is probably the worst idea of all time lol. I did it though, and it seems to be working. The heatsink is warm to the touch, so i guess that means it's pulling the heat from the cpu? This is pretty much my last hope until i get my aid to help get a computer, and i was wondering if you guys had any idea of a time frame of how long this might last? i know the ingredients used aren't meant to stick around(lol) as long as thermal paste, as they will probably evaporate or something after a while..(not the best at wording things, but i think you get what im trying to say.) Anyways, any help would be appreciated, and if you want i will find the old article that i got the idea from.

 

[manu2b]

Toothpaste will dry quickly.

I'd use the vaseline only.

 

[inVain]

use some proper TIM, ASAP for the sake of your rig

 

[Fuzzoe]

use some proper TIM, ASAP for the sake of your rig

no gas money
closest store that can supply it 30+ miles away
said in post i couldn't find anything suitable anywhere around me.
Don't really care about what happens to this computer in the long run, as long as it lasts me a few weeks with minimal usage.

Also thanks manu2b, i'll redo it tonight with a straight application of Vaseline.

 

[EpicMango]

Newegg.
eBay
Amazon!
Buy some online!

 

[Fuzzoe]

I have no money lol, dirt poor. Hate to bring personal excuses in but living with disabled grandparents in an overpriced house, in an extremely small town(2 dollar stores 4 gas stations, and a subway), while going back and forth to the nursing home my mothers in lol..Kind of strained on every resource constantly. And i've been worried until i'm physically sick to my stomach that the school thing wont work out because of this little roadblock :|

EDIT: i do have 20$ in my pocket but it really wont cut it haha, Wish i could magically turn it into a card to use online -.-....last time i tried using the prepaid visa cards at the dollar store here though, i ended up paying 4$ for the activation fee, and another 3$ for loading, and then 2$ for the first months charge on the card up front....lol....i was putting 20 in for league of legends riot points( more skins WOO) and ended up with like 10 or 11 bucks after i activated it(after putting 20 total into the effort lolol).

 

[trents]

Try this. If you can get some teflon tape like plumbers use to wrap pipe threads I think it would do you pretty well as a stop gap for real TIM. Cut two small strips and lay them on the CPU and then clamp the cooler down. Teflon tape is very, very thin and fills in small gaps well. It's what's used I think for mosfet heatsinks.

In the long run, order a small tube of Arctic Silver 5 or Arctic Cooling MX2 or MX4 from NewEgg or ebay.

 

[manu2b]

^+1

 

[Fuzzoe]

Try this. If you can get some teflon tape like plumbers use to wrap pipe threads I think it would do you pretty well as a stop gap for real TIM. Cut two small strips and lay them on the CPU and then clamp the cooler down. Teflon tape is very, very thin and fills in small gaps well. It's what's used I think for mosfet heatsinks.

In the long run, order a small tube of Arctic Silver 5 or Arctic Cooling MX2 or MX4 from NewEgg or ebay.

Is that the white rubbery feeling tape that's used to wrap the threads on the pipe when you put a new shower head on? if that's the case i have a roll of that somewhere.

 

[EpicMango]

Is that the white rubbery feeling tape that's used to wrap the threads on the pipe when you put a new shower head on? if that's the case i have a roll of that somewhere.

That is correct! Go find it and commence operation omg save his processor from literal hell.

 

[Fuzzoe]

Just in case, could you be a little more clear on the application? 2 strips of about what length/size? i want to get this right and where exactly would i position them on the processor?


EDIT: Don't have any teflon tape, closest thing i could find was plumbers putty

EDIT#2: neighbors had some, yay, also i may be able to catch a ride tomorrow to meridian(city) which has best buy, radioshack, and all that good stuff. crossin my fingers for the ride xD. But yeah how exactly should i put this tape on?

 

[Fuzzoe]

derp, took the pentium 4 out of the computer that wasn't working right, still had thermal paste on it, as well as the heatsink. Wasn't dry and crusty or anything like that, just smoooth and greasy :O

 

[trents]

See if the mechanic in your small town or the guy next door has the teflon tape. Mechanics use it for water fittings in engine compartments sometimes. Do you have a plumber in town? Call him. Just cut a couple strips about the length of the CPU's width. Lay them side by side on the CPU.