Arctic silver application tips

[Codmate[JEDI]]

Hello

Does anybody have any tips regarding the safe application of Arctic Silver?

I've read the instructions at http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm but am still a little scared and have a few questions.

Will CD cleaning cloths be ok for cleaning the CPU before application? If not; what should I use and where can I get it?

Isopropyl alcohol? Is this the same as clear CD cleaning fluid? If not - where can I get some?

It says in the instructions "If the heatsink surface has had thermal compound previously applied, the surface should be thoroughly scrubbed" - wont this cause static and kill the cpu?!

Should the AS be applied with the CPU sitting in its socket on the mainboard? If not - how do I hold her steady?

Any other tips would be greatly appreciated as I haven't done this b4. My PC is now full of fans (2 exhaust fans (1 front and 1 rear) 1 'sucky fan' at the front and a Coolermaster HDD HS/cooler) but my CPU temp still climbs quickly from 30C to around 41-44C (not OC'd) so I guess I need to sort this out.

SPECS
-----------
Gigabyte 7IXE4 Mainboard,
AMD Athlon T-Bird 800,
256MB RAM PC-133 (Generic),
30GB IBM Deskstar HDD,
6.4GB Seagate HDD,
Creative GeForce 256 Annihilator 32MB SDR RAM, Yamaha Waveforce sound card,
USR 56K internal PCI modem,

 

[DonSandro]

Just use two things, a Qtip or 2 and some rubbing alcohol, it'll clean it right off, and if there is any alcohol left it'll evaporate before you know wht happened.
Hope that helps
The Don

 

[Hoot]

Keep it simple. Liberal application of a good solvent on part of a paper towel. Clean the HSF base repeatedly, using a clean spot on the paper towell each time, until the spot on the paper towell comes away as white as before you began. The core is even easier. All that contact with the solvent will leave your index finger relatively devoid of oils and contaminants. So, take that finger and squeeze a dab of Arctic Silver on it about the size of a BB. Spread it around evenly on the core, clean up that finger with some of the same solvent and paper towell. Put the HSF on. The mounting pressure will squeeze out the excess Arctic Silver.

I want to say that this is my personal opinion and process. There are some who use even simpler and some who go to much greater lengths to do this. I am sure we will hear from them shortly.

Hoot

 

[donnie]

My self ; I take a little three in one oil a qtip. rub it on the old grease. That breaks the cooked on stuff down. then I take windex on a paper towel to clean all of the top of the cpu. Take an air duster to blow dry the cpu. then I use the alcohol to remove what is left. Take a drop of artic silver the size of a bb and spread it with a credit card and get it as thin as possible. If you use your finger you will be adding oil from your body and dead skin. Whoch does not transfer heat very well. I hope this helps.

 

[Nagorak]

donnie (Mar 17, 2001 11:38 p.m.):
Take a drop of artic silver the size of a bb and spread it with a credit card and get it as thin as possible

The point, however, is not to spread the thermal grease as thin as possible, it is to have enough thermal grease filling the area between the processor and the heatsink. I think this might be counterproductive, because if you spread the grease too thin there will not be enough to fill the area between the heatsink and the CPU and there will be air in there. Granted you would have to spread it extremely thin for that to happen, but why take the chance?

 

[-inox-]

stupid question time!!!

does that mean i need to remove the pinl crap that is allready on the heatsink before applying arctic silver ?

i think it does but what to check

 

[-inox-]

stupid question time!!!

does that mean i need to remove the pink crap that is allready on the heatsink before applying arctic silver ?

i think it does but what to check

 

[Hoot]

Most definitely get that stuff off of you HS and any residue it may leave behind.

Hoot

 

[TJ]

Use any of the cleaning suggestions they are all good and will work. When you get the CPU clean then you want to lap the hell out of the HS before you reinstall it. Start with some 400 grit Wet/dry sand paper. Move to 800 grit when the HS is flat. Then polish the HS with anything from 1500 to 2000 grit.
Use a piece of Glass to wrap the Sandpaper on. To keep the HS flat on the sandpaper take your time. This process will take you 2-5HRS to do it RIGHT. You will never have to remove your HSF again and you will get the max. performance out of your CPU. Do it right do it once and start useing your computer.
Remember to clean the HS before installing that freshly lap and shiny bugger onto that shiny clean CPU.
Have fun
TJ

 

[phiber]

when u mean take everything off the cpu
and the HSF
does it also mean the little circle pads on the corners of the CPU and do u have to put the arctic stuff on the little grreen think in the middle of the chip
amd duron i am talking about

 

[Codmate[JEDI]]

Brilliant - thanks for all the tips

I'm gonna give it a go this weekend I think ;D

Some good ones have also been posted on another forum where I cross-posted the question (I'm such a forum whore ).

GAME | Consoles & Games

The UK's leading games retailer with great deals on video games, consoles, accessories and more. Plus earn 1% of your purchase value back in Reward Points with a GAME Reward account.

forums.gameplay.com

One of the best so far is:
Very Important, under NO circumstances should you apply the AS to your eye balls and pretend to be a Lv.59 Mage. People who do this have regretted their actions and hope this issue will be made aware to the general public.
^_^

 

[WyrmMaster]

Im not sure i understood you correctly, but i thought you said that you have lots of exhaust fans and not many intake fans. The point is airflow, so if the one in the front is sucking out it would be good to turn it arround. Heat rises anyway.

 

[Codmate[JEDI]]

I was wondering about the position of the front exhaust fan - I've put it right at the top of the case (the second 5.25" bay down - expelling air straight off the broiling hot CD-ROM) with the idea that air would circulate around the HDD's.
I don't particulary want to reverse it to suck as it has no filter

It may not be the most efficient use of air-flow but I wanted something to expell air from the front of the case as I will soon be installing a CD-RW meaning I will have 2HDD's and 2 CD devices.

I also have an exhaust fan in rear (as well as a PSU fan (I'm installing a Enermax 330W PSU this weekend that has 2 fans - one sucks air off the CPU and one pumps it out the back ) ).

Whatever - the front exhaust fan dropped my case temp by about 4C and my CPU temp by about 3C.
Although I did install it at the same time as my Coolermaster HDD cooler (which sucks air in the front).

And yes - my PC does sound like a Harrier jump-jet!

Also I'll be slapping the Artic Silver on this weekend as my m8 who put the HS/fan on for me revealed this week that he didn't use any thermal thingy between the HS and the CPU at all :\

Thanks for all the advice people!

 

[Codmate[JEDI]]

Thanks loads for the tips people - very helpful indeed!


I've now done the Arctic Silver thang and TBH it has made no difference whatsoever to my cpu temp

I used the cling-film over the finger method - my girlfriend helped to get it really flat and smooth as she's good at precise things like that

First I tore the thermal tape off the heatsink (CoolerMaster approx 4900Rpm) and cleaned the underside of it with tape-head cleaner on a kitchen scourer and a toothbrush.
I then very gently and slowly rubbed clean the CPU core by putting a drop of tape-head cleaner onto a CD-cleaning cloth.

Maybe we should have applied more (we applied just enough to cover the area - it was totally covered but a very thin layer, about two 3rds the thickness of a red Rizzla).

I'm pretty sure my mainboard utility is presenting the correct info as it gives the same figures as my BIOS.

Should I go back and slap some more on do u think?

 

[ken257]

I think in general to much fuss is made over silver based grease. It is more important to do a good lap job on the heatsinkand have a good even mounting. Even the cheap thermal grease from Radio Shack gives very good results if everything else is done right. The silver stuff is best for when every little bit extra counts, but for most it is not needed.

 

[Codmate[JEDI]]

Guess it's time to go buy some sandpaper then

 

[CoopertownBob]

jim (Mar 19, 2001 05:31 p.m.):
when u mean take everything off the cpu
and the HSF
does it also mean the little circle pads on the corners of the CPU and do u have to put the arctic stuff on the little grreen think in the middle of the chip
amd duron i am talking about

Leave the little pads alone. Put the grease on the little part that has 'AMD' written on it. Be liberal, not stingy. The heat sink will spread it thin enough. Place the heatsink on it and pull it back off to check for even coverage before putting the Proc onto the MB then add the HS and fan after that. Should be no problems.