thermal paste - is it always better to apply it??

[o770]

i readed after 1 or 2 yrs using the computer, when the thermal paste has already get very hard it becomes to act as a blocker for the heat dissipation between the CPU and the heatsink. does it really happens?
i got a FOP38 and it comes with kinda a thermal "tape" under its heatsink, im supposed to remove a thin paper covering it before to install the cooler. is it better to keep this thermal tape or removing it and to apply thermal paste? im planning to use the computer for more than one yr.
thanks.

 

[h2k]

Ditch the tape, use paste. If you're a real overclocker, you'd probably be re applying paste before a year anyway!

 

[o770]

well, im not a real overclocker but after one yr its not a problem to re-apply some paste. what it seems a problem to me is to remove the dry compound from the chip, its almost necessary to scrape it once alcohol is not sufficient and strong enough.

 

[jgaud]

AS will probaly stay gooey for a million years. and will probaly not lose its heat tranferance capability for 500 thousand years or so thermal tape is junk and it will stick to your core and be a pain in the azz to remove later also read the front page and consider lapping your HS to squeeze that extra bit o perfomance out of it.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>good luck

 

[Nagorak]

I personally have not experienced this phenomenon. I kind of have a feeling this only occurs with extremely cheap thermal pastes. Also, if it does happen, your higher temps will make it pretty obvious, so then you can reapply it.

 

[DocClock aka MadClocker]

You could try lighter fluid to remove the thermal tape, or a product called "goo gone" but after using goo gone, you will have to clean it again to remove the goo gone. I have used it once, and my celeron still smells like the chemicals in goo gone when I fire it up.
Don't make the mistake I did, and scrape your h.s. I did, and had to sand for a long time to remove the scrape marks off the heatsink.
And I am convinced that Artic silver won't last long at all...it contains fritted or powdered silver, and silver tarnishes and corrodes, in a very little time....look at your silverware that you hardly use and you'll know what I mean.
I re-apply it often, probably more than I should, but after only four weeks, arctic silver will appear tarnished...(a whole lot darker than when first applied).
Otto, if you don't know already, the arctic silver we are talking about is some say the best thermal paste on the market..and I have to agree, but I will re-apply more than the average Joe.
Good Luck

 

[Nagorak]

Whether or not arctic silver tarnishes or not isn't really important. The question is whether its thermal properties change when it tarnishes. If not, then there's no problem. And if they do, I refer to my original statement about the rising temps making it obvious.

Unless you see your temps steadily rising over a period of several months, I don't think there is any reason to be concerned. And, if they do, then common sense says to reapply the thermal paste. But, until you actually witness the phenomenon, I don't think it makes sense to worry about it overly much or to go out of your way to prevent something that may or may not be a problem.