When applying Tim

The Method I use is the Dot method

Once I put a pea size dot in the middle I use the cooler to spread I attach the cooler press down then adjust once you have it tighten and ready gradually turn the PC on and off

I would say 2 hours at a time then a cooling period I done this in 24 to 48 hr spans and temps are great after it settles

the worse thing you can do is spread it.

all other techniques i believe will cause you to use too much paste. ive done only dot method. in thermal paste, less, a LOT less is always more.

How Thermal Compound Spreads - YouTube

heres a vid to explain the spread types and how they spread

I guess there are many ways to do it. Thanks for all the replies, I'm always looking for new things to try
Nice Vid noober

With the paste I use, MX-2 and MX-4, a dot the size of a small pea will spread to cover 80% of a normal CPU, which is way more than plenty. If I were prepping a larger CPU, such as Socket 2011, I might use a little more because there is more surface area to cover. Never messed with multiple dots or lines or X's personally because the dot method works so well.

N00berG00ber said:

the worse thing you can do is spread it.

all other techniques i believe will cause you to use too much paste. ive done only dot method. in thermal paste, less, a LOT less is always more.

I guess you missed the part where I attached the cooler to spread it which means I put the cooler on and adjust it to where it needs to be

kbrady1979 said:

With the paste I use, MX-2 and MX-4, a dot the size of a small pea will spread to cover 80% of a normal CPU, which is way more than plenty. If I were prepping a larger CPU, such as Socket 2011, I might use a little more because there is more surface area to cover. Never messed with multiple dots or lines or X's personally because the dot method works so well.

dido. i always put a little extra however, so my entire CPU is covered. it seems that temps when idle are lower, but under load, seems higher

Dude said:

Layback Bear said:

I also have never seen TIM used before. I'm getting older and learning.

My method is.
I lap in both the cpu and heat sink.
Then I use a small amount of compound and then spread it very, very thin using a credit card on both the cpu and cooler. You will see very little compound when done.

Then I use the line method as per this.


http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appm..._line_v1.1.pdf

I check the tightness of the cooler every few days (hot and cold) for a couple of weeks.
I monitor the temps with a program that is on the taskbar every now and again.
If the temps are staying the same (good) I'm happy.
I never change the compound because of the time it has been installed. If the temps stay good the compound is still working.

Thanks mate

Your very welcome.

Another little trick.
With the same sanding surface I use for the cpu and cooler I sand the credit card edge to make sure it is also flat and smooth. Remember when you get done wiping several times with the credit card their will be very very little compound left. It just fills in the ups and downs and pits that the human eyes can't see.

I would like to explain my post #9 and #19.
The reason I do this in the fashion I do them.

Their is madness behind my methods.
I will try and explain.
We know that the best way to get to opposing surfaces to come together with the most surface area is that both surfaces match each other. In the cpu, heat sink case its flat and smooth.

That is why I lap the cpu and it's cooler. To get them as flat and smooth as I can.
Doing this still leaves some imperfection; some you can see with your eye and some you can't.
I use the credit card method with a little compound to force fill in those small imperfection (scratches and small holes you can't see). When you get done all the compound that is left is the compound you have forced in these very small imperfection.
Just installing the cpu cooler might not have forced the compound into those imperfections (who knows without a laboratory)?
Now when I use the line method of installing the compound again in a very small amount and seat the cooler in the proper fashion I have done my best to make sure two flat surfaces will mate with the maximum amount of surface area.

Is all this necessary to have a happy computer? NO
I do it to improve my odds of a cooler operating computer.
99.999% of the computers in the world are not done this way.
It takes a lot of time and I mean a lot of time.
It also takes away the warranty on the cpu when you lap it.

I do it to make it the best I know how. This method may or may not meet the needs or desires of others but it meets my desires. The need is still in question.