Removed heatsink from processor, do I need new thermal compound?

[JohnnyScience]

I had to remove the heatsink from my processor because it needed cleaned badly.

So after a good vaccum, air blast & wipe down its all clean & put back together.

But should I have added new thermal compound?

There was still some on there from when I received it from the factory, but it wasnt "fresh"

I dont have any thermal compound, but will get some if new is needed - I dont want to burn my processor out. (quad core)

Also, now the fan is making a slight noise since I removed & cleaned it (I was very careful) but if I push down on the top of the fan housing slightly it goes away. Any ideas on how to quite it for sure? It just comes & goes...

 

[kodi]

Do not run your system without replacing the thermal paste.
Make sure you clean off the old paste first and apply the new.

 

[JohnnyScience]

Do not run your system without replacing the thermal paste.
Make sure you clean off the old paste first and apply the new.

Well I left the old paste on there... been running it the last few hours... and dont have any new on hand...

 

[kodi]

That can be dangerous make sure you have a GOOD temperature monitor running.
I personally would not risk it and would wait till i got the new paste.
Arctic Silver is one of the best and you can use Isopropyl alcohol if you have it or rubbing alcohol to remove the old paste.
The noise could be a dry bearing, try peeling the label back and putting 1 or 2 drops of light oil on it

 

[JohnnyScience]

That can be dangerous make sure you have a GOOD temperature monitor running.
I personally would not risk it and would wait till i got the new paste.
Arctic Silver is one of the best and you can use Isopropyl alcohol if you have it or rubbing alcohol to remove the old paste.
The noise could be a dry bearing, try peeling the label back and putting 1 or 2 drops of light oil on it

Have a suggestion for a good temp monitoring widget? I've got a cpu usage one now that I like alot.

I'm trying to think what store is close to me that even sells thermo paste. I'm sure BestBuy or something does, but thats way over on the other side of town.

Does walmart sell thermo paste?

Also, what kind of oil should I drop below the label? Do it while its running?

 

[brianzion]

http://www.waterwheel.com/Guides/how_to/cpu/CPU.htm
have a look at the link above
ebay is a option for your paste im sure there are a lot of on-line stores too where are you in the world?

http://www.google.com/#q=thermal+pa...UQrQQwAg&biw=1424&bih=697&fp=fbb9e82777227709

 

[kodi]

For all the info you need about removing and Applying Go HERE

 

[JohnnyScience]

That can be dangerous make sure you have a GOOD temperature monitor running.
I personally would not risk it and would wait till i got the new paste.
Arctic Silver is one of the best and you can use Isopropyl alcohol if you have it or rubbing alcohol to remove the old paste.
The noise could be a dry bearing, try peeling the label back and putting 1 or 2 drops of light oil on it

Have a suggestion for a good temp monitoring widget? I've got a cpu usage one now that I like alot.

Also, what kind of oil should I drop below the label? Do it while its running?

Also a temp widget that will see & tell me the temp of both of my video cards. I think one may be running hotter than the other for some reason? They are next to each other in the box...

 

[Snakeyeskm]

Check out the following program- AIDA64 | PC Benchmark | System Diagnostics | Network Inventory
It is a replacement for Everest and will show all your temperatures/mortgages etc.. There is no better software in the marketplace.

As far as your CPU cooler is concerned, please follow the excellent advice provided by members as you are clearly risking your system without " properly" resetting your CPU cooler. Make sure that you carefully clean both surfaces (CPU and cooler) away from the motherboard to avoid spreading the paste onto your motherboard.

Given your physical configuration, I would suspect that the card on the left is the one with limited airflow, however if the overheating card is the one on the right slot then your problem is not necessarily air flow related. Try switching the positions of the two cards to help identify if it is a defective card or defective connections. Heat is your biggest enemy, whether CPU or GPU.

 

[Pusspa]

...The noise could be a dry bearing, try peeling the label back and putting 1 or 2 drops of light oil on it

...Also, what kind of oil should I drop below the label? Do it while its running?

If you know someone with a sewing machine, they might have some sewing machine oil you can use. You can use cooking oil (you only need a couple of tiny drops).
Don't do it while the fan is running, for one you need it stopped to peel the little sticker off the top, and two the oil will just get flung around instead of going into the little space between the shaft and the bearing. Make sure you replace the sticker as it stops dust getting in there.

 

[DirtyElf]

every time you remove the heatsink you have to replace the thermal compound?

 

[Hopalong X]

Radio Shack stocks Arctic Silver at almost all stores.

Try 3-in-1 oil. It is a brand available at Walmart etc. Sewing department if not automotive. Any brand of sewing machine oil.
One drop.

Mike

 

[brianzion]

every time you remove the heatsink you have to replace the thermal compound?

always best to use fresh in case of contamination its not that expensive and gives reassurance

 

[DirtyElf]

every time you remove the heatsink you have to replace the thermal compound?

always best to use fresh in case of contamination its not that expensive and gives reassurance

hmm, when i originally seated my heatsink, i removed it for a minute to ensure that it was seated properly.. im think im ok - i run at 38°C - 42°C idle and have never gone above about 71°C during gaming...

maybe i should just add some artic silver to be safe, dunno

 

[brianzion]

every time you remove the heatsink you have to replace the thermal compound?

always best to use fresh in case of contamination its not that expensive and gives reassurance

hmm, when i originally seated my heatsink, i removed it for a minute to ensure that it was seated properly.. im think im ok - i run at 38°C - 42°C idle and have never gone above about 71°C during gaming...

maybe i should just add some artic silver to be safe, dunno

well if it isn't broke don't try to fix it, just be careful you don't fry it!

 

[Snakeyeskm]

Do not add additional Arctic Silver without completely cleaning both contact surfaces. Too much thermal paste or improperly applied thermal paste will severely degrade your heat transfer.

 

[DirtyElf]

Do not add additional Arctic Silver without completely cleaning both contact surfaces. Too much thermal paste or improperly applied thermal paste will severely degrade your heat transfer.

yep, i know. thanks for the reminder tho.. can never be too careful

i posted my temps here but i am also looking for a reliable way of testing to make sure my heatsink and thermal compound are installed and applied correctly.

i have used PC probe and speedfan, and both of them seem to show the temperature jumping quite a bit. i turned down the sample rate and i still get ~4-5°C jumps - it just seems unreliable to me... is there a program that will log and/or graph systems temps over time? i would be interested to see that.

 

[brianzion]

have you tried cpuid? they have other monitor programs too HWMonitor
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html
CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting

 

[Hopalong X]

Do not add additional Arctic Silver without completely cleaning both contact surfaces. Too much thermal paste or improperly applied thermal paste will severely degrade your heat transfer.

yep, i know. thanks for the reminder tho.. can never be too careful

i posted my temps here but i am also looking for a reliable way of testing to make sure my heatsink and thermal compound are installed and applied correctly.

i have used PC probe and speedfan, and both of them seem to show the temperature jumping quite a bit. i turned down the sample rate and i still get ~4-5°C jumps - it just seems unreliable to me... is there a program that will log and/or graph systems temps over time? i would be interested to see that.

I like the Asus utilities. PC Probe II.
Asus Support PC Probe Version 1.04.86 under utilities curtain.

 

[Snakeyeskm]

Here is one of the reasons I like AIDA64. In addition to its other capabilities it runs in the background displaying and updating a highly customizable presentation that is integrated into your wallpaper.