[Guide] Installing a Heatsink and applying Thermal Paste. - Overclock.net

brandon6199 · 09-02-07

Hey guys, this is my first tutorial, so please go easy on me

I'm sure most of you know how to do this, but the reason I made this tutorial is because I posted this at another forum that isn't an overclocking/computer forum. I thought, I might as well post it here to in case some people don't know how or are unclear on how to do it or not.

Well lets start off with the tutorials you'll be needing:

You're gonna need some napkins, or any kind of cloth that is lint-free. Coffee filters work great too. Rubbing alcohol is preferred, but not required. If you have ArtiClean or anything similar, use that instead. A screwdriver, and thermal paste. I chose AS5.

Now, get to your heatsink. My side panel opens up, so I didn't need to remove the motherboard or anything. Lucky me

That is where the CPU is located. We will be removing the heatsink to get to the CPU.

Find the screws that hold your CPU into place, or for others they might be clips. Well whatever it is, do whatever you need to do to remove the heatsink.

Now, we have to clean the old thermal paste on the heatsink and the CPU. As you can see here, my CPU and heatsink were getting horrible contact with each other. It's good that I'm reseating, I would of never known, my temperatures weren't even bad either

Wipe it off with whatever you're using.

Horrible contact indeed. Remove this paste too with a napkin or whatever you are using.

Another shot.

Pour a small amount of alcohol on your cloth/napkin/whatever and wipe the bottom of the heatsink with it until its paste-free and very shiny and as clean as you can get it.

It should look similar to this after you've cleaned it. Make sure both the bottom of the heatsink and the top of the CPU are very clean and free of dust/lint/bugs/dirt/sand or whatever you got inside there lol

Now grab your thermal paste. I'll be using Arctic Silver 5, and this is usually recommended by lots of people and companies, so AS5 it is

My application could have been better, but I was in a rush. This is the general idea though, a line across the center of the CPU. Intel says it should be thread-like in width, but I find it really hard to get it like that, so I put little by little on the CPU and spread it with the AS5 tube.

Then, get your heatsink and place it DIRECTLY on top of the CPU. Make SURE you place it STRAIGHT down onto the CPU. Line up the screws or clips and prepare to screw it down.

Start screwing it down, alternating screws is a great idea here. Make it as tight as possible without exerting too much force on the CPU.

It should look like this when you're done. Well, unless you have a different heatsink than mine

Also, don't forget to plug in the CPU fan after you've seated it

This is a blurry picture, but I hope you get the idea. Make sure the bottom of the heatsink and the CPU are perfectly flat. If it is uneven there is something wrong.

It's always a good idea to neaten up the wires too

Well that was my tutorial on how to install a heatsink and thermal paste! My temps dropped down 6 degrees celcius after I reseated because I originally had really bad contact with my CPU and heatsink, so I benefited out of this as well.

Thanks

FrankenPC · 09-02-07

I use a razor blade and scrape off the excess paste from both surfaces myself. I've had circumstances where using the "line method" has led to one core being cooled and one core over heating. It's not a guaranteed method.

whodat · 09-02-07

I recommend a double-line method (conceived by moi

). A couple small rice-grain sized lines in the center, separated about 3 to 5mm apart from each other, in parallel. Gives me excellent temperatures every time.

brandon6199 · 09-02-07

hmmm... sounds cool

will try that sometime.

GTT · 09-02-07

I think you need to apply more AS5. they said thin line on there site, you didn't make a full line.
http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appi..._dual_wcap.pdf

Metalica732 · 09-02-07

Good guide man. Also if you look on there website it shows how to apply for each processor according to where the cores are located under the heatspreader. Everyone listen to Arctic cooling they have the money invested in all of this stuff, i'm sure they tested everything.

O yeah it looks like a pigeon left something on your cpu

brandon6199 · 09-02-07

Haha yeah

So it was making bad contact right?

My bottom of my heatsink and top of my CPU arent flat at all.. I held it up to a lamp and it was pretty bad. I'm too scared to lap too