A question about thermal paste

[Dynesh]

I have my new components on the way, and I forgot to order thermal paste in the original order, so it will be coming about 1 day behind. But I want to go ahead and install the processor when it gets here. I understand the the stock heatsink has a layer that, if I remember right, kind of melts or something when the processor is installed and running for the first time.

Will this mess up putting the thermal paste on later, and therefore I should wait the extra day, or can I just scrape the old stock stuff off?

Thanks

[garetjax]

Originally Posted by Dynesh

I have my new components on the way, and I forgot to order thermal paste in the original order, so it will be coming about 1 day behind. But I want to go ahead and install the processor when it gets here. I understand the the stock heatsink has a layer that, if I remember right, kind of melts or something when the processor is installed and running for the first time.

Will this mess up putting the thermal paste on later, and therefore I should wait the extra day, or can I just scrape the old stock stuff off?

Thanks

I would definitely wait until you get your new thermal paste in the mail before starting your build. The stock thermal paste will do an all right job in a pinch, but if you can wait a day or two for the good stuff, you will thank yourself later for it. As it is, I would never consider using the stock thermal compound that comes with my proc, ever. Especially if I knew that I had quality thermal paste coming in the mail or I had some lying around in a tube. Be paitient, it's only one day that you must wait. The amount of work that will go into removing the semi-burned in OEM paste from your CPU once your thermal paste comes in is nowhere near worth the effort than just waiting an extra day and doing it right the first time.

[Beetle Bailey]

Originally Posted by garetjax

I would definitely wait until you get your new thermal paste in the mail before starting your build. The stock thermal paste will do an all right job in a pinch, but if you can wait a day or two for the good stuff, you will thank yourself later for it. As it is, I would never consider using the stock thermal compound that comes with my proc, ever. Especially if I knew that I had quality thermal paste coming in the mail or I had some lying around in a tube. Be paitient, it's only one day that you must wait. The amount of work that will go into removing the semi-burned in OEM paste from your CPU once your thermal paste comes in is nowhere near worth the effort than just waiting an extra day and doing it right the first time.

Agreed again. Even though with my own, I don't bother with the high dollar stuff. I've been using the stuff that you can get at Radiocrap. I've actually seen some very good results with it. My video card temps are actually lower with this than some of the others I've tried.JMO

[Dynesh]

will I need to scrape off the stock paste or just leave it on?

[Tyreal]

You will need to remove all previous thermal material.

[Quakindude]

Here's the deal as I see it from my own testing. The stock stuff, be it thermal pads or grease or whatever, does a fine job. If you aren't overclocking, there's no reason to get the good stuff. For CPU's, the best temperature drop I've ever seen from using Arctic Silver 5 is 5 degrees. Normally, it's only 2-3. And that's while aggressively overclocking my CPU.

If you do plan to overclock, 2-3 degrees is a significant difference. I would wait and use the good stuff from the beginning as the thermal pad that will be on the stock cooler is much more difficult to remove after it has been heated up a couple times.

Cliff's notes:

If you don't plan to overclock, use whatever comes with it. If you do plan to overclock, wait until the good stuff gets there and then follow the directions on Arctic Silvers website to the T.

[halutzparilla]

to tell you the truth, quak is right, but even though i have problem while using artic silver 5, its an isolated case, if find that my zalman super thermal grease was performing better than my AS5...

i still recommend using AS5 over that cheap strip of paste the put on the stock cooler of the processors...

[garetjax]

Originally Posted by Dynesh

will I need to scrape off the stock paste or just leave it on?

In order to remove the stock thermal paste, use isopropyl alcohol that is at least 90% or better. The better the purity, the better off you will be as it will dry quicker and do it with less residue. Use only 100% cotton balls to apply the alcohol and gently agitate the thermal paste off. If you are removing thermal paste from the bottom of a heatsink, you will always want to go with the grain (or whorls) of the metal. Never go against it. Going against the grain of the metal in a heatsink can scratch it, which is a big no-no.

If you intend to use the thermal paste that you bought and are waiting on in the mail, clean off the stock paste first. Never mix and match thermal pastes, and never put double layers of thermal paste on. You only need a tiny bit in the center of the proc to do the job. That's it. =)

Originally Posted by Quakindude

Here's the deal as I see it from my own testing. The stock stuff, be it thermal pads or grease or whatever, does a fine job. If you aren't overclocking, there's no reason to get the good stuff. For CPU's, the best temperature drop I've ever seen from using Arctic Silver 5 is 5 degrees. Normally, it's only 2-3. And that's while aggressively overclocking my CPU.

Cliff's notes:

If you don't plan to overclock, use whatever comes with it. If you do plan to overclock, wait until the good stuff gets there and then follow the directions on Arctic Silvers website to the T.

I agree with the logic of what you are saying, Quake. However, I reccomend that regardless if someone thinks that they may not overclock now, they may in the future. Using stock thermal paste now because one doesn't think they are going to OC, is a good idea, until they get the itch and the OC bug bites them later on down the road. Removing thermal paste and acheiving a perfect base to apply quality thermal paste on a heatsink is a pain in the ass no matter which way you cut it.

In my opinion, it's better to opt for the good stuff first and know that you are covered even if you don't intend to OC now, because you may later. This option is more viable than leaving the stock paste on now, and then have to bust down the mobo and remove it in order to apply AS5 later when you do want to OC. Which then means burning-in the paste, and ultimately wasting more time in the end if you had applied AS5 in the beginning.

[Dynesh]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I've already bought the paste, so I will definitely be using it, I'll just get everything else installed when I get it except for the heat sink, and wait a day to finish it. I do plan on doing a little overclocking. Nothing crazy, just want to bump the processor a little. Gonna have to find me a good tutorial on that, cause I've never bothered with it.

[Quakindude]

I should have mentioned that I never use stock TIM and always use AS5.