Heatsink questions!

[buddhazen]

little story first
a buddy of mine has exactly the same computer as my main rig (barton/a7n8x/hyper x 3200/and im borrowing a sparkle 400 w psu, which is just a beatiful psu)
we use the same hs/f combos(zalman 7000c or somethin like that)

im always consistently complaining bout temps so we decided to both reseat our heatsinks at the same time!
20 minutes later he has a temp of 32 degrees after 15 minutes of idling in windows, while im still stuck at 41-56 degrees celsius

what could i possibly be doing wrong?

1. I removed the heatsink and cleaned it very throughly with some rubbin alcohol, frickin scrubbed till it was shiny as hell

2. i applied a dime size amount on the core(after cleaning it of course) and spread it across thinly with a credit card

3. i applied some on the clean heatsink(like a rectangular box) and speard it across thinly on the hs/f

4. then i mounted it back on carefully


now i have no idea what my friend was using, frickin carburator cleaner, cloths(had a whole toolbox with him)

here was his method

1. he soaked the hs/f in the carburator cleaner!
2. he put a dime size amount on the core and spread it
3. he put some paste on the clean hs/f, rubbed it in, then removed it again with rubblin alcohol????
4. then he applied the hs/f back on top of the cpu

how is his method more effective then mine since hes not using any paste on the hs/f and jus the core??
im really confused here and any personal tips would help me!


any personal tips

[DoPeY5007]

do you have temp guard on and him not?

cause that would cause your fan to spin slower because your system isn't too hot het

[dadx2mj]

Sounds to me like you have WAY TOO MUCH thermal compound on there. You should put just a tiny bit of it on the core. Like the size of a tip of a broken pencil lead, I mean really small. Then spread it very thin. So thin it is almost transparent. That is it dont add more to the heat sink. Also how are you getting these temps? Thru hardware or software? Mobo sensors are notorious for not being accurate but really just provide a reference point.

[MAC]

I think you are using too much thermal paste by spreading it on the CPU and heatsink. Too much can hurt the heat transfer to the heatsink. I use the same method as your friend and my systems run fairly cool.

What your friend is doing by spreading the thermal paste on the heatsink and then removing most of it (he should not be removing all of it, it should have a dull look to it after it is removed) is filling in the microscopic imperfections in the metal with thermal paste to insure there are no air gaps between the thermal paste on the CPU and the heatsink.

Try your friends method and see if your temps are lower.

Here is a link to the instructions for using Artic Silver.

Artic Silver Instructions

MAC

[eGoCeNTRoNiX]

You might have too much paste/grease/compound.. I only use an amount the size of a half grain of rice.. And your using a Dime sized amount??? Explain? lol.. eGo

[buddhazen]

ok by dime size amount
i squeeze it till the paste covers about 1/3 of teh core
(like a non transparent silver coat)
then i spread it till the coat is even all across

im also using 71% rubbing alochol and not sure if it matters from the 91%alcohol i cuold have got at walgreens
well we both are using mbm 5 for the temperatures!

i had another go at it after i got my new psu today and im around 44 degrees now!
i know the temps will only go up within the month

[dadx2mj]

I still think you are putting too much compound if you covered 1/3 of the core before you started spreading it out. It only takes a tiny amount and the stuff spreads very well.

[sethpa]

Buddhazen, there can be more reasons why his temps are lower than yours. Consider these a moment,

1. What's the ambient temp of the room the unit is in? If you are in a warm room, 10 degrees hotter than friend's is, he has a big advantage already.

2. Case cooling, fans, ventilation, air flow. What's the difference compared to your setup? You put a nice breeze through that case, it's amazing how much cooler everything runs

3, How do you know HIS temps are accurate?

The cleaning stuff hasn't made all that much difference most likely, on your temps. What everyone has said about the amount of thermal goo to use is true, less is better. You probably squished any excess out anyway The best way to tell if you can improve things is to pull the side cover, put a window fan on it, see how much your temps go down. If they go down considerably, you need better case cooling, not a better hs/thermal goo coating. Ambient temps, case cooling, and ventilation are just as inmportant as the rest of it.

[buddhazen]

to answer your questions sethpa
we were both in the same room at his house so room temperatures were the same!
he is using some 150 dollar coolermaster case while im using this aspire alien case
well i just ordered some artic silver 5 from bestbyte computers

5 dollars shipped so i couldnt pass it up!
the fine print stated that this paste is conductive so it can short my cpu?
or is it just a warning that they are required to put along with their product?

so i know how to apply the paste now(i would hope, unless its different with as5)

im still unclear on the heatsink part!

1.Do i just clean off the heatsink and leave it real shiny?
2. Do i clean off the heatsink and the rub in the as5 till i see a black coat?
OR

3. do i clean off the heatsink and the rub in the as5 till i see a black coat, and then clean again with rubbin alcohol

T.I.A. again

[dadx2mj]

NO just one very thin coat on the CPU and NONE on the heat sink. That is all you need in this case more is a bad thing.

[buddhazen]

so all this time i have been speading a thin layer of paste on the heatsink for no reason?
was this method for older type heatsinks?
just a thin layer across the core of cpu right(as5)?

thanks dad!
if you dont mind me callin u that
also anybody know where to get a cheap 120 mm fan for my heatsink
i really dont wanna spend 17-20 dollars on one