ac3knight
Supremacy Member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2002
- Messages
- 5,865
- Reaction score
- 50
[Guide] Applying thermal paste on Core i7, Core2Duo & Core2Quad and installing a 3rd party Heatisink
Three Step Guide to better Thermal Conductivity
**************************************
IT is important understand that the layout of the cores for Core2Duo and Core2Quads are different, hence they necessitate different ways of applying thermal paste.
For this guide, I recommend thermal pastes that are packaged in the form of a syringe.
Examples include:- AC MX-2, Tuniq TX-2, etc...
**************************************
[Step #1 - Thermal paste application on 3rd party H.D.T Direct-touch Heatsink]
* if your heatsink is the standard flat base-plate model, then skip this Step and proceed to Step 2.
Directions:-
1. Shown above is an example of the base of a standard 3-heatpipe H.D.T design Heatsink (Xigmatek 1283). (yours might have 4 exposed pipes, etc..)
2. Apply thermal paste by gently injecting the syringe along the grooves in between the copper and aluminium parts. (not the 4 yellow dots but the 4 strips of grooves in between the exposed copper!)
3. Use a flexible card (name card, playing cards, etc) to spread of the paste evenly and ensure the grooves in between are filled properly.
4. Clean off the excess paste on the exposed copper areas and it should resemble the picture above.
5. I would personally put 4 THIN-LAYERED drops at the yellow spots as shown above, to ensure corner coverage after the heatsink is mounted.
Rationale:-
- This step has to be used in combination with Step 2 below, where Thermal Paste is also applied directly to processor's heatspreader.
- Filling in the grooves will allow the Thermal Paste that has been applied on the processor's heatspreader to spread out to the edges of the processor after the Heatsink is mounted.
- If Step 1 is not performed for a H.D.T design Heatsink (leaving the grooves empty) and the Thermal paste is applied only on the processor, more paste will get stuck in the grooves after the H.D.T Heatsink is mounted, impeding the flow of the paste to the edges of the processor.
--------------------------------------------------------
[Step #2 - Thermal paste application on Processor Heatspreader]
* identify the correct direction via the triangular-marking in the corner.
Core2Quad and Core2Duo:
Core i7:
Directions:-
1. Apply a strip/layer of medium-thickness Thermal Paste as shown above for the respective model of your processor.
Rationale:-
- Applying Thermal Paste in this manner ensures that the paste will spread properly over the cores under the Heatspreader with maximum contact.
- DO NOT SPREAD THE THERMAL PASTE FLAT/EVENLY OVER THE PROCESSOR. If you have a Heatsink with an uneven base or with grooves such as the H.D.T model above, spreading the thermal paste flat/evenly over the processor might leave spaces in between the uneven surface/grooves of the Heatsink and the Processor's Heatspreader when mounted.
- Applying Thermal Paste as shown above will ensure that the paste will flow into the uneven spaces or grooves, in order to provide a medium for thermal conductivity between the Heatsink and Heatspreader over the CPU's cores.
--------------------------------------------------------
[Step #3 - Mounting direction of a H.D.T Heatsink]
Common Dilemma:
Many Heatsinks can either be mounted Vertically or Horizontally.
A common question asked is, "What direction should the Heatinksink be mounted?"
Type of Heatsink:
1. Standard flat base-plate Heatsinks
- Regardless of the CPU Model, if you are using a flat base-plate Heatsink it is recommended to mount your heatsink Vertically, facing the rear exhaust.
2. H.D.T exposed Direct Touch Heatsinks
- The mounting direction for H.D.T Heatsinks depends on the CPU Model.
- If it is a Core2Quad, the Heatsink should be mounted Vertically as this will enable the exposed heatpipe strip in the middle to be in complete contact over the cores in the Processor.
- If it is a Core2Duo or Core i7, it should be ideally mounted Horizontally due to the layout of the cores in the processor.
[End of Guide] - Happy mounting and getting your hands dirty!
Three Step Guide to better Thermal Conductivity
**************************************
IT is important understand that the layout of the cores for Core2Duo and Core2Quads are different, hence they necessitate different ways of applying thermal paste.
For this guide, I recommend thermal pastes that are packaged in the form of a syringe.
Examples include:- AC MX-2, Tuniq TX-2, etc...
**************************************
[Step #1 - Thermal paste application on 3rd party H.D.T Direct-touch Heatsink]
* if your heatsink is the standard flat base-plate model, then skip this Step and proceed to Step 2.
Directions:-
1. Shown above is an example of the base of a standard 3-heatpipe H.D.T design Heatsink (Xigmatek 1283). (yours might have 4 exposed pipes, etc..)
2. Apply thermal paste by gently injecting the syringe along the grooves in between the copper and aluminium parts. (not the 4 yellow dots but the 4 strips of grooves in between the exposed copper!)
3. Use a flexible card (name card, playing cards, etc) to spread of the paste evenly and ensure the grooves in between are filled properly.
4. Clean off the excess paste on the exposed copper areas and it should resemble the picture above.
5. I would personally put 4 THIN-LAYERED drops at the yellow spots as shown above, to ensure corner coverage after the heatsink is mounted.
Rationale:-
- This step has to be used in combination with Step 2 below, where Thermal Paste is also applied directly to processor's heatspreader.
- Filling in the grooves will allow the Thermal Paste that has been applied on the processor's heatspreader to spread out to the edges of the processor after the Heatsink is mounted.
- If Step 1 is not performed for a H.D.T design Heatsink (leaving the grooves empty) and the Thermal paste is applied only on the processor, more paste will get stuck in the grooves after the H.D.T Heatsink is mounted, impeding the flow of the paste to the edges of the processor.
--------------------------------------------------------
[Step #2 - Thermal paste application on Processor Heatspreader]
* identify the correct direction via the triangular-marking in the corner.
Core2Quad and Core2Duo:
Core i7:
Directions:-
1. Apply a strip/layer of medium-thickness Thermal Paste as shown above for the respective model of your processor.
Rationale:-
- Applying Thermal Paste in this manner ensures that the paste will spread properly over the cores under the Heatspreader with maximum contact.
- DO NOT SPREAD THE THERMAL PASTE FLAT/EVENLY OVER THE PROCESSOR. If you have a Heatsink with an uneven base or with grooves such as the H.D.T model above, spreading the thermal paste flat/evenly over the processor might leave spaces in between the uneven surface/grooves of the Heatsink and the Processor's Heatspreader when mounted.
- Applying Thermal Paste as shown above will ensure that the paste will flow into the uneven spaces or grooves, in order to provide a medium for thermal conductivity between the Heatsink and Heatspreader over the CPU's cores.
--------------------------------------------------------
[Step #3 - Mounting direction of a H.D.T Heatsink]
Common Dilemma:
Many Heatsinks can either be mounted Vertically or Horizontally.
A common question asked is, "What direction should the Heatinksink be mounted?"
Type of Heatsink:
1. Standard flat base-plate Heatsinks
- Regardless of the CPU Model, if you are using a flat base-plate Heatsink it is recommended to mount your heatsink Vertically, facing the rear exhaust.
2. H.D.T exposed Direct Touch Heatsinks
- The mounting direction for H.D.T Heatsinks depends on the CPU Model.
- If it is a Core2Quad, the Heatsink should be mounted Vertically as this will enable the exposed heatpipe strip in the middle to be in complete contact over the cores in the Processor.
- If it is a Core2Duo or Core i7, it should be ideally mounted Horizontally due to the layout of the cores in the processor.
[End of Guide] - Happy mounting and getting your hands dirty!
Last edited: