thermal grease?

[d12agonxboi]

what kind of thermal grease should i get? i heard of artic silver, also i've seen Chosen say something about a compusa brand, can someone tell me someone good ones and some good directions on how to use it, since i dont want to mess up my chip or nething :) thankx

[Markel]

Arctic silver, or some of their new "alumina" (?) derivatives, gets pretty consistent high marks. The problem with some places is that you're not sure what you're getting. For example, Radio Shack used to have a pretty good grease, but then they replaced it (same item number) with some stuff that is horrid (dries up). I think it's best to stick with a known good product. After all, it's just a few dollars more for something that could help your CPU stay a little cooler.

Just spread a THIN layer on the core. I like to spread it out with the edge of a business card. You don't want it spreading out past the core when you put the heatsink on. (And, be sure to remove any Thermal Interface Material (TIM) that might be on your heatsink - scrape it off with a credit card (so you won't scratch the surface of the heatsink) - I like to follow that with an alcohol wipedown.

[d12agonxboi]

well i just went to the store and got artic silver3, there wasn't ne alumina left so i came home and applied it, with a credit card, and really easy job, followed the directions on their website. hopefully the temperature will drop soon, since it doesn't work until 72 hrs :rolleyes: thankx for the advice markel and Chosen

[Showtime]

I use the arctic silver 3, expensive but worth it.
Credit cards, etc didnt work well for me.
I apply it 1st to the CPU with the applicator. After its fairly even, I mount the cooler w/out latching it and than pull it off. The chip should be thinly covered and the cooler should have a nice outline of where it will mount. I use a little peace of a smooth plastic bag and put over my finger. I pull the plastic till its smooth and than "finger paint" the chip and cooler. Silver 3 can get kinda thick so i use very little and when im done smoothing it out,it just looks like a very thin layer of silver paint. No streaks or clumps. I remove all excess and it's done. FYI: Don't use your fingers w/out plastic. The oils from skin will mess it up.

[GraingerGuy]

Using a razor blade has also worked pretty well for me too.