Thread: thermal paste?

my options in this town are limted so will any do ? i'll probably just land up going to raido shack only electronics store in town

also i seem to recall once hearing rub off the old one with rubbing alchol and a q tip ?

Originally Posted by moving-target

my options in this town are limted so will any do ? i'll probably just land up going to raido shack only electronics store in town

also i seem to recall once hearing rub off the old one with rubbing alchol and a q tip ?

Actually, Radio Shack has Artic Silver Thermal Paste. I know, because I recently bought some there. FYI

Originally Posted by moving-target

my options in this town are limted so will any do ? i'll probably just land up going to raido shack only electronics store in town

also i seem to recall once hearing rub off the old one with rubbing alchol and a q tip ?

(a) What do you need thermal paste for?

(b) Unless you're trying to do something special, then Brand X (in your case, seems like Radio Shack) should be fine. I've used the Arctic Silver brand (I have a spare tube somewhere) in the past. I think the one I have is the alumina-based version. I don't know that it's better, but I've never had trouble with it.

(c) Maybe you're doing some weird project, but in most cases you only ever need a tiny bit. If there is a Mom-n-Pop computer store near you, consider going there and giving them a few dollars for a dab.

(d) You definitely need to clean the old paste/glue off the part and the heatsink. In some situations, a carefully wielded razor blade comes in handy. Alcohol has always worked for me as a cleaning solvent. You want the two parts to be flat, clean, and shiny.

(e) If you've never done this before, look at some web how-tos or videos. You need less paste than you think, even when you already think that you don't need very much. You want to get the closest, tightest, connection possible with the least amount of paste necessary.

Good luck,


AetheLove

for my cpu/cooler noticed when i took it off last the original thermal paste is all gone

As RajunCajun said, Radio Shack sells Arctic Silver 5, which is pretty much the industry standard for quality thermal paste.

Don't use a Q-tip. It'll leave strands behind, which would be bad. Use coffee filters; the cheap million in a bag variety will do. Also, don't forget that Artic Silver requires a burn in time.

I've found the alcohol napkins/wipes you get at restaurants work really well.

I'd be scared to score the chip if using a razor or metal on the chip. The old paste should come off with persistent wiping with alcohol.

Also, I believe Tom's Hardware had a review of thermal pastes a few years back. Basically there were no more than 2-3 degrees difference between the high and low end pastes. tbh I believe getting your chip clean and applying the right amount and getting that solid connection is more important.

Again. youtube/google for effective tips tricks, but it's not rocket science. Less is more.

The difference between most high ends and low ends is that with high ends, you don't have to redo the paste 6 months later.