First Build/Upgrade

**rush2049** · 10-21-11, 12:28 AM

Now if you wanna go hog wild and not care how much power you draw for the next 5 or so years then get the Corsair AX1200: Professional SeriesIts what I got when I built my new rig with my gtx 590..... I don't use more than 800 watts (overclocking makes your wattage SIGNIFICANTLY higher), but that puts me in the sweet spot....

**Webs** · 10-21-11, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by rush2049

Now if you wanna go hog wild and not care how much power you draw for the next 5 or so years then get the Corsair AX1200: Professional SeriesIts what I got when I built my new rig with my gtx 590..... I don't use more than 800 watts (overclocking makes your wattage SIGNIFICANTLY higher), but that puts me in the sweet spot....

Its above my price range a bit too much. I was thinking this Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply It'll support SLI when I get the second card and I'll stick the extra cables at the bottom and move the hard drive towards the top.

I'm using the zalman and it was hard to take off and its going to hard to put on for me. Is there any really easy thermal paste to apply easier than the one I'm getting?

**SapiensErus** · 10-21-11, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by Webs

Its above my price range a bit too much. I was thinking this Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply It'll support SLI when I get the second card and I'll stick the extra cables at the bottom and move the hard drive towards the top.

I'm using the zalman and it was hard to take off and its going to hard to put on for me. Is there any really easy thermal paste to apply easier than the one I'm getting?

That is a great PSU...

What do you mean by hard in reference to the thermal paste? Does it bind up and make the CPU stick the fan really bad? Remember: you only need a thin layer!

I am using Arctic Silver's Ceramique and I like it, but it tends to get stiff after it sets a while. I got a big tube of a few years ago and still have loads left, so I have no other reviews for thermal-paste!

**kibner** · 10-21-11, 11:07 AM

Easiest way to put thermal paste on a cpu is to just have a small strip down the center. Use only enough paste to fill a pea. Heatsinks and cpu surfaces are slightly curved and are designed in such a way to transfer the bulk of the heat through the center strip. Don't smear the paste around or anything. Fully attach the heatsink and then give it a couple small twists to thin out the paste. Remember that the paste is just there to fill in the microscopic gaps between cpu surface and heatsink. It conducts heat better than air, but not as good as the metal that the cpu and heatsink are made of.

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**Webs** · 10-21-11, 11:20 AM

I meant in terms of attaching the thing with the screws. It was hard to take off and its going to be harder for me to attach because of the design. I just wanted to know if a thermal paste is more liquid or solid which one is easier to handle. So, kibner your saying to put a glob in the center and put the cpu cooler on top and move the cpu cooler around to spread it? Not put a glob down and spread it out just let the cooler do that?

**kibner** · 10-21-11, 11:46 AM

More of a strip than a glob. It should be about 66% to 75% the length of the chip. There should be visual guides out there that show the best technique depending on what chip you are using (it changes based on number of cores on the chip). Just lay the strip down then attach the heatsink. If you have to lift the heatsink off the cpu for some reason, strip all the paste off of everything and start over.

Once the heatsink is fully attached (screwed in and everything is set and good to go), give a small little twist to the heatsink to help the paste settle.

E: if you want to know why the strip down the center is the best, look up "lapping". There are people that grind down the surface of the chip and heatsink to be perfectly level so they get the most surface area contact. Generall, only extreme overclockers do this so they can squeeze out just that little bit more. For stock guys, it doesn't make a difference.

E2: I recommend dry runs when attaching the heatsink. Attach it and remove it a few times without putting on paste so you get used to it and figure out the best way to put it back on. Will save you the time and frustration of cleaning and reapplying paste every time you mess up.

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**Viktor_Olin** · 10-21-11, 11:50 AM

I used the instructions on Arctic Silver's site; worked for me:
Arctic Silver, Inc. - Instructions

**Webs** · 10-21-11, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by kibner

More of a strip than a glob. It should be about 66% to 75% the length of the chip. There should be visual guides out there that show the best technique depending on what chip you are using (it changes based on number of cores on the chip). Just lay the strip down then attach the heatsink. If you have to lift the heatsink off the cpu for some reason, strip all the paste off of everything and start over.

Once the heatsink is fully attached (screwed in and everything is set and good to go), give a small little twist to the heatsink to help the paste settle.

E: if you want to know why the strip down the center is the best, look up "lapping". There are people that grind down the surface of the chip and heatsink to be perfectly level so they get the most surface area contact. Generall, only extreme overclockers do this so they can squeeze out just that little bit more. For stock guys, it doesn't make a difference.

E2: I recommend dry runs when attaching the heatsink. Attach it and remove it a few times without putting on paste so you get used to it and figure out the best way to put it back on. Will save you the time and frustration of cleaning and reapplying paste every time you mess up.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk

I'm using the Arctic Silver 5 and the Manuel says to use the vertical line method: http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appmeth/int/vl/intel_app_method_vertical_line_v1.1.pdf

So do i just make a line down the middle and put the cooler on or spread it out also?

**Viktor_Olin** · 10-21-11, 12:03 PM

See page 5 of the manual: Attaching the Heatsink.

**Webs** · 10-21-11, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by Viktor_Olin

See page 5 of the manual: Attaching the Heatsink.

Just read through it. Thanks. I think I'll order it this weekend now the only thing is that I have to buy the graphics card off amazon as the card has been out of stock for a while now on Newegg and don't know if its worth waiting to see.