Should I use thermal compound?

I just bought a Core 2 Duo 3Ghz processor and a new Intel LGA775 mobo to go with it. I just went through my supplies and realized I have no thermal compound left. When I installed my AMD X2 a while back I didn't use thermal compound. I don't plan on overclocking the processor and the last one was fine and still works well. It comes with a heat sink and fan. Am I good to go or should I wait another day for paste?

I'm so itching to start working on this thing, I can hardly wait any longer!

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Comments

snadam

Zoomer wrote:

I just bought a Core 2 Duo 3Ghz processor and a new Intel LGA775 mobo to go with it. I just went through my supplies and realized I have no thermal compound left. When I installed my AMD X2 a while back I didn't use thermal compound. I don't plan on overclocking the processor and the last one was fine and still works well. It comes with a heat sink and fan. Am I good to go or should I wait another day for paste?

I'm so itching to start working on this thing, I can hardly wait any longer!

I dont think you have to, but thermal paste is like $5, so why not? I wouldn't risk saving $5 and some time if it means burning out your new $100+ CPU. just my $.02

undomiel

When I was doing tech support I saw a few processors die because the thermal paste dried out, or the tech who was replacing something didn't put some on (or put the whole freaking tube of it on one processor) and the processor died again. So I would say be on the safe side and go out and get some paste. Even if it doesn't necessarily "need" it it will definitely help in extending the life of the processor.

msnelgrove

Thermal paste is like sunscreen, you can get away without using it but eventually you will get cancer and die

shednik

Artic Silver alll the way drops your cpu temp nicely...apply a single grain of rice and it will work wonderfully

bogdan5

I'm waiting for my Quad 2.4Ghz (Q6600). I should get it tonight. I'm sitting here at work refreshing neweggs page with the tracking history to see if it's at home already or not

Speaking of thermal paste. I hope I still have some some left from my last build.

The only thing I'm not looking forward to is installing the fan. It's always a pain.

tiersten

If it is a retail packaged CPU then the heatsink will have a thermal pad or compound on it already.

If your heatsink doesn't then go get a tube of the cheap stuff and just use that. You can buy the premium ones but the benefit is usually minimal and pointless if you're not overclocking.

shednik

tiersten wrote:

If your heatsink doesn't then go get a tube of the cheap stuff and just use that. You can buy the premium ones but the benefit is usually minimal and pointless if you're not overclocking.

I completely disagree I used Intels compound on my Pentium D when I got it and it ran at 60 C at idle to minimal load. The CPU is prone to run hot but once I added artic silver it dropped 15 degrees and then another 10 with a new heatsink and fan.

tiersten

shednik wrote:

tiersten wrote:

If your heatsink doesn't then go get a tube of the cheap stuff and just use that. You can buy the premium ones but the benefit is usually minimal and pointless if you're not overclocking.

I completely disagree I used Intels compound on my Pentium D when I got it and it ran at 60 C at idle to minimal load. The CPU is prone to run hot but once I added artic silver it dropped 15 degrees and then another 10 with a new heatsink and fan.

If it dropped 15 degrees after applying the premium compound then there was something wrong with how it was originally.

Tyrant1919

I've used the stock thermal pads. I've used stuff that has come with aftermarket heatsinks, I've used artic silver. I've realized no difference.

I recall a magazine article testing various heatsink compounds. I forgot which one ran the coolest under load, Arctic Silver wasn't #1, but the #2 best compound from there test was a generic tube of thermal compound from radio shack. Difference of only about a degree or two F, which could probably be caused by how well the paste was applied.

As long as it's something it's good enough for me.

KGhaleon

jryantech wrote:

msnelgrove wrote:

Thermal paste is like sunscreen, you can get away without using it but eventually you will get cancer and die

rofl what the heck

QFT

Slowhand

Pick up some Arctic Silver 5. Whether or not it's considered "cheap stuff" is neither here nor there. It's proven to work, every single PC tech I've ever worked with has used/recommended it, and, quite frankly, the price is not so high that you need to skimp on quality.

At $5.99, you can't go wrong. Besides, how can you argue with reviews like this one:

88.6 Degrees on Newegg wrote:

Lowered My Body Temperature
Reviewed By: 88.6 Degrees on 6/1/2006 Tech Level: high - Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg.com

Pros: Premium Formula. Highest Thermal Conductivity around. Better than OEM paste (as it actually contains silver).

Cons: Doesnt work well with my air conditioner, nor as a salad dressing.

Other Thoughts: Got some on my finger, now my body temperature is 10-15 degrees lower. How do I explain that to my doctor? LESS IS MORE!! USE ONLY TWO RICE SIZED GRAINS (UNCOOKED) WORTH OF ARCTIC SILVER ON THE CENTER OF CPU. SPIN AROUND A FEW TIMES UNILL YOU HAVE A QUARTER SIZED CIRCLE IN THE MIDDLE. DONE AND DONE.

darkerosxx

I've used the intel heat sink/fans with their thermal compound already on and my cpu's always have run hot. I replaced with arctic thermal compound and heat sink/fan and it reduced the temp by half.

It's a worthwhile investment when you can extend the life of your processor for 20-40 bucks.

JDMurray

I always scrape off the thermal pad and use Arctic Silver. I also don't use stock CPU cooling fans either.

royal

Alcohol Pad to clean off any existing compound/sticky crap and use Arctic Silver 5. Alchohol pads contain isoproply alchohol which is what is needed to properly clean the surface of a cpu core and a heat sink.

JDMurray

royal wrote:

Alcohol Pad to clean off any existing compound/sticky crap and use Arctic Silver 5. Alchohol pads contain isoproply alchohol which is what is needed to properly clean the surface of a cpu core and a heat sink.

I use spit. :P

royal

JDMurray wrote:

royal wrote:

Alcohol Pad to clean off any existing compound/sticky crap and use Arctic Silver 5. Alchohol pads contain isoproply alchohol which is what is needed to properly clean the surface of a cpu core and a heat sink.

I use spit. :P

I lick off the existing compound before using an alcohol pad.

JDMurray

royal wrote:

JDMurray wrote:

royal wrote:

Alcohol Pad to clean off any existing compound/sticky crap and use Arctic Silver 5. Alchohol pads contain isoproply alchohol which is what is needed to properly clean the surface of a cpu core and a heat sink.

I use spit. :P

I lick off the existing compound before using an alcohol pad.

I remove the pad using the head of a small animal and apply the Arctic Silver using a picture of my ex-wife. (Or is it the other way around?)

royal

JDMurray wrote:

royal wrote:

JDMurray wrote:

royal wrote:

Alcohol Pad to clean off any existing compound/sticky crap and use Arctic Silver 5. Alchohol pads contain isoproply alchohol which is what is needed to properly clean the surface of a cpu core and a heat sink.

I use spit. :P

I lick off the existing compound before using an alcohol pad.

I remove the pad using the head of a small animal and apply the Arctic Silver using a picture of my ex-wife. (Or is it the other way around?)

bogdan5

I didn't have any thermal paste at home left so I went down to TigerDirect store and the only thing they have was masscool heat sink compound. Did you guys hear anything about that compound? Do you guys think I should just get Arctic Silver 5. Right now the CPU temperature averages between 39 to 40 C. Oh, yeah I'm using the original heat sink which was a b*** to attach. (always afraid i'm going to damage the motherboard).

I should add that's it's a Q6600 2.4GHz.

Megadeth4168

The last time I built a computer for myself, I only had what was on the heat sink that came with it.
Every time I would run something like Half-Life 2, I would about 20-30 minutes of play time before the PC would overheat and shut down.

So, I picked up some Arctic Silver, removed the existing thermal compound and used the Arctic Silver.... Never had any problem with overheating again. Just thought I would share that little story for those wondering if it really works.

shednik

I always replace the stock heat sinks, I spent around 5 on artic silver and around 25-30 on a good heat sink. I haven't had an issue since then so that is always my recommendation for building a new pc.

Lee H

Sounds like the magic ingrediant this arctic silver, might give it a try when i replace my heat sink and fan

Lee H

JDMurray

Lee H wrote:

Sounds like the magic ingrediant this arctic silver, might give it a try when i replace my heat sink and fan

And one tube will last the typical computer hobbyist many, many years. I still have a tube of Dow-Corning heat sink compound I've been using since 1982 (for power transistors, not CPUs). Spread it thin and it goes a loooooong way.

bogdan5

I applied arctic silver twice on my Q6600 and the temperature is higher then it was when I had cheap compound applied.

Right now the readings on average are:

Core 0 57C
Core 1 54C
Core 2 55C
Core 3 57C.

Are these temperatures OK?

Edited: Just my luck. I guess I busted my motherboard. After updating the BIOS everything broke loose. The computer is starting up, the fans are running but there is no display and the hard drive LED is not blinking. I don't have a build in AGP and I don't have a spare graphics card. Already did reset CMOS. No change.

Lee H

You dont have a build in AGP?? What does this mean

Also are you getting any POST beeps, thats the first question

Lee H

undomiel

Did it say the BIOS update had completed successfully? If it rebooted before that or the update failed then yes you have a hosed motherboard. It could also be that you need to reseat your cpu after having applied the thermal paste.

dynamik

Not necessarily. He may have just not grounded himself properly and given the board a little zap. Turn off the power, disconnect everything (cords, boards, cpu, ram, etc.), and then put it all back together and make sure you're grounding yourself on the case or get a wrist strap. This happens to me all the time, probably at least a half dozen times in the last year. No video is a common symptom of this.

*ahem* I should probably replace that grounding strap I broke...

bogdan5

Here's the thing. I updated to the latest version of BIOS but after that I was reading online that that version has some problems (I should have browsed the internet first) so I wanted to update to the version right below it. Which I did. It showed that it completed successfully, but after I rebooted the computer there was no display (NO POST) or there is no activity on my hard drive.

I'm going to follow dynamik's suggestion and reassemble the whole computer and put it back together. If that won't help I'll just get a new motherboard.

Here's my motherboard. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128012

bogdan5

No luck.

Anybody want to to suggest a new motherboard. DDR2 800 P6400 LGA775. I'm not going to overclock.

Sie

royal wrote:

I lick off the existing compound before using an alcohol pad.

I like to do this the other way around but after a few builds in a row i forget what im doing