CPU And Thermal Paste/Practice Computer

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Hello Everyone:
I have a question please.
When installing a CPU, how much thermal paste is
needed?
I am not installing a CPU right now, but just curious.
Also, I am thinking of buying a used computer which I can take apart and put back together.
You can never have too much computer experience, right?
Where it is only a machine to work on, what specifications should I look for and what is the
most money I should pay for such a computer?
As always, your advice/comments/feedback/humour is appreciated!

 

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With regards to how much money to spend, as little as possible I suppose. It doesn't matter on the size of HDD, memory etc, only that it has one of each component. Also, you can do without a monitor and other peripherals. I reckon you could get away with spending <£100 for a used machine easily.

As for the thermal paste, a small pea sized amount. BUT, the good news is, if you do use too much it's easy to clean with a bit of alcohol (pure, not beer!). Plus, during my first CPU install I went a bit mad and used so much the paste seeped between the pins on the CPU. Being thermally conductive, I thought it would be electrically conductive as well and it would short the chip. As I couldn't clean the paste out I took the chance and it works fine. What I'm saying is that you probably can't do too much damage by using too much.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for your reply!

 

Why is it that beer gets into almost every thread!

 

There should be a pinned thread or maybe a separate forum about beer!

 

I've had a little experience with putting the compound on the chip. If i remember correctly there was a strip of conductive 'tape' on the HS when I brought it, and used this first. Then later when i changed the HS/Fan I used paste, but I didn't use alcohol, I remember scraping it off with a knife. HOWEVER I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT.. The only reason I didn't use alcohol was I didn't know where to buy it.. (and No, I didn't try the off licence )..
I know it's slightly off-topic, but where's a good place to buy it? Do DIY stores sell it? (ie. B&Q, wicks, etc)

 

Most computer shops should sell Alcohol wipes for you to use.

 

Thanks for that Simon

 

Actualy it *is* possible to do damage by using too much paste.

The basic idea of the paste is that two surfaces in contact will have very tiny gaps between them due to micro-irregularities in the surfaces. The paste is there to fill these gaps.

If you use too much paste then the surfaces are no longer in contact as there is a layer of paste in the way.

Paste is a better heat conductor than air, but worse than two surfaces in contact!

This is why you should only use a thin smear of paste.

Somewhere I have a video about this from AMD; I'll see if I can dig it out and post a pointer to it.

Until I do - have a look at this white paper from AMD:
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/white_papers_and_tech_docs/26951.pdf

Harry.

 

Well, I just use my bench grinder. It gets rid of unwanted material in a hurry.

 

ROFL

 

Thanks, Harry!

 

I seem to remember a blob the size of a pea is about the right size to use.

Can't find the reference though - might have been a Scott Mueller book

 

Is that a garden pea or one of those big fat marrow-fat processed ones

 

You're a humourous guy, Bluerinse!

 

Why thank you, you're a bit of a wag yourself Vet

 

I love to laugh and have a great sense of humour(if I do say so myself).
If one is positive, then maybe one can brighten someone else's day with a bit of laughter.

 

now that Daddy took the T-bird awwwwwwwwwaaaayyyy.

 

I tend to use thermal paste for troubleshooting purposes, such as installing/removing the heatsink/CPU alot.

If i intend installing a CPU in a system and keeping it there i use thermal pads. Which i find are a lot easier to apply.

Neall

 

Thanks, Neall!
Hadn't heard of the thermal pads!