CPU heatsink/thermal compound

[Christo]

i think its tme to renew this stuff

is it easier to buy a new hs/fan with pre applied thermal compound or use
current hs/fan

i had pre applied thermal compound on it and its now very rouch and a bit
messy, temp is idle at 57 C on Socket A 2600+ not overclocked (previously,
when compound was new and hs/fan was new 42 C idle, it is a stock amd
cooler)

which is far too hot

so should i sand the bottom of the hs to get rid of the messy thermal
compound

and r apply some arctic silver?

what about the compound still on the core of the CPU, can i cleanr that off,
or should i leave?

with all this in mind would i not be better off buying a new hs/fan with
some more pre applied compound, hat with the arctic silver 5 costing and the
cost of a hs/fan with pre applied compound it may be cheaper to buy a whole
new hs/fan with pre applied compound

whats the best route to take

 

[kony]

i think its tme to renew this stuff

is it easier to buy a new hs/fan with pre applied thermal compound or use
current hs/fan

Either is pretty easy, unless there's some unique situation
you're not disclosing.

i had pre applied thermal compound on it and its now very rouch and a bit
messy, temp is idle at 57 C on Socket A 2600+ not overclocked (previously,
when compound was new and hs/fan was new 42 C idle, it is a stock amd
cooler)

To anyone inquisitive enough to ask, I suggest removing the
original thermal compound, never using it. THEN, if
heatsink base is very rough, either replacing the 'sink or
lapping it a bit... not necessarily till it's like a mirror
but at least uniform, smooth.

which is far too hot

so should i sand the bottom of the hs to get rid of the messy thermal
compound

No, clean it off first with a plastic scraping tool (like
credit card) and petroleum solvent on a paper towel. Cheap
old silicone thermal compound can be used to buff out the
remaining bits of it.

and r apply some arctic silver?

Sure, or whatever... there's only a couple degrees
difference, primarily the benefit of the synthetic compounds
is that they're more resistant to heat, won't need reapplied
as often on a small, high-heat density core like an Athlon
XP.

what about the compound still on the core of the CPU, can i cleanr that off,
or should i leave?

Definitely clean it off.

with all this in mind would i not be better off buying a new hs/fan with
some more pre applied compound, hat with the arctic silver 5 costing and the
cost of a hs/fan with pre applied compound it may be cheaper to buy a whole
new hs/fan with pre applied compound

whats the best route to take

Clean off the original compound even on a new heatsink. If
you buy similar heatsink you'll get similar results
(assuming same thermal interface method), so either buy a
better heatsink than the original else there's no point to
it.

A different heatsink with 80-92mm x 25mm low-RPM fan would
be the quietest alternative, a stock-speed Athlon XP2600
isn't producing so much heat that it can't be cooled near
inaudibly with minimal effort, provided you use the right
fan. Usually that means buying a fan separately, but IIRC
Thermaltake's Silent Boost comes with a ribbed variant of a
Panaflo L1A which is pretty quiet to begin with but might
still be undervolted a bit.

Since you already have the original heatsink you might first
try cleaning it off, lightly lapping it, and applying
(whatever happens to be handy, that you already have)
heatsink grease. If the temps aren't low enough then
consider purchasing additional supplies. If you don't have
any higher-end thermal compound you might consider Arctic
Alumina or Ceramique, it's close enough in performance,
synthetic so it won't pump or dry out, and due to being
non-capacitive it'll be more useful for other heatsinking
like video card or motherboards, etc... Not to mention that
it's less expensive and easier to clean up.

 

[Christo]

Either is pretty easy, unless there's some unique situation
you're not disclosing.



To anyone inquisitive enough to ask, I suggest removing the
original thermal compound, never using it. THEN, if
heatsink base is very rough, either replacing the 'sink or
lapping it a bit... not necessarily till it's like a mirror
but at least uniform, smooth.


No, clean it off first with a plastic scraping tool (like
credit card) and petroleum solvent on a paper towel. Cheap
old silicone thermal compound can be used to buff out the
remaining bits of it.


Sure, or whatever... there's only a couple degrees
difference, primarily the benefit of the synthetic compounds
is that they're more resistant to heat, won't need reapplied
as often on a small, high-heat density core like an Athlon
XP.



Definitely clean it off.


Clean off the original compound even on a new heatsink. If
you buy similar heatsink you'll get similar results
(assuming same thermal interface method), so either buy a
better heatsink than the original else there's no point to
it.

A different heatsink with 80-92mm x 25mm low-RPM fan would
be the quietest alternative, a stock-speed Athlon XP2600
isn't producing so much heat that it can't be cooled near
inaudibly with minimal effort, provided you use the right
fan. Usually that means buying a fan separately, but IIRC
Thermaltake's Silent Boost comes with a ribbed variant of a
Panaflo L1A which is pretty quiet to begin with but might
still be undervolted a bit.

Since you already have the original heatsink you might first
try cleaning it off, lightly lapping it, and applying
(whatever happens to be handy, that you already have)
heatsink grease. If the temps aren't low enough then
consider purchasing additional supplies. If you don't have
any higher-end thermal compound you might consider Arctic
Alumina or Ceramique, it's close enough in performance,
synthetic so it won't pump or dry out, and due to being
non-capacitive it'll be more useful for other heatsinking
like video card or motherboards, etc... Not to mention that
it's less expensive and easier to clean up.

thanks great deal of help there, it should set me on the right track, like
you say larger fans would be quieter, which is an issue here too

I have been looking at a whole new hs/fan that being the Akasa AK-825

it isnt pretty but it sounds like it might be good enough for me, i
especially like the fact i can adjust fan speed which will allow for noise
lowering, to suit my requirements

Thanks kony

 

[Christo]

Either is pretty easy, unless there's some unique situation
you're not disclosing.



To anyone inquisitive enough to ask, I suggest removing the
original thermal compound, never using it. THEN, if
heatsink base is very rough, either replacing the 'sink or
lapping it a bit... not necessarily till it's like a mirror
but at least uniform, smooth.


No, clean it off first with a plastic scraping tool (like
credit card) and petroleum solvent on a paper towel. Cheap
old silicone thermal compound can be used to buff out the
remaining bits of it.


Sure, or whatever... there's only a couple degrees
difference, primarily the benefit of the synthetic compounds
is that they're more resistant to heat, won't need reapplied
as often on a small, high-heat density core like an Athlon
XP.



Definitely clean it off.


Clean off the original compound even on a new heatsink. If
you buy similar heatsink you'll get similar results
(assuming same thermal interface method), so either buy a
better heatsink than the original else there's no point to
it.

A different heatsink with 80-92mm x 25mm low-RPM fan would
be the quietest alternative, a stock-speed Athlon XP2600
isn't producing so much heat that it can't be cooled near
inaudibly with minimal effort, provided you use the right
fan. Usually that means buying a fan separately, but IIRC
Thermaltake's Silent Boost comes with a ribbed variant of a
Panaflo L1A which is pretty quiet to begin with but might
still be undervolted a bit.

Since you already have the original heatsink you might first
try cleaning it off, lightly lapping it, and applying
(whatever happens to be handy, that you already have)
heatsink grease. If the temps aren't low enough then
consider purchasing additional supplies. If you don't have
any higher-end thermal compound you might consider Arctic
Alumina or Ceramique, it's close enough in performance,
synthetic so it won't pump or dry out, and due to being
non-capacitive it'll be more useful for other heatsinking
like video card or motherboards, etc... Not to mention that
it's less expensive and easier to clean up.

by the way should i be using something like white spirit to clean the CPU?
or is that a no no, with it being flamable?

not sure what i should use to clean the core... any household items or am i
gonna need a trip to homebase or somewhere for some specialized cleaning
materials?

 

[kony]

by the way should i be using something like white spirit to clean the CPU?
or is that a no no, with it being flamable?

Flammability is not a problem, but you dont' need anything
highly volatile either. I usually use "Goo Gone", which is
meant to get adhesive off of things, but other common
petroleum-based solvents would work, even gasoline or WD-40.

not sure what i should use to clean the core... any household items or am i
gonna need a trip to homebase or somewhere for some specialized cleaning
materials?

Same thing, petroleum-based solvent. Read labels of
cleaning /etc type products you already have, if it lists
"petroleum solvent" in the label it'll probably do the job.
If the thermal interface material is really thick and
stubbon on the CPU it may help to saturate a rag or paper
towel with solvent, put that against the top of the CPU and
seal it in a plastic bag to soak for a few hours. It's not
necessary but if you're not in a hurry it takes less effort
that way.

 

[Duddits]

i think its tme to renew this stuff

is it easier to buy a new hs/fan with pre applied thermal compound or use
current hs/fan

i had pre applied thermal compound on it and its now very rouch and a bit
messy, temp is idle at 57 C on Socket A 2600+ not overclocked (previously,
when compound was new and hs/fan was new 42 C idle, it is a stock amd
cooler)

which is far too hot

so should i sand the bottom of the hs to get rid of the messy thermal
compound

and r apply some arctic silver?

what about the compound still on the core of the CPU, can i cleanr that off,
or should i leave?

with all this in mind would i not be better off buying a new hs/fan with
some more pre applied compound, hat with the arctic silver 5 costing and the
cost of a hs/fan with pre applied compound it may be cheaper to buy a whole
new hs/fan with pre applied compound

whats the best route to take

Read this AMD doc.
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/white_papers_and_tech_docs/26951.pdf

regards

Dud

 

[Duddits]

by the way should i be using something like white spirit to clean the CPU?
or is that a no no, with it being flamable?

AMD suggests denatured alcohol which is flammable.

regards

Dud