Thermal Tape vs. Thermal Paste

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bradley Dick
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Bradley Dick

Anyone have a preference for the two? I know the retail version comes with
the tape. I've heard that if you are not planning on swapping the CPU in the
future, that leaving the tape would be your best bet.

I was wondering if anyone thought one was better than the other for its
intended purpose.
 
Both do a fine job. I prefer thermal paste, but then again, I also
prefer lapping my CPU and heatsink as well. Thermal tape is much easier
for a beginner (or anyone for that matter) to use than thermal paste
because thermal paste is usually applied wrong and it is more difficult
to apply than a tape.

If you do go with the paste, make sure to not use too much. Half the
size of a BB is good for a regular P4/Athlon XP. You just want enough to
fill in the microscopic crevacies in the heatsink to prevent stagnant
air spots that can create heat pockets.
 
One of the significant problems with thermal tape is that its residue
is difficult to remove completely from CPU and heatsink if you do
disassemble them - this is also true of cheap thermal paste, which can
dry out, of course. Incompletely removed old thermal compound residue
is almost guaranteed to cause hotspot problems when you reassemble
with new. My vote, if you think you are likely to dissassemble things
in the future, would go to a good paste (e.g. Arctic Silver), which
can be cleaned off with alcohol, if necessary. I agree with Nathan
that if you are pretty sure that you are going to "set it and forget
it", there is not a great deal to choose between paste and tape,
applied and assembled properly, and it is easier to do things wrong
with paste.

With thermal tape being good to use, can you replace old thermal tape for
new?
Click to expand...


Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher
 
I used thermal paste in an all new PC that I recently built. The CPU was an
AMD Sempron, retail box. When I looked at the included fan/heat sink combo,
the thermal tape (if that is what it was) on the bottom surface of the heat
sink consisted of a small half-inch by half-inch square of light gray
material that felt dry and crumbly. Not trusting it, I wiped it all off
completely, and used a couple of drops of the white thermal paste instead.
After installation, I encountered no heating problems - even after a 2-day
burn-in.

Was that gray material the thermal tape? Thanks.
 
What do you mean lap?
-----Original Message-----
Both do a fine job. I prefer thermal paste, but then again, I also
prefer lapping my CPU and heatsink as well. Thermal tape is much easier
for a beginner (or anyone for that matter) to use than thermal paste
because thermal paste is usually applied wrong and it is more difficult
to apply than a tape.

If you do go with the paste, make sure to not use too much. Half the
size of a BB is good for a regular P4/Athlon XP. You just want enough to
fill in the microscopic crevacies in the heatsink to prevent stagnant
air spots that can create heat pockets.

-----
Nathan McNulty


.
Click to expand...
 
Peter said:
One of the significant problems with thermal tape is that its residue
is difficult to remove completely from CPU and heatsink if you do
disassemble them - this is also true of cheap thermal paste, which can
dry out, of course.
Click to expand...

Not true. All you need is a cotton but and a little isopropyl (rubbing)
alcohol.Cleans the residue off completely. Make sure you dry it off properly
with a lint-free cloth before applying fresh paste.
 
The surface of the heatsink or the Integrated Heatsink on the CPU are
often not very flat and often have visible canyons which look almost
like scratches. You can kind of flatten and buffer the thing until it
shines like a mirror and makes a better contact surface for transfering
heat.

This is one of the guides that I used when I lapped my last IHS and HSF:
http://www.tweakfactor.com/articles/coolers/lapping/

Note: I use distilled water and not regular water as a precaution even
though I have never seen corrosion or other problems occur.
 
CyberGuys www.cyberguys.com has compound, grease, Artic
Silver, and thermal tape.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


| Yes. AMD also has an install video
http://tinyurl.com/59me8
| They recommend the Thermal Pad, and Thermal Grease only
for temporary and
| testing.
| Vendors and their products listed Page 6
http://tinyurl.com/62th4
| I ordered pads some time ago but don't remember where.
Just use Google to
| find.
| Al
|
| | > So, can thermal tape be purchased seperately?
| >
| > | >> AMD has some interesting stuff on their site
| >>
| >> http://tinyurl.com/6pxtu
| >> Al
|
|
 
typo
in message | CyberGuys www.cyberguys.com has compound, grease, Arctic
| Silver, and thermal tape.
|
|
| --
| The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
| But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
|
|
| || Yes. AMD also has an install video
| http://tinyurl.com/59me8
|| They recommend the Thermal Pad, and Thermal Grease only
| for temporary and
|| testing.
|| Vendors and their products listed Page 6
| http://tinyurl.com/62th4
|| I ordered pads some time ago but don't remember where.
| Just use Google to
|| find.
|| Al
||
|| || > So, can thermal tape be purchased seperately?
|| >
|| > || >> AMD has some interesting stuff on their site
|| >>
|| >> http://tinyurl.com/6pxtu
|| >> Al
||
||
|
|
 
The science is not being properly explained here. Thermal
resistance increases with each change of media. You want the
lowest thermal resistance; the highest thermal conductivity.
That means less media changes. The best thermal conductivity
is CPU directly to heatsink - no intermediate media such as
air, thermal paste, thermal tape, etc. For any properly
machined heatsink, no thermal paste or thermal tape is
necessary. However many heatsinks are not even machined.
Cheaper and more profitable to sell an inferior heatsinks
using thermal tape to correct the inferior surface.

Thermal paste, properly applied, fills microscopic holes
between the defective CPU and heatsink. A better heatsink has
minimal surface area covered with microscopic holes.
Therefore a more direct 'CPU to heatsink' interface exists.
IOW apply minimal thermal paste so that more heatsink
contacting CPU is THE best interface.

Thermal paste also compensates for humans who buy heatsinks
without first demanding numbers. The most important number -
and I don't read a single poster citing it - is 'degree C per
watt'. A lower number means less thermal resistance.
Properly machined heatsinks will have lower numbers.

BTW, many mistakenly assume properly machined means
perfectly flat. A perfectly flat heatsink does not apply
pressure where most required. Most all heat is transferred
via center of the heatsink. This is also why any thermal
paste in the outer one half of 'heatsink and CPU' interface is
1) wasted, and 2) indicates that too much thermal paste was
applied - causing less 'heatsink to CPU' contact. Apply so
little thermal paste so that none appears in outer half of
heatsink. Too much thermal paste only increases thermal
resistance.

Bottom line - first question one must ask: what is the
'degree C per watt spec' on that heatsink. No spec? Then
expect they are simply hiding behind an inferior but highly
profitable product.

There is essentially no difference between various thermal
pastes. Spend on the order of ten times more money for the
overhyped Arctic Silver. In fact, when one recommends Arctic
Silver, then they often don't even known basic technology such
as the all so critical 'degree C per watt' number.

A best thermal interface is direct 'CPU to heatsink'
connection. Anything that further fills in microscopic holes
(ie thermal paste) causes a single digit temperature
improvement - trivial. In fact if thermal paste results in
more than ten degree temperature improvement, then time to get
a better heatsink. Thermal paste and resulting CPU
temperature is a good benchmark test to identify inferior
heatsinks.

In the meantime, if thermal tape is required, then time to
first learn basic facts - such as the integrity of that
retailer who hyped that heatsink assembly. Thermal tape
solves symptoms - an inferior heatsink problem. Proper tape
usage is for devices that have marginal heat problems and need
the cheapest solution. This is not your CPU. Up front,
thermal tape is not a desirable solution to thermal
conductivity.
 
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