Topic: Quick CPU grease question

[idolminds]

My parts came in today, I'm building right now. I'm kind of stuck though.

I have thermal grease for the CPU I can apply. However, the heatsink has these 3 gray strips on it...which I'm assuming are to serve the same purpose. Would it be better to just leave it alone and attach it as-is, or should I remove those and apply my grease? Or...add my grease to the strips in some freakish mess? PLAESE HALP!


(I know I could have used the help board, but I need answers quickly! ZOMG!)

[JacksRag(e)]

I'd say not use the thermal grease and use the strips.  Those strips are more akin to a putty-ish compound.  My cpu came the same way and I found it much more convenient than using the thermal paste I had also bought.  Adding the grease to the paste already on your heatsink might make even more of a mess, something I don't think you want going on in your motherboard. 

And if you're uncomfortable using the gray compound, you can wipe it off and apply the grease later on if you want, also.

Also, the difference between using the thermal grease you bought and the factory applied thermal strips is gonna be negligible.  The strips are more than adequate to transfer heat as cpus nowadays are much more efficient.  But if you wanna go the extra mile anyway and apply the thermal grease, just remove the strips with rubbing alcohol and some kind of towel or wipe that doesn't leave fuzz and whatnot.

[Quemaqua]

Yeah, make sure if you remove them that you get them really clean.  You don't want anything coming between the CPU and your compound.  I've never seen strips before, myself.  That seems odd.

[scottws]

Some heatsinks, especially stock ones, come with a waxy thermal compound pre-applied.  You don't use that plus Arctic Silver (or any other thermal compound).  You do one or the other.

[JacksRag(e)]

Yeah, Intel's started applying its own thermal compound strips on the bottom.  I guess it's more efficient layering of the compound as the cpu heats up and melts them together.

[scottws]

Well the waxy compounds aren't as efficient I don't think.  I think the reason they do it is because it's much easier for the enduser than applying thermal goop.  Probably results in a lot fewer RMA requests and support calls for them to pre-apply something rather than letting the consumer screw up the application of the grease.

I still use Arctic Silver, though I realize there is a trend against paying for this stuff lately.