I just took off my stock AMD heatsink and need to know how I can replace the Thermal Interface Material on the heatsink. What kind is it and how can I get it to spread like how it was when I first installed it?

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arcticlean.htm

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835100010

Arctic Silver is not the stock AMD paste, but would perform much better than it.

Just be extra careful applying it, as it is considered electrically conductive. You don't want it anywhere else other than the contact surface.

I know Arctic silver is better but I need the stock TIM because I think once you use the stock AMD heatsink fan you need to keep using the TIM because the heatsink has the TIM melted into itself...on the Arctic Silver website it refers to that as "melting into the microscopic valleys"

You don`t need to use the stock compound, in any case, you`d have difficulty in getting hold of it. You just need to clean off the old thermal compound from both the heatsink and cpu die using isopropyl or rubbing alcohol. Then, apply a thin layer of new thermal paste to the cpu die and reattach the heatsink.

Instructions for applying thermal paste can be found HERE.

Regards Howard

I think he means thin. Don't mis-read it as thick, I almost did. You always want just enough thermal compound on to spread across the surface, and this usually means half a grain if rice, not much more.

Just follow the instructions.

Lol, yeah I meant thin. That`s what I said didle I?

Regards Howard

Good thing I quoted

Attic er Arctic Cleaner.......?

Arctic Silver makes a CPU & Heatsink cleaner. Comes in a 2 part kit. 1 bottle smells like lemon pledge. Oh sure, alcohol probably works like a champ but consider this; this is so much more like the real deal, it comes from Arctic Silver, has downloadble instructions, the bottles even say "Thermal Material Remover".
It may be witchcraft dammit, but it makes me feel confident, like my thermal pad is always springtime fresh.

lol....

I'd just stick with good old alcohol, cheap and easily available

as a general rule of thumb you want your termal paste to be around the thinkness of a piece of paper when done.
Just adding that in.

Sean

I am choking up here - the IDEAL contact is two perfectly machined pieces of metal such they make perfect contact.

Since that is impossible, and micro-scratches and such are inevitable to keep costs down, a thin (key word here: THIN) layer of a heat-conducting paste is used to fill the little nooks and crannies (yeah, like an English muffin) and that is ALL that is necessary.

We are talking THIN!


thx

thickness of a piece of paper is too thick. way too thick.

It is what I was taught and still use, 36C on my CPU.