Pulled Heatsink from Processor...Help!

[coleygm]

Ok...so I'm under the hood of my XPS410 and i decided to take a peek at the processor.

...so i unhitch the monster heatsinc and as i swung it down and off the processor i was surprised to hear a sticky sort of release sound. I notated what looked like some sort of glue that was apparently attaching the heat sync to the processor and i immediately wonder if i just messed something up.

Now i read about thermal compound and i guess that's what the sticky stuff was. So...do i have a problem now? do i need to buy thermal compound and re apply it between the heat sync and processor?

thanks for the advice.

[Richgsr]

If you still have some on the CPU itself and some on the heatsink, you should be ok.

Personally, I'd get a tube of Arctic silver (bout 5 bux at most computer stores), clean off the processor and the heatsink and put on a fresh coat. This will assure you get decent coat on the processor and aftermaket compound is loads better than the OEM gunk.

[hawkeye60]

You'll have to clean off the old compound, and apply new. Don't overdo it, you don't need much, a drop about the size of a piece of rice is sufficient. Too much is as bad as not enough.

[MaxxuM]

Yes, you can just stick it back on w/o issue. In fact, I would recommend it. I would not use another type of thermal compound until the CPU & HS have both been completely cleaned off (with alcohol) and they are then completely dry. Arctic Silver and ilk are superior to factor 'thermal pads', but only if they are 'refreshed' from time to time. Thermal pad's do not break down as quickly as Arctic Silver and typically remain for years on the CPU. Arctic Silver was designed for constant reapplication; i.e. people that frequently change/upgrade their CPU's.

[ChasP505]

Yes, you can just stick it back on w/o issue. In fact, I would recommend it.

I respectfully have to disagree... In fact I would not even attempt to start that computer until you've thoroughly cleaned off the old compound and applied new stuff like Arctic Silver. Not doing this is likely to leave gaps between the two surfaces and different thicknesses of the old compound. Follow the directions already given here to clean both surfaces, and use something like the edge of a business card to spread the new compound over the processor's surface. You need a thin, consistent layer with no bubbles or gaps. Also, put a BB sized amount on the surface of the cooler, spread it with a card, then buff it in with a clean, lint free, cotton cloth. This pushes the metallic micro particles into the microscopic nooks and crevices on the cooler's surface. You should end up with a dull gray haze across the surface. Filling these gaps provides a more thorough contact and better heat conductivity. (Some hardcore types like to "lap" or finely polish the contact surface of the cooler before installing.) When replacing the cooler, try not to wiggle it into place, but place it straight on in one action (yeah, it's tricky!)

And be VERY careful to avoid static!

[MaxxuM]

I respectfully have to disagree... In fact I would not even attempt to start that computer until you've thoroughly cleaned off the old compound and applied new stuff like Arctic Silver. Not doing this is likely to leave gaps between the two surfaces and different thicknesses of the old compound. Follow the directions already given here to clean both surfaces, and use something like the edge of a business card to spread the new compound over the processor's surface. You need a thin, consistent layer with no bubbles or gaps. Also, put a BB sized amount on the surface of the cooler, spread it with a card, then buff it in with a clean, lint free, cotton cloth. This pushes the metallic micro particles into the microscopic nooks and crevices on the cooler's surface. You should end up with a dull gray haze across the surface. Filling these gaps provides a more thorough contact and better heat conductivity. (Some hardcore types like to "lap" or finely polish the contact surface of the cooler before installing.) When replacing the cooler, try not to wiggle it into place, but place it straight on in one action (yeah, it's tricky!)

And be VERY careful to avoid static!

I've lapped my PC CPUs, no biggie. I've pulled hundreds of CPUs off the thermal pads and stuck them back on motherboards while debugging computers. With C2D's the thermal range is so high there will never be an issue at stock speeds. I've just placed a HS/Fan atop a CPU with absolutly no compound + no clips (just resting on the CPU) and temps never exceeded 45 degrees; still more than 20+ degrees from danger. Pentiums and AMD CPU's are a different story altogether.

I've been hyper sensative about every aspect of PC building. I've settled down in my old age now though. As long as the system's not being overclocked and the CPU is a C2D then there is little worry of heat problems. The first time the system gets good and hot the thermal paste will respread again filling all the gaps - 2-3 days later of use and all will be fine again.

[ChasP505]

I'm sure you're right and I defer to your experience... dozens built versus hundreds. Yeah, my experience is largely with older AMD Athlon machines which ran very hot. I never took a chance with re-using compound.

In MY old age, I've gotten conservative and I stay far back from the "cutting edge" in favor of tried and true reliability.

[tim]

C2Q don't go so well without a heatsink, and my Q6600 @ 2.8GHz or so runs at 45-55 degrees, depending on load and ambient temp.

[MaxxuM]

C2Q don't go so well without a heatsink, and my Q6600 @ 2.8GHz or so runs at 45-55 degrees, depending on load and ambient temp.

Yea, some 6600's seem to have heat issues. No two are alike. Mine hovers around 22 OCed yet my sisters won't go below 38. Both are lapped too. The quads have a pretty high temp range so most people shouldn't have an issue, even with stock heat pad and no OCing. 90% of the time that I see overheating is poor OCing.

[tim]

Mine couldn't be at 22, that's the ambient temp and it dissipates 50-100W. I haven't lapped it and i'm not sure it's connected all that way, but first time I tried the temp got to 70 and now it only gets to 55 so i'm gona leave it alone.

[adam8080]

I've never had a problem sticking it back on in the same orientation (been building computers for about 10 years). Rotating it 180 degrees may cause a problem, never tried it though.

[ChasP505]

C2Q don't go so well without a heatsink, and my Q6600 @ 2.8GHz or so runs at 45-55 degrees, depending on load and ambient temp.

My Q6600 is hangin' in there with a temperature range of about 35-48, OC'd to 3.2, stock cooler (not lapped), Arctic Silver. I still believe the case air flow is a really important and often overlooked CPU cooling factor and my Antec 300 blows air across the MoBo like crazy.

[Richgsr]

Chas is absolutely right. Having a good cooler on your CPU is key, but it really won't help if there's no outlet for the heat inside your case. Other than actually leaving one side of the case open, I find the best air flow config pulls in air from the front and bottom of the case, flows over the components, and flows out the rear and top of the case (warm air rises after all).

Check the directions your fans are pulling air in/out of your case. This could help drop the core temps quite a bit when done correctly.

[gjl711]

I'm sure you're right and I defer to your experience... dozens built versus hundreds. Yeah, my experience is largely with older AMD Athlon machines which ran very hot. I never took a chance with re-using compound.

In MY old age, I've gotten conservative and I stay far back from the "cutting edge" in favor of tried and true reliability.I to am conservative as I was a fan of the Athlon's and have seen quite a few burn up even with heat sink compound applied. That chip would smoke itself in an instant without a good heat sink if perfect working order. I think that the new processors with it's larger surface area are not quite so sensitive.

[MaxxuM]

My Q6600 is hangin' in there with a temperature range of about 35-48, OC'd to 3.2, stock cooler (not lapped), Arctic Silver. I still believe the case air flow is a really important and often overlooked CPU cooling factor and my Antec 300 blows air across the MoBo like crazy.

With video cards getting so long these days case cooling has become very important. My Antec 900 does it's job very well. I only hover about 1-3 above ambient. Your processor should hover around 10 degrees over ambient for stock HS and less than 5 degrees for good/excellent HS/Water. Many people think that raising power to the CPU/NB is the only reason to fool with V, it isn't. Many motherboards will send a little more V than necessary to keep the CPU stable. However, if you know your CPU/Motherboard well enough you can lower the V and still run perfectly fine even while at 100% stress. By doing this I was able to significantly reduce the heat from the CPU.

[coleygm]

Well it's done!

I bought Arctic Silver 5 from RadioShack for $10, and used the instructions from the Arctic Silver website.

Whole thing was much easier than i thought. Used 91% Isopropyl alcohol to clean the heatsync and processer...then applied the compound as instructed. Re-attached everything and turned it back on.

Average temp on the Quad Core previous to installation was 35C ...after application, it's now averaging 28C. Granted, I'm not sure how this will fluctuate as it burns in.

thanks for all the help

[jetboy]

Average temp on the Quad Core previous to installation was 35C ...after application, it's not averaging 28C. Granted, I'm not sure how this will fluctuate as it burns in.

It should actually lower 1-4* over the next 2 weeks. Keep in mind that Arctic Silver recommends to turn of the computer during this time so it can cool off then reheat again to help it settle and bed in.

Although, depending on the thermal pad that came stock it might have been good to go another round. Nowdays, the thermal pads that come preapplied are MUCH better than the days before (remember the white pastes?). My Arctic Cooing Freezer Xtreme came with MX-2 preapplied and its supposed to be good for reaplications, no bedding in period, and slightly better than Arctic Silver. Due to the cool n' quiet on my 6000+ (the 125w version clocked to 3200mhz) when idling my CPU sits at -2 to equal my case temp (according to speedfan). Under load it does rise to +20 over the case temp. Still not bad at all for air cooling.