Lord Mythirion
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When I install a processor or RAM do I have to put thermal paste on both of them? If I do, then how much?
Install Processor+RAM
- Thread starter Lord Mythirion
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TRDCorolla1
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For RAM, you don't put on anything when applying heat spreaders on them. On CPU, you put a small drop of thermal grease on top of the CPU itself. Don't put too much or it won't be that effective.
Trivium Nate
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Why would you put any think besides a heatsink on your cpu?
MarxSoccer
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natej315 said:
The thermal paste makes the contact between heatsink and cpu better, allowing for more heat to travel
Trivium Nate
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Ah ok I see now Thank You 
TRDCorolla1
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.. and the grease itself has thermally conductive particles mixed into it. It doesn't conduct heat as well as direct contact, but it's a heck of a lot better than air gaps.
Trivium Nate
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Yeah I was wondering about the glue or w/e conducting heat
TRDCorolla1
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The reason why there has to be something between the CPU and heatsink is that the two mating surfaces of processor and heatsink aren't perfectly flat. They may look flat and have a mirror polish. But, on the microscopic scale, they look like a scale model of the Rocky Mountains. And the mountains on one item do not match the valleys on the other. It's like what Marxsoccer was saying.
Without thermal transfer compound, everywhere heat sink metal doesn't mate with CPU package material is a very small, eensy weensey, air gap. Air is a good thermal insulator. As long as your heat sink looks flat when you lay a ruler on it then there'll be a decent amount of actual contact, of course, but the amount of heat that'll actually make it around the air gaps may be surprisingly small which introduces a thermal layer.
Without thermal transfer compound, everywhere heat sink metal doesn't mate with CPU package material is a very small, eensy weensey, air gap. Air is a good thermal insulator. As long as your heat sink looks flat when you lay a ruler on it then there'll be a decent amount of actual contact, of course, but the amount of heat that'll actually make it around the air gaps may be surprisingly small which introduces a thermal layer.
MarxSoccer
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TRD explained it way better than me, I was lacking the words I wanted to use, ha
