Thermal Compound

[mgbl3]

I ordered my E8500 in the mail yesterday. This is my first time building so I've got a quick question: do I need to by a thermal compound for attaching the heatsink? Does it come with whatever I need or do I have to buy something else?

 

[worshipme]

If you bought the retail E8500, the cooler will come with pre-appled thermal paste. If you bought the OEM product, you will need a cooler and thermal paste.

 

[OTSS]

Either way it wouldn't hurt picking up some Arctic Silver 5 only because it improves temperatures over the stock paste. It was even better with me because the place I buy my parts pre applies the paste (removing the old stuff too) and mounts the CPU and heatsink and RAM to the mobo before you leave.

 

[worshipme]

The Intel stock coolers have pre-applied Shin Etsu, which I rate higher than AS5.