Thermal Compound, the right way?

There seems to be 3 popular ways to apply thermal compound. The blob, the line and the spread. Which is the correct way and why?

 

I guess I'd be a line, as I put about the size of a grain of rice down in the middle and then spread it as evenly as I can with a credit card, then I rub the HSF with the CPU to get an even better and smoother contact.

 

That'd be the spread

The line is just that a line of compound and the heatsink applied right on top.
How the guy in this vid thinks it should be done
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drwH08jP0-k

This guy uses the 'blob' and the 'line' on 2 different CPUs and recommends the line for quad cores
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRRWbQUqW1Y&feature=related
(skip to 3.30 for the blob and 5.05 for the line)

I have a quad but is can't help but think spreading makes more sense and is bound to provide a better coverage. What's with the other methods? Can any explain, why would you?

Edit: Embedded you tube vids, Niiice

 

The first link is dead.

 

I assume that they expect the compound to ooze some more and cover the rest of the surfaces when the rig is turned on. I certainly wouldn't want to do any heavy CPU stuff for a while. Call me paranoid if you will.

Hehe, so it is.

 

Must be a bug in the embed. Click the title link in the embedded player it's working at the you tube site.

Seems wierd huh.

 

This seems to make sense. Blob. squeeze, check.
http://www.brian1.net/computers/grease/

 

Thats a good article and exactly what I was going to recommend, put a little dab in the center and mount your sink and then remove it to see how it went to find the right amount for your specific CPU. There should be an even amount over the surface and very little excess along the edges. Each sink and cpu type will be a little different and the requirements change but dot or line or manual spread makes little differance.

What I would suggest though is you google "heatsink lapping" and look for a tutorial as opposed to someone selling stuff to lap. I have seen a good lapping take a cpu from 55 degrees C to 38. A correct lapping does two things, it flattens the surface of the heatsink (takes any bow out of it) and allows you to achieve a close to mirror finish. Its hard to find the #1000 or #2000 very fine wet/dry sandpaper but I discovered you can use car polishing compound spead lightly over a regular piece of printing paper to achieve similar results. I usually do a quick final polishing with the compound on a little tissue paper and use my finger to get that mirror "see yourself" finish. It takes some time but it can make your CPU last years longer cause of the lower temps. I use a piece of picture frame glass as my sanding surface to get an extremely flat heatsink.

 

OK sand paper the chip I will. Hummm I've got some 60 grit in an electric drill attachment. That'll be even sweeter. Way hey! :-D

Thanks for the tips, I feel a lot more conformable abut it now.

I also found this on the arctic silver site

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

It explains why the line or the blob! Now I know

 

Don't

The rotary motion of an electric drill will do the opposite of flattening.

The flat glass sheet is good.

We went into this pretty thoroughly before

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=117822&highlight=heatsink+compund

 

yea.. um see the little smiley dude, that was a joke, wasn't 60 grit a give away? rolleyes And I've found lots of advice but was unclear as to the advantages of the 3 main different ways.

Thanks for the link I'll have a read up although I'm pretty happy finding the advice on the arctic site. Call me old fashioned if you will, but I like to take manufactures recommendations where possible.

 

You are right I didn't spot it. The joke's on me.

roflmao

 

That is what I used to use but here is a very interesting article on TIM application:

Thermal Paste Application

I think it explores some very important parameters that AS dont discuss, e.g. surface smoothness, shape, etc. After having a read I would have to agree with the majority of points. At the end of the day the application method will be associated with the shape and quality of the base of your heatsink.

Also a 33-way TIM shootout:

33-Way TIM Comparison