Thermal pad?

[yoni45]

Are these generally useful at all? Or is it just best to ignore them altogether and use thermal paste?

Also, as for the A64s, I know they come with a "cover" (if you will) over the actual die, when applying thermal paste, does one just spread it across the entire top of the cover?

 

[FarFarAway]

I would scrape off the Thermal pad on the stock heatsink and replace it from there with some AS5*

Note on how to install are In here



*Please note this will void the warranty as for some unknown reason AS5 is not one that AMD warranty

 

[RollerCam540]

FYI: I believe you void your warranty if you use any HSF other than stock (that's what I was told when I called AMD for a replacement (lucky me I udrf the stock HSF, thermal pad, and all). I know for a fact that if you remove the thermal pad that's a definete breach of contract. The icing on the cake is AS5 will void your warranty because AS5 is conductive.

 

[PV5150]

FYI: I believe you void your warranty if you use any HSF other than stock (that's what I was told when I called AMD for a replacement (lucky me I udrf the stock HSF, thermal pad, and all). I know for a fact that if you remove the thermal pad that's a definete breach of contract. The icing on the cake is AS5 will void your warranty because AS5 is conductive.

Actually AS5 is an thermally conductive agent, not electrically conductive...big difference Although AS clearly state that it has the 'potential' to be slightly capacitive [a measure of the amount of electric charge stored (or separated) for a given electric potential]. But you'd have to be an extremely clumsy dipshit to spread it over electrical traces, but hence the reason AMD shall not warrant it's use on their processors.

Arctic Silver 5 was formulated to conduct heat, not electricity.

(While much safer than electrically conductive silver and copper greases, Arctic Silver 5 should be kept away from electrical traces, pins, and leads. While it is not electrically conductive, the compound is very slightly capacitive and could potentially cause problems if it bridges two close-proximity electrical paths.)

Source: http://www.arcticsilver.com/as5.htm