First timer GPU aftermarket cooling installation questions

[germz]

Hey All,

I'm about to install a TT Duorb cooler on my 8800GTS 512 and i have a few questions. I took the card apart and started cleaning off the stock thermal compund off the GPU using Arctic Clean, i'm using a paper coffee filter to get it off and i'm having a hard time getting it out from between the little metal pinhead-looking things that surround the GPU, any special way to do it? Would it ok to use a toothpick or something?

Also, i used a cotton swab and a coffee filter on the GPU itself and i'm still seeing little specs of dust and hairs on it, i read somewhere that they have to go before the heatsink goes on, how do i get rid o them?

Finally, how much thermal compound do i need to apply? Do i apply it to the center of the GPU and the heatsink? Or just the GPU? Do i need to spread it?

If anyone can help please do so, this is my first time doing this and i'm afraid of messing it up. BTW, Arctic Clean 1 is giving me headache after using it for about an hour, i hope this stuff is not really bad for you.

 

[Merlin]

You may want to get another opinion, but my first build, I used way too much thermal paste, had it all ove the board and myself, I used an electrical cleaner from an aerosol can, just sprayed it clean...I knew artic 5 had silver and silver is conductive.....so I knew it had to be cleaned.
Just let it dissapate before turning on the computer, it's flamable.
Actually it's a contact cleaner used from when I was an electrician.

But, as I said, get some more opinions......

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

 

[germz]

Thanx for your reply. The cleaning solution is not an issue, i'm using Arctic Clean 1 & 2 which is specifically made to clean off thermal compund. I would like someone to answer my questions since i stopped working on the card until i get this info. So please guys help me out here.

 

[Greg King]

For starters, thanks for stopping by. To answer your question, I have always used nail polish remover, acetone, to get rid of used thermal paste. If the residual paste isn't coming up from in between the pieced surrounding the die, I wouldn't worry to much about it. If you get to forceful, you could accidentally break one of those off and render your card completely unusable. Just get the die clean and worry about the rest if you want to. It won't effect the performance of the cooler one bit.

As for the dust, just blow it off. I also use Q-tips to clean my hardware and they rarely leave little pieces behind. Just blow them off the die and apply your thermal compound of choice (I recommend Zalman's ZM-STG1 highly!) and install your Duorb.

The amount of compound needed varies depending on who you talk to. I place a small amount in the center of the die and let the pressure of the installed cooler spread it out evenly. Or, if I'm using the Zalman grease, I simply paint it on the die and am done with it. Make sure you press the cooler down into place and remove it before you completely install it. Look at the bottom of the Duorb and see if the paste was evenly spread out before installing it completely.

The process is very simple so there isn't a whole lot that you should worry about. However, it's good that you care enough to ask before jumping in head first.

Good luck. If you need anything else, were always around.

 

[germz]

Ahh, thanx for a your very detailed answer. I'm glad i brought this up and i now feel more confident to get the job done. I will be using Arctic Cooling MX-2 thermal compund, i heard its supposed be really good, even better than Arctic Silver 5 and that Zalman you mentioned. I'm hoping to get much better temps after the cooler is installed so i can overclock this card.

 

[Greg King]

The better cooling performance comes from the cooler itself and not from the thermal compound used. You might gain/lose a degree or two depending upon which compound is used but I will gladly secede those degrees for ease and convenience of application and sub sequentially, the cleanup involved afterwards.

Glad we could help!

BTW, thats a killer GPU you have there.

 

[germz]

Yeah, you are probably right, its just that when i asked which compund to get everyone told me MX 2, I read a couple of reviews and it did perform a bit better than the rest. May be i'll try that Zalman next time, i like the brush, looks easy to use.

 

[Greg King]

That MX2 is good stuff as well, I just prefer the Zalman for ease of use. I have never compared the two on the bench.

 

[Kougar]

Just a thought, but isn't it a bad idea to apply the compound, mount the cooler, then take the cooler off to double check it is spread correctly? This would trap some air bubbles in the thermal compound when it gets remounted... unless you meant that you also clean off everything yet again and reapply the compound?

 

[Merlin]

I don't think so
It depends on how you put the cooler back onto the CPU
Just reapply and turn back and forth, then apply the pressure of the locking mechanism...and no air pockets can survive.
I knid of think their are tiny air pockets anyway, that's why there is a setting in time? And the heat makes them work their way out.

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage: