EggXpert

Additional info can be found here: http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm 

Great post thats a question that gets asked alot especially when someone recomends AS5

Thanks Dude  

Correct, there is no need to spread anything out. Depending on the cpu you would carefully squeeze a thin amount of grease in the area shown above. The pressure of the HSF will spread it out accordingly. However be sure to give it a small left/right twist (not up/down) when you mount it to minimize any air bubbles.

You don't want to go too thin, but you don't want to apply too much. You could always do a couple of test applications to see if you're using enough and to see if it is spreading out properly.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_grease

Thermal grease (also called thermal compound, heat paste, thermal paste, or heat sink compound) 

I have tried that way for both the amd and the intel core2 and it never worked for me always got idle temps of 45 or so. I switched to the Zalmans Thermal Grease in a bottle with a brush. I just paint a very thin layer over the heat spreader and get temps at least 10c lower. I do do the twist to get air bubbles out then fill in the gaps.

But yeah that is the recommended way of doing it but hey it didn't work for me so I found a way that did. 

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this is a little off topic, but what does the AMD 4800+ AM2 run at.

Does anyone here have one?  I just want to know if mine is running hotter that it should.  (i am using stock cooling)

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Updated Utility thread without downloading*online!*

More info

EliteKiller:

10C lower by painting the Zalman grease on? Were you using toothpaste prior to that? I can maybe see 1-2C, but 10C is a little far fetched IMO, especially if you were using Arctic Silver and applying it as depicted in the OP.

I am not kidding about that It happend both on my AMD rig and my Intel rig. I applied the stock HSF to my machine and was at idle of 45c. I then bought another HSF and that Zalmans Thermal Grease and followed the directions and my idle temps are around 35c now. Granted the HSF may have some thing to do with it but with my amd rig I applied the arctic silver like they said with my Antec HSF and had temps again around 45c then I put the Zalmans on and the temp drop to around 35c.

I tell you I am not kidding on this. I agree that it sounds far fetched but I wouldn't stretch the truth or say an untruth about something like this. My temps now in my Antec 900 are around 32-33c avg using that grease applied with the provided brush.

I don't know what to say but that stuff just seems to work better for me. 

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SInce I have used AS5, I did it according to the AS5 webby.  And the pics above shows the correct application for c2d & amd.  ( I have one of each) but not the quad core...yet anyways, so i have not preview that part of the website...

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

Yes, Athlon64 X2s are dual core, but they are single-die. Core 2 Duos are also single-die.  The ones that would follow the pictures on the right hand side are chips that have two dies on one package, such as the Core 2 Quads and the Pentium Ds.  The new Phenom processors from AMD will also be single-die, and as such will follow the left-hand side.

The reason for the variation of application to the two-die chips is likely due to different positionings of the two dies.

EliteKiller:

What you see in the pics is only a heatspreader. In the AMD one, the core is directly in the center under the HS. In regards to the Intel chips you need to pay attention as to how they are positioned. The two notches and triangle face to the left. The Intel DC has a single elongated core in the center that runs vertically, and the QC has 2 cores that run horizontally.

So then whats the difference if you place it in the center for a Intel dual core or an Intel quad core? The AS is just going to spread out when you put the HSF on.  

TheBMan:

Yes, Athlon64 X2s are dual core, but they are single-die. Core 2 Duos are also single-die.  The ones that would follow the pictures on the right hand side are chips that have two dies on one package, such as the Core 2 Quads and the Pentium Ds.  The new Phenom processors from AMD will also be single-die, and as such will follow the left-hand side.

The reason for the variation of application to the two-die chips is likely due to different positionings of the two dies.

There are some considerations that everyone appears to be overlooking.  The first is that we are expecting that when we place the heatsink on the CPU that has the thermal grease on it the heatsink will evenly spread the grease.  However, I doubt that anyone ever places a heatsink on perfectly level.  Because we are dealing with something that needs to be perfectly spread, a difference of even 1 degree can disturb it and cause it to be uneven. This is not even considering the possibility of air bubbles.

 The second thing is that this may work great initially but grease dries up over time (this effect is amplified by the heat).  I had an AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (one of the first ones that came out, socket 939) and I applied thermal grease about 5 times heavier than specified and in about 8 months when I had to replace the board, I found that there was no grease remaining in some spots.

 Everyone appears to be trying to apply the thinnest layer of grease possible. Are there any downsides to putting a relatively heavy layer on (thermal grease is supposedly non-conductive and has heat transfer properties similar to if not better than those of an aluminum heatsink)?

 This article also assumes that the heat is being generated in the center region of the chip.  However chip manufactures today are trying to cram as much as they can into the smallest space possible.  I doubt that there is no heat-producing circuitry in the outer regions of the chip, especially seeing that the WHOLE chip has a metal cap as to allow easy application of cooling products.  Also, the stock cooling fan has pre-applied thermal compound that covers the ENTIRE chip.  AMD (and Intel) guarantee that their retail-boxed processors will survive normal wear and tear for at least three years.  These companies most likely would not waste thermal compound if the chip didn't need good contact with the cooler in those outlying areas.  They want to save as much money as possible without doing something that would end up hurting them (i.e. not providing enough compound to adequately cool their CPUs' which would most likely cause them to receive large quantities of damaged chips that they would have to cover (assuming the chip was still within its three year limited warrantee plan).

 P.S. In response to a previous article thermal grease is NOT the same as thermal compound. Thermal grease is much more watery while thermal compound is more like paste.  I believe that most artic silver is thermal compound.

Dante399 very good points. That is why I use that Zalman's Thermal Grease and not arctic silver. It allows you to apply a good layer of grease onto the whole cpu thus giving the most area for heat transfer to the HSF.

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dante399:

There are some considerations that everyone appears to be overlooking.  The first is that we are expecting that when we place the heatsink on the CPU that has the thermal grease on it the heatsink will evenly spread the grease.  However, I doubt that anyone ever places a heatsink on perfectly level.  Because we are dealing with something that needs to be perfectly spread, a difference of even 1 degree can disturb it and cause it to be uneven. This is not even considering the possibility of air bubbles.

A heatsink doesn't have to be perfectly level when you place it on top of the HSF. Use common sense and hold it as level as possible and you'll be fine. In regards to air bubbles, as long as you do not lift up the HS after it's been placed on the cpu w/ thermal grease then you have nothing to worry about. This isn't rocket science!

Everyone appears to be trying to apply the thinnest layer of grease possible. Are there any downsides to putting a relatively heavy layer on (thermal grease is supposedly non-conductive and has heat transfer properties similar to if not better than those of an aluminum heatsink)?

Heavy application of grease are thinned out considerably by the pressure of the HSF retention mechanism. But there's only so much that even the strongest cooler clips can do if you over apply and goop it on.

This is too much (not to mention I see a fingerprint which affects the thermal transfer and should be avoided)

This is acceptable 

Also, the stock cooling fan has pre-applied thermal compound that covers the ENTIRE chip.  AMD (and Intel) guarantee that their retail-boxed processors will survive normal wear and tear for at least three years.  These companies most likely would not waste thermal compound if the chip didn't need good contact with the cooler in those outlying areas.  They want to save as much money as possible without doing something that would end up hurting them (i.e. not providing enough compound to adequately cool their CPUs' which would most likely cause them to receive large quantities of damaged chips that they would have to cover (assuming the chip was still within its three year limited warrantee plan).

They are also typically using a precut thick thermal interface material. The TIM melts once it gets a certain temp. Simply because that is an OEM solution doesn't mean it is the best solution. There just needs to be something between the cpu core and HSF.

P.S. In response to a previous article thermal grease is NOT the same as thermal compound. Thermal grease is much more watery while thermal compound is more like paste.  I believe that most artic silver is thermal compound.

It's all the same.....either one is correct. Even thermal goop is acceptable IMO.

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci815872,00.html

Thermal grease, also called thermal paste or thermal compound, is a substance used to promote better heat conduction between two surfaces and is commonly used between a microprocessor and a heatsink.

http://www.dansdata.com/goop.htm 

Thermal grease, to be exact. "Thermal transfer compound", if you want to be formal. It's the stuff you put between your CPU and your CPU cooler, to aid in the transfer of heat from the former to the latter.