Should I tint my heatsink?

[Tim4885]

I am applying new thermal paste using artic silver 5 and in their instructions, the company recommends doing a process called tinting which is basically spreading a thin layer of thermal paste on an already cleaned heatsink and then wiping it off. The idea is that what is left over will fill in the microscopic gaps in the metal and shorten the break in period of the thermal paste. I think it is called tinting because after you wipe off the thin layer of thermal paste there is a very slight grey color left behind on the heatsink so it looks tinted. The link to the instructions describing this is http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appmeth ... t_v1.1.pdf.

Does anyone do this with their xbox heatsink and do you think it is necessary?

[fxmech]

Best practice and thus comes recommended by me. Still, I just use as little thermal paste as possible because I'm cheap.

If it were a special project, yes. I took care to have my 1.0ghz Xbox treated as well as possible.

[Dan Dar3]

As it says that is to reduce the break-in period (see page 6), AS5 has quite a long break-in period so it would probably help with that.

But probably more important is to apply it correctly - not too much so it spills over the contacts or too little and have it overheat.

[Rocky5]

I always do it, it's just habit now.
(cannot see or tell if it makes a difference)

[Tim4885]

When you guys spread it on the heatsink, do you use a credit card or something else? If you use a credit card, are you basically just twisting the credit card in a circle?

[professor_jonny]

I just put a dab in the centre of the heat sink press it on the cpu and gently twist it back and forward to spread it

[Tim4885]

I just put a dab in the centre of the heat sink press it on the cpu and gently twist it back and forward to spread it

I am specifically referring to the tinting process

[Nextelhalo]

It will help to "tint" it and yes you can just use a credit card. Is it needed, NO. I would just put a small small dot of AS5 on the CPU and install the heatsink. The pressure from the sink will help spread the paste evenly. Have a watch here, good info.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyXLu1Ms-q4

[professor_jonny]

At work I have a thing that looks like a comb for applying heat paste onto IGBT and bridge rectifiers you put a line on one side of the comb and drag it across the face and it creates micro lines of heat paste on the face like zebra stripes.

then you torque down the bolts and it spreads the paste as there is no way the dot method would work it would bend and crack the silicon on the device, and as a 150Kw 450 amp igbt block is $1200 you want to do it correctly!!!.

http://www.powerguru.org/thermal-paste-application/