OCZ Vendetta - Thermal Paste Application

[dadi_oh]

I just ordered an OCZ Vendetta heatsink to cool my E2180 (both on order). The Vendetta has a unique feature wherein it exposes the bottom of the heatpipes to make direct contact with the surface of the CPU. See attached picture.

My question is... What is the best way to apply my Arctic Silver 5 to such a setup? I have always had shiny flat bottomed heatsinks (I usually lap them if they are the least bit rough) in which case I follow the "half grain of rice" dot in the middle of the CPU and allow the pressure of the heatsink to spread it into a thin layer on the CPU heatspreader. Has always worked like a charm. But with this design it seems to me that if I place the dab in the middle of the CPU heat spreader and then apply pressure on the heatsink that it will start spreading from the center heatpipe but then squish up into the space between the pipes. So now I am thinking I should apply a thin layer to the base of each heat pipe and allow it to spread that way.

Anyone used one of these heatsinks and have some advice?

Thanks

[Paulieg]

I just ordered an OCZ Vendetta heatsink to cool my E2180 (both on order). The Vendetta has a unique feature wherein it exposes the bottom of the heatpipes to make direct contact with the surface of the CPU. See attached picture.

My question is... What is the best way to apply my Arctic Silver 5 to such a setup? I have always had shiny flat bottomed heatsinks (I usually lap them if they are the least bit rough) in which case I follow the "half grain of rice" dot in the middle of the CPU and allow the pressure of the heatsink to spread it into a thin layer on the CPU heatspreader. Has always worked like a charm. But with this design it seems to me that if I place the dab in the middle of the CPU heat spreader and then apply pressure on the heatsink that it will start spreading from the center heatpipe but then squish up into the space between the pipes. So now I am thinking I should apply a thin layer to the base of each heat pipe and allow it to spread that way.

Anyone used one of these heatsinks and have some advice?

Thanks

Yeah, I had that cooler. It's an interesting design. I tried several different ways of applying paste with it. I got the best results buy making a thin "X" of thermal paste about a quarter inch wide, in the middle of the cpu heatsink. I'm not sure why this worked the best, but it did.

[dadi_oh]

Yeah, I had that cooler. It's an interesting design. I tried several different ways of applying paste with it. I got the best results buy making a thin "X" of thermal paste about a quarter inch wide, in the middle of the cpu heatsink. I'm not sure why this worked the best, but it did.


Thanks. That is helpful. Was the 1/4 inch wide "X" done diagonally from corner to corner of the CPU? Or across the CPU (which would make it in line with the central heatpipe but across the middle of the two outside heatpipes.