Cooling Gelid GC-Extreme how much to apply?

I'm used to artic silver with its small application amount. GC is supplied with an ice cream spatula, so how much should I apply please??

 

I always put a thin layer over my entire CPU/GPU. I have never believed in that small blob idea.

 

Trust the Expert on this ^^^ (I KID YOU NOT WHEN I SAY THAT)

 

Haha! Thank you for the compliment.

 

Excellent

 

Different TIMs apply differently for best results. Some CPUs need different application technique. All of my systems are intel and the TIM I use spreads easy so rice size dob in middle works well.

 

Gotta say I always use the small blob.

Only time I dont are on bare contact heatpipe sinks where the finish has small channels in it which stop the grease spreading.

 

That is exactly when you need a full layer application, with those direct touch solutions.

 

Only if full layer squishes out so we end up with metal to metal contact.

While TIM is way better than voids between surface, it is not even close to as good as metal to metal.

Heat tranfer ability of different things:

Copper is 400 W/(m·K) heat transfer
Aluminum 210 W/(m·K))
Lead is 35 W/(m·K)
Typical TIM is rated 3.5-10.5 W/(m-K) (GC Extreme 8.5W/(m·K), Chill Factor III 3.5W(m-K) in use this is only 1-2c difference in CPU temp)*
Air is 0.024 W/(m·K)​

To put that into perspective, any way you look at it metal to metal is 50 times better than TIM:

Copper is 47 times better than Gelid GC Extreme TIM
TIM is 333 times better than air at sea level.​

*i don't know how accurate the W(m-K) ratings are onl TIM, but do know the temperature differences between top 30 or 40 TIMs are all within a degree or two, except for liquid metal variants .. which are a degree or two better.

 

Incidentally, do you have the typical W/ m·K values for the chip to lid?

 

Not possible considering the chip to IHS is done differently on different CPUs. Some are soldered (lead), some use TIM, etc.

The key is if done properly the media used is not creating a layer between them but only filling the air voids between the two metal mircorscopic crystaline surfaces.

 

Its easy to put too little, but its hard to put too much.

 

Common sense is all that is needed to know your YouTube video like is a load of carp. Comparing a 3-4 year old GPU cooler tim mount to a new mount obviously proves nothing .. either you are trolling or need to study up on how to test an compare TIM and TIM application.

YouTube is pretty much universally known for it's'talking heads' babbling on and on about things they head has no knowledge or understanding of.

That said, the only accurate statement in the video is between 9:30 and 9:51 .. but then the 'head' immediately contradicts itself between 9:51 and 9:56 .. again proving it's only a talking head with no brain support.

 

Except his entire video was about "what happens if you apply too much?" and the answer is: nothing bad. That's the whole point behind the video.

 

Well, there sure is nothing good from doing it either, and nothing to verify or refute how well the is transferring heat either. That would require some serious testing, not a talking heat blabbing on and on.

CPU IHS is not really a heat spreader. The large flat area is to give a big enough area to easily mount coolers and blocks onto, and as the CPU chip is attached to a PCB that is much bigger then it is the IHS is matched to the PCB. Heat is only spread a short distance beyond the edges of the actual contact area of CPU chip to the IHS, .. and now where near the edges of IHS.


Here is an image explaining how TIM should be used to fill voids between the two crystalline metal surfaces.


Here is how a very small dob of TIM performs against larger dobs of TIM

 

The reason I originally asked is that I couldn't find any application recommendations from the manufacturer.
Also I'm using a 3930k which I believe has a larger die size than the 4770k.
On the other hand there are application instructions for Kryonaut, which recommend forming a very thin layer covering the entire surface.

 

It's not like one answer fits applications. The size of processor chip detemines how big a print is need. AMD chips are much bigger than Intel as well as some intel are much bigger than others. How much pressure you are willing to use and how thick the TIM is make a huge difference in how well TIM spreads and thins out.

Regardless of how it is applied, the key is to have as thin a layer as possible when done. The closer / more direct the metal to metal contact is, the faster the heat transfer from one surface to the other.

Most TIM becomes runnier when it gets hot, and this helps to flow unneeded TIM out too, but the bigger the print gets the more pressure is required .. more area of print means more pressure to give same pressure per square cm .. and we are talking about CPU and socket rating of 40-60 .. maybe pounds .. and we know too much pressure can damage CPU and/or socket.

 

The short answer is that not enough TIM is worse than too much, which is worse than just the right amount.

The idea is to replace the voids of air (a poor conductor of heat) that exist between your typical matting surfaces, and unless you go to extreme measures there's plenty of those no matter how flat something seems, the idea is to replace all that air with something that's better at conducting heat.

With too little TIM there's a chance of leaving air voids between the two surfaces and with too much TIM you have the *possibility of it acting as an insulator, between the two having lots of air between the two surfaces will probably have the biggest detrimental effect.

*excluding electrically conductive TIM.

 

No, it is not a 'possibility' of it acting as an insulate, it definitely does act as an insulater
W (m-K) data is fact, and it prove TIM is an insurlater, just not as much an insulator as air.
Sure it transfers heat 333 times better than air. But TIM still insulates 47 times more than copper.
So if too much TIM is applied heat transfer will not be as good as it can be. This may only be a few degree increase in temps, but it is still going to result in increased temperatures..

 

Arctic Silver 5.
Cling film over index finger.
Blob and spread evenly.