An often asked question is "How much thermal paste do I use, and how do I apply it?" Well, i've written up this
little tutorial to answer just that question.
First thing your want to do is clean your heatsink and processor core. I usually use rubbing alcohol with a lint free cloth.
Next, I apply a very small drop of the compound on top of the core as you can see in the pics below. Don't apply too much, you want just enough too make a thin coat on top of the core.
Arctic Silver compound is very conductive so you want to be careful as to not get any on the contacts or resistors, if you do be sure to clean them thoroughly before you install the chip into the motherboard.
Next step is to spread the Arctic Silver with a plastic bag, or a credit card. I like to use the credit card, it's easier to work with and spreds thinner. Carefully spread the Arctic Silver over the core. Try and coat it evenly like the picture below. And there you have it.
Here's a little info on this fantastic stuff:
What is Arctic Silver 3 Made Out Of?
Arctic Silver contains no silicone. Arctic Silver is made with 99.9% pure micronized silver. The difference between Arctic Silver 3 and its predecessor Arctic Silver 2 is that Arctic Silver 3 uses three unique sizes and types of silver, whereas Arctic Silver 2 used two. Arctic Silver, with over 70% silver content by weight, also contains thermally-enhanced boron nitride ceramic particles which improve the compound's flow characteristics and long-term stability.
How does it work?
Per Arctic Silver: "The suspension fluid is a proprietary mixture of advanced polysynthetic oils that work together to provide three distinctive functional phases. As it comes from the tube, Artic Silver 3's consistency is engineered for easy application in a thin even layer. During the CPU's initial use, the compound thins out to enhance the filling of the microscopic valleys and insure the best physical contact between the heatsink and the CPU core. Then the compound thickens slightly over the next 50 to 200 hours of use to its final consistency designed for long-term stability. (This should not be confused with conventional phase change pads that are pre-attached to many heatsinks. Those pads melt each time they get hot then re-solidify when they cool. The viscosity changes that Arctic Silver 3 goes through are much more subtle and ultimately much more effective.)"
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