As you know, computers and laptops become very hot during prolonged use. Moreover, the most vulnerable parts are just the processor and video card. In this regard, all manufacturers are trying to provide the most maximum cooling for these two elements. Moreover, when assembling the processor, not a single bona fide manufacturer can do without the use of a substance such as thermal grease.
In general, this part is used not only on the conveyor in the manufacture of PC and laptop components, but is also mandatory for repair of the processor for better thermal conductivity. And today we’ll talk about what characteristics KPT-8 thermal paste has and how to apply it correctly.
What it is?
Thermal grease is a multicomponent element that is in a flexible plastic state. According to its properties, it serves as a good thermal conductor; therefore, it is often used to reduce the temperature resistance between the touching surfaces of computer parts. In other words, KPT-8 thermal grease fills all the irregularities of the heatsink and processor, thereby reducing their heating (by several degrees).
It is worth noting that outwardly this cavity may seem completely flat. But this is not so. If you look closely (preferably through specialized tools), you can see many hollows and microcracks. They during operation create a kind of
air cushion that interferes with the normal heat dissipation. As a result, the
processor overheats and fails. To prevent this from happening, all existing microcracks are sealed with special thermal paste KPT-8. The removal of heat to the radiator - this is the key task that this substance performs.
Thermal grease KPT-8: reviews and specifications
Outwardly, it is a homogeneous white substance with a thermal conductivity of the order of 0.7-0.95 W / m x K. Moreover, its specific electrical resistance level is 1014 Ohms (sometimes this indicator can be slightly higher than the indicated norm). The operating temperature at which thermal grease does not lose its properties is from minus 60 to plus 300 degrees Celsius. Thus, KPT-8 (reviews also note this point) provides excellent thermal conductivity under any load of the processor or video card.
About cost
It should be noted that this thermal grease can be sold both in a tube and in a small jar. As for the cost, a 10-gram jar of KPT-8 costs about 55 rubles. For the tube will have to lay out about 2 times more, since its weight is 18 grams.
KPT-8 thermal grease is also sold in 20-kg pails, however, it simply makes no sense to purchase such ones. For the processor, it is enough to use only a few grams of the substance.
How to apply KPT-8 on the surface of the processor? Nuances
Just note that for this you do not need to have special skills and expensive tools. The main thing is to remember that the thermal paste layer must be applied in such a way that the surface of the heatsink and the processor fit snugly against each other. In other words, the paste should only fill cavities and microcracks. All the rest of the space should not be processed by it.
Where to start work?
First, we need to clean the surface of the microcircuit from the remnants of the old thermal paste. This can be done using an ordinary soft cloth. As an alternative, you can pick up a jar of ethyl alcohol and treat the surface of the parts. In the latter case, it is better to use cotton buds.
By the way, these are not the only examples of how you can clean the surface of the processor from the remnants of the old thermal paste. There is another effective method. It consists in the use of ordinary office gum. Using it, you can effectively clean the old layer of paste from the metal surface of the element. True, for this you need to have very strong fingers. Despite the physical complexity of this method, the rubber band method is the safest for the processor and heatsink.
Next, we remove the remnants of thermal paste from the bottom of the cooler radiator. That's it, now the processor is completely freed from the old paste. But do not rush to apply a new one on it. First you need to rub the “zero” layer of thermal paste into these two surfaces (that is, remove it after preliminary application). So the substance will remain only in the places we need - hollows and microcracks.
Now we pass to the main stage - application. Gently squeeze a little thermal paste from the tube onto the main chip. Many computer scientists recommend applying it diagonally crosswise. Thus, you will achieve the best smear of the elements along the entire perimeter of the surfaces. Remember that the thermal paste layer must be very even and, most importantly, thin (even slightly translucent). Distributing the product evenly over the metal surface is very simple - just draw a plastic card over the elements. You should not make a centimeter layer between the processor and the heatsink, using the principle of "the more, the better." All this will only aggravate the quality of conductivity and heat removal from the processor to the radiator. As a result, you simply overheat and burn the expensive element, which will no longer be subject to any restoration.
The final stage
After the thermal paste layer is evenly distributed on the surface, and the excess will be removed, you can safely fix the heatsink over the processor and press it with mounting locks. That's it, the whole repair is over. As you can see, everything is very simple and not too complicated (with the exception of trouble with the removal of the old layer of paste). And most importantly - now your computer will be less exposed to various overheating and certainly will not fail due to unnecessary overload.
So, we found out what KPT-8 thermal paste is and how to apply it correctly on the metal surface of the processor and heatsink. Remember that overheating of the processor can certainly lead to its failure. Take care of your computer and apply thermal grease correctly.