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Stock GPU and thermal paste
- Thread starter zoran
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I don't have an iMac. I have an RTX4090 graphics card. Thermal paste, that's crap. I have been using only liquid metal on all custom workstations for many years. Why? Very high thermal conductivity. Much higher than thermal paste. If fear and trembling in the knees to use liquid metal, I recommend the proven thermal paste from Noctua NT-H2. You can read about additives in thermal pastes yourself, you are not a small child.
I appreciate your help towards anon native English speaker and your kind words regarding my age 😁
To connect the chip and the thermal sinks metal to transfer the heat.
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My understand is slightly different.
The thermal paste is used to fill-in the micro gaps between the chip surface and the heatsink surface.
Therefore, any paste that does not stay on the chip surface is considered residual and useless, if not harmful to the chip and other micro components on the chip or the board (depending on the paste contents and elements)
When I removed the heat sink, I noticed that some of the paste that was applied by Apple, had overflowed the chip and was on the side. So even by Apple, this overflow probably canot be avoided. But if you can direct me on how to apply it, you are more than welcome. 😊
1. Don't blame Apple for what you do. They doing wrong doesn't mean that you should do wrong as well. Of course if you are thinking that wasting a 10$ tube of thermal paste is not really an issue with you, then apply any amount you like.
2. I would control the amount of paste extruded out of the syringe when placing them on the GPU chip. My understanding is that an amount equivalent to 1 rice grain is enough for AMD chip (very small surface area), 2 rice grains are for big size Quadro GPU. More is just wasted and might cause hazard. Google with "1 rice grain" as keyword to get an image how much, if you are not familiar with rice where you live.
Remember that VRAM chips require different type of thermal pastes (or pads), higher stickiness (viscosity) is preferable to prevent them from losing shape and flowing to the surrounding area. If you insist on using the similar type as Apple did 15 years ago, then use thermal paste, otherwise, you can consider the thermal pad type as they stick together and even in thickness.
Is a non issue as the paste applied by Apple is non conductive. I've still got a 15" MBP from 2011 it will power throttle before it thermally throttles. Paste is stock factory, sure it runs hot as hades, equally that's by design...
If too much paste is applied it will just be squeezed out, no problem as long as it's non conductive. People worry far too much about CPU core temps. If reaches overtemp will throttle or worst case shutdown. Failure mechanism is related to rapid temperature change. My 2011 is up 24/7 as is used as a server and despite their notoriety for failure this one refuses to die even running in the high 90's centigrade for days and some instances weeks on end...
Thankfully those days are gone as Apple Silicon is a game changer, my Mx MBP tears through the same workloads in a fraction of the time. All the same the 2011 remains capable if not slow and handy if need to do something on the side with no urgency.
Q-6