re-pasting my cpu

[willhub]

i have a 3.0ghz pentium 4 and i have wasted loads of silicone paste so far becouse i just cant get a thin and even layer of thermal paste on the cpu, is there any specific way i should do it?
what should i use to get a thin and even layer?

[lynx]

An old credit card, or a razor blade dragged backwards. The layer doesn't have to be perfect, when you apply the heatsink it will spread the paste to make a very fine layer and any excess will be squeezed out.

[volskid2002]

you could also use a thermal pad instead of paste

[micolithe]

You don't have to spread it around to get an even layer, the heatsink will do that for you when you put it on top of the CPU. Just do like it says on the arctic silver webstie.

[willhub]

apparently thermal pads are a pile of crap, is this true?
also i have managed to apply some paste now, and i get a temperature reading of 50 degrees when idle but when playing games like ut2k4 it goes up to 64 degrees, is this ok for a pentium 4 3.0ghz prescott (1mb catch)
i have also strapped a fan ontop of the stock intel fan/heatsink, and its brought temperatures down to 64 degrres on game like i said above, withought it the temperatures was 77-80 degrees on game.

i dont understand why my computer shutd down all the time like when i am on game mostly, it cant be temperature becouse at 64 degrees it shut down and its never done that before, its usually the same time inbetween starting the game and computer shutting down that it happens, i am windering weather it could be the power supply.
in speed fan these are the reading i am getting

i am wondering if its my motherboard that just donw like this processor and it may be incompatible or somthing, but it really anoys me when it shuts down, but i know it defenitly aint temperature.

is 50 degreed ok for a pentium 4 3.0ghz when my computer is idle?

[abu_has_the_power]

another option would be to squeeze a tiny drop in the center of the cpu and let the heatsink spread it out as it's afixed onto the cpu

[willhub]

ah, not now, i aint taking it off now, took me half an hour just to tie wrap another bloody fan on top of it, anyway, do you think those power reading are bad, do you think it points to a power supply why my ocmputer shutd down?

[Virtualbody1234]

Those temps are quite high and is most likely the reason for the shutdown.

The next qusetion is how well is your case ventilated? There's no use trying to cool down the heatsink with hot air.

[accat13]

Those temps are quite high and is most likely the reason for the shutdown.

The next qusetion is how well is your case ventilated? There's no use trying to cool down the heat sink with hot air.

I agree can you tell us what kind of case you have. My 520 Prescott idles at 31c and under load it has hit around 45c.My case has good ventillation.I'm using the stock Intel cpu fan(with a pad) and 3 80m intakes in the front and 1 80m exhaust in the rear (not including the power supply).One of those 80m is a screaming delta in the front. I leave it turned down and only crank it when under load ..I've taken two 5.25 optical drive bays and modded them for the third 80m intake. The prescotts are notorious for heat. So good ventilation is a must....PS hope you have practiced good cable management...

[Duffman]

How many fans do you have in your case, it could just be a simple matter of switching them around, makeing an exhaust one or two if you don't already have one...