Comment on More thermal paste = more heat dissipation, right?

• Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Optimal thermal paste thickness (bond-line thickness) is critical for heat dissipation. The layer should be thin, ideally between 25 µm and 50 µm, which is roughly the thickness of two sheets of standard paper. The paste’s sole purpose is to fill microscopic air pockets between the metal surfaces for better thermal conduction. Source, I spent 6 months in a laboratory experimenting with and producing thermal pastes and insulators. I spent days cutting and cleaning copper squares, applying the experimental pastes, and testing thermal conductivity via the application of Fourier’s Law of heat conduction.

  Q = kA(Δ T/Δ X)

  Where Q is heat flow, A is the cross-sectional area, and Δ x is the paste’s thickness.

  Another source.

  That’s way more paste than you need for 50 µm application.

  Drops Mic

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  • ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Did you say 50mm of thermal paste?

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    • Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Microns, not milimeters. One micron in 1/1000 of a milimeter.

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      • ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

        Ah, my bad. 1000. So 50km of thermal paste?

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    • foodandart@lemmy.zip ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      I think he said 50m…

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      • snooggums@piefed.world ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

        50 miles is too far for paste

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  • DeadDigger@lemmy.zip ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    To add to this to much is also a problem because it can trap air itself and create air pockets that way

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• TrickDacy@lemmy.world ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  I can’t tell if this is satire. If not, you say it doesn’t hurt to use too much, but I would say that a company would want to save all the money wasted on applying 20x the required amount…

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  • Thorry@feddit.org ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    [deleted]

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    • Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Love how you ignored my response to your response that provided a scientific rationale demonstrating that you don’t have a clear understanding of how thermal paste works, and you just doubled down on flawed opinions. Carry on friend.

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      • Thorry@feddit.org ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

        [deleted]

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      • qprimed@lemmy.ml ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

        this has got to be a troll post. right? RIGHT?!

        as you pointed out, just get rid of the air gaps with the absolute minimal amount of paste.

        my back woods method

        ensure your heat sink does not have pre-applied paste or a pad. apply a small amount of paste. cut the thickness with the short edge of an old credit card at about a 30° angle, using just enough pressure to bend the card slightly so the smooth surface of the card presses paste into voids and the trailing edge of the card removes excess to level the surface - you will likely still be able to make out some chip package markings through the paste. remove all edge excess and spillage. fit your heat sink. done.

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    • TrickDacy@lemmy.world ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      The perfect amount would be a very thin layer, evenly distributed with zero waste. This is very much not that. At best you could argue it’s a quick way to do it that is worth the trade-off, except for the valid point the other commenter made about too much actually reducing heat conduction.

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