Applying thermal paste & dual-core question

[Crazy Buddhist]

When I mounted my new CPU heatsink on my new Athlon X2 4200+ I used my new arctic silver paste.

I had never done this before and have no clue if I did it right. I understand too much is as bad as too little. I put a thin even coat over the processor and slapped on the cooler before bolting it down.

Now, one of the cores of my processor consistently runs higher than the other when idle: 35 degrees vs 31 as I sit here.

When pushed by Orthos for twenty minutes both cores rise pretty swiftly to around 60 degrees and then stay there with 1 degree fluctuations up and down. When I stop Orthos within ten seconds both cores drop back to 40 degrees within 15 - 30 seconds and back under 35 in two minutes.

I am wondering if the different core temps when idle may be because I have not equally cooled them in my efforts at installation or if it is quite usual for two cores on the same chip to run at such different temperatures.


Thoughts, help, advices? all welcome

[AJ@PR]

Quickie as I'm out the door...
but thermal paste should be... like the size of a pea.
If you spread it over the proc, IMO, it's way too much.

Wait for input from others!

[Luke122]

It's possible that there is a small air bubble in the paste... maybe remove the cpu cooler and reseat it. Also, after reseating, the as5 can take a few days to break in and reach optimal efficiency.

[Crazy Buddhist]

Quickie as I'm out the door...
but thermal paste should be... like the size of a pea.
If you spread it over the proc, IMO, it's way too much.

Wait for input from others!

It was a bit smaller than a pea before I spread it. But are we talking Garden peas or marrow fat? very different peas you know

And Luke - Thanks! I'll try reseating it I think.

[Crazy Buddhist]

I amkind of liberal with my paste.

I thought Airbozo was our resident liberal what with the "man-butt grabbing" incident?

[Crazy Buddhist]

lol..there is inuendo all over this site today (check sig..) heh heh hehh

Indeed ... my fave of the day was xRyokenx:

... but I do have to agree, ME sucks ass.

... and I sometimes wonder if people who see my sig and don't read my name make an obvious - but wrong - guess as to what "CrazyB" stands for

[Helix666]

Let me make a wild guess: 'Crazy Ba$****'?

[elbarto241]

i have similar problems with my intel dual core, the temps runs around 60-62. im going to fry's to buy a better CPU cooler.
it has a crappy ultra brand cooler i got with the barebones i ordered from tigerdirect.

[Crazy Buddhist]

i have similar problems with my intel dual core, the temps runs around 60-62. im going to fry's to buy a better CPU cooler.
it has a crappy ultra brand cooler i got with the barebones i ordered from tigerdirect.

Thats not the issue here ... I'm running my X2 4200+ (stock 2.2Ghz) at 2.695Ghz and its doing quite well. The cooler I have is not stock and does a great job: sitting here browsing the web right now my ambient room temp is 26 degrees and My cpu cores are at 29 degrees and 32 degrees. And given the overclock I have this thing running at I'm impressed it stays at or below 60 - 61 degrees after half an hour of Orthos running. I would thoroughly recommend it:

The main question I have is whether one should expect a temperature difference between the two cores? I suspect I may have a bubble in the paste as Luke suggested but i would like to know if others have similar experiences. If it is not an uncommon experience then I'm guessing it may have something to do with how XP loads the cores with different processes.

[Crazy Buddhist]

Let me make a wild guess: 'Crazy Ba$****'?

Indeed and I am one .. but that's not the point hehehehehe