heatsink info needed

hi
i wanted to know if thermal paste applied to a processor wares off after a while or the same thing happens to a thermal pad or aka "shim"

nope, thermal paste sticks around, I just removed a heatsink from a pentium processor and there was plenty of paste still on it.

ok
its just that im getting a thermal pad heatsink and i've never put on a thermal paste heatsink
my athlon xp 2800 barton came with the thermal pad
but thanks for the info~

Hi twmspro. Ive pulled heat sinks off processors that have been in place for years and the paste is still there.

AMD has some informational videos you can download, one of which discusses thermal pads vs. pastes. You can find them here:

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/Sel ... _4458_3505^869^4348^6678,00.html

and view them with media player. To answer your question, thermal paste doesnt "wear out" but it can spread away from the core over time. Paste is temporary, pads are for permanent installation. Also, thermal pads and "shims" are two different things.

If you or anyone else is interested, I can also point you to a site that sells whats called "frag tape" (or you can google for "frag tape"). It works very well, is easy to use, and removes cleanly, usually in one piece.