CPU Thermal compound application help?

First: That is not a mod

Second: Try putting a small amount in the middle, then put your finger in a condom/bag and spread it evenly. Don't have too much, but make sure it covers the whole thing.

You'll need this:

-Some tissues

-Rubbing alcohol

-Credit card/other plastic card/plastic sandwich bag

-More thermal paste

1. Dab the tissue in the alcohol to get it wet and remove all the thermal paste, use wet then dry, then wet and dry again. Make sure the CPU is 100% dry, let it set about 3 mins after everything is clean to dry

2. Put a small amount of paste on. no more then as much tooth paste you would use, some would say pea sized, though try a little smaller

3. Use the plastic card, or your finger through a plastic bag to spread the paste around. DO NOT TOUCH THE PASTE, YOUR SKIN HAS OILS AND WILL CAUSE DAMAGE OVER TIME!

4. It should be very thin, if you can see the cpu through the paste, put a little more. It is OK if some of it sticks up when you remove the card/finger

5. Put your heat sink on, and use a lot of pressure. If you need to screw screws to secure the heat sink, do them one turn one each screw at a time

You won't see any major coolings right after. It takes about a week for the paste to settle.

Example: I put a new heat sink on a CPU that was running at 75C when idle. It still ran at 75C when idle for a few days, but afterwards never goes above 60C

That's something that does happen...usually when you take the plastic cover off the bottom of the heat sink that protects the paste. Since you say "you scraped it off" I assume right down to the heat sink creating a "pocket". That will cause a problem!!! it will cause an air pocket! It would be safer to just clean off all the old and replace it...I use this to clean off the old...http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...

Then..using the straight edge of a credit card. spread a very thin layer of this..http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...

On the CPU and on the heat sink.. I like coffee filters to do the cleaning, they don't leave any residue or contaminants. do not touch the cleaned surface of the CPU or heat sink as the acid/oil form your fingers can etch the metal over time.

those followers do no longer something for the processor. The CPU fan removes warmth from the warmth exchanger on the heatsink. it is finished by using drawing air over its' vanes. regrettably this would possibly not eliminate sufficient warmth from the CPU except there's a wonderfully flat metallic floor connecting the CPU to warmth sink. there's no such element, even the main finely machined metallic surfaces have minute pinprick holes in the time of them. those become air wallet and capture warmth interior the CPU a similar way the air hollow in double glazing holds warmth. The paste is had to fill those holes, forcing out the air. in any different case your CPU will fry in 20 seconds. you are able to run the gadget without different followers, it does not relatively impression the CPU. yet intense warmth from different factors on the motherboard will shrink the temperature distinction between the CPU and casing, making it much less effectual. So further followers will make the gadget carry out greater advantageous. yet beware of installation followers PULLING air out of each and every course, this might make cooling much less eficient as you're giving nowhere to get a unfastened bypass of cooler air into the case. I genuinely have seen a gadget which might consistently decelerate dramatically because it warmed up, I disconnected between the case followers and it in no way happened back.

Take a very small piece from the edge/corner and drop it into the depression/gash in the past, then it should fill itself in when pressure is applied

Decent answers so far, but personally, I'd clean the lot of and put on a dab of Arctic Silver. Then you KNOW you won't have problems.

Your just being over cautious.

Just spread it out.