I decided to replace the thermal compound on a few of my PowerMacs lately. I noticed on one of them in particular (Digital Audio G4, DP/533) the heatsink is noticeably hotter (not too hot; it's warm to the touch but not uncomfortable). Since I have no way to tell if the processor itself is running cooler (no thermal sensor as far as I can see), is this expected behavior? I kinda figure the thermal conductivity is better, so the heatsink gets more of the heat from the processors--is that bogus reasoning?
I hadn't applied compound in a really long time and am not sure I've been doing it correctly, either too thin or too thick. The compound is Arctic Silver Alumina, since it had the shortest curing time out of the ones they had at Micro Center. The system is rock-solid but I am concerned about long-term damage.
I hadn't applied compound in a really long time and am not sure I've been doing it correctly, either too thin or too thick. The compound is Arctic Silver Alumina, since it had the shortest curing time out of the ones they had at Micro Center. The system is rock-solid but I am concerned about long-term damage.