Thermal grease--What is it? Where do I get some?

[Michael Adcock]

I'm pretty new, as you can probably tell from my question. I assembled a PC with an FIC SD-11 motherboard and Athlon 500 CPU. I purchased a heat sink with triple fan. Tonight when I turned the computer back on it (one of the little fans) groaned. Do I need "thermal grease"? What is it?

Thanks a bunch.

[AuraEdge]

Thermal grease serves as a contact agent between the heatsink and the surface where the heat is to be dissapated off of (CPU, Heat transfer plate, Graphics card, etc)
If a fan croaked, thermal grease wont help with that, youll need a new fan. As to where to get it? Well first stop would be your local radio shack. If your radioshack's are as crappy as mine and make most of thier money off selling R.C. Cars, then check out 2CoolTek's store (http://www.2cooltek.com) for this stuff!

[This message has been edited by AuraEdge (edited 01-20-2000).]

[oblivion]

Auraedge is completly wrong,thermal grease is used by eskimos to stay warm,and it is used by proffesinal skiers to "make them go faster" if you don't believe me ask a polar bear.

(just kidding I feel a bit silly right now,2cool is the best place to go for thermal grease and all of your cooling needs)

[Michael Adcock]

Thanks, guys! You have set my foot on the path to thermal enlightenment.

Thanks for both the humor and the factoids.

--Michael

[yammahoppy]

radio shack part # 276-1372 called heat sink compound. you get a tube that will last a lifetime.

[Spritel]

Be careful, thermal grease may have mercury in it.