I grabbed an XFX 8800GTX off of a forum member here on EVGA forums a while back, and I took it apart  to apply new thermal paste. In the process, a lot of the thermal pads are like half on there, would it harm the RAM(?) if I just put thermal paste instead of thermal pads on the RAM(?)?

loveha

Yes, but you are going to want to do a test mount to see what the contact looks like. If it looks like it is mating good go ahead and use TIM, if the contact looks poor, you are going to want to order some. I would imagine .5mm to be the right thickness.
http://www.frozencpu.com/...7s1288&id=aBf45oIW

http://www.frozencpu.com/...7s1288&id=aBf45oIW

I see. Thanks for the advice, if it doesn't make proper contact ill just pull it apart and buy some pads when I get the money.

darkxfaded

The 0.5mm thermal pads from frozencpu are what i have on my 8800 Ultras, i tested 1.0mm thermal pads and the gpu ihs doesnt make contact with the heatsink.

Oh ty. Did you ever try to just use thermal paste? I'm wondering if that works.

I often use thermal paste to replace thermal pads both on notebook computers and GPUs. The result is always more cooler running hardware. But it depends on the distance and type of heatsink. Take these precautions:
 
1. The termal paste must be non-conductive. Arctic Silver 5 will not do the job as it is conductive.
2. The paste must be thick enough so it will not flow away.
3. The paste must be stable enough in long term so it will not either disintegrate into components and flow away or become like rock and develop air gap.
 
Right now using eVGA GeForce 6800 Ultra AGP with OCZ Freeze instead of termal pads. 54C idle temperature with case temperature 39C.

Do not use thermal paste where there are thermal pads. Heatsinks are designed to to make contact with components, normally the most critical will get the paste (which is a better thermal conductor than pads). Because of tolerances, chips sitting on balls/solder and component height variability, thermal pads are used to take of the "slop" (as mentioned). Because of the viscosity of the thermal grease, it's not made to cover large gaps. I see most of the pads used are ~40 mil, this is way too much gap for the grease to work effectively. It would be like cooling the component by convection and not conduction. If its got a thermal pad, I would expect that it is engineered to use it that way and failure to do so would lead to failure...

Can you? Yes
Should you? No

Hi everyone!
 
this is my first post, i know xD
I would like to know how i can check the temperature of the heatsinks?
I have msi afterburner installed. The temperature that shows there is from the gpu's processor, correct?
To check the heatsinks temperature, do i need another software?
Im so sorry for the nooooob question
My heatsinks are with thermal paste instead of cooling pads. And i don't trust very much this method.. but im not sure what to beleive even though the temps are looking good at the moment
 
thanks 

to check the temp of the heatsink you will need some type of external tool, no heatsink i know of has a built in temp sensor. even the built in gpu, pcb and memory sensors are not 100% accurate. 

I would order pads , buy if you really need the card running , use a glob on each chip and assemble.
 
I have also added a dab of paste to the chips and heatsink, then placed damaged pads (chunks of pads) as a temporary solution and it worked fine.
 
But, once the pads arrive I would install them right away.

Sorry for the bump, but I was wondering if it is also better to use thermal pads instead of grease if I am water cooling my card. Thanks.

kubi07
Sorry for the bump, but I was wondering if it is also better to use thermal pads instead of grease if I am water cooling my card. Thanks.

Read the block's manual? lol That will depend from block to block.

That manufacturer says to use pads because the gap is too large to use paste. They know what is best for their hardware.

When you fill up you gas tank you put gas in it right? You certainly won't use diesel because you feel it's better right? Same situation.

As others have said, you don't want to use paste where a thermal pad was designed. The gap is too great and the viscosity (and evaporation) of paste will cause it to migrate, and sooner than later you will have no thermal transfer. Compounds are designed for a thin film use and that is what the are also spec'd at. This is also why they tend to have better thermal conductivity then thermal pads.

In most cases that thermal pads are used there is quite a large gap between the component and the cooling medium. There for it is not going to always be possible to make contact between the two surfaces using liquid type products. If there is a thermal pad on something I would suggest to replace a thermal pad with only another thermal pad.

Well it seems I can't post videos here...
You can search on youtube for a video of K5-PRO if you like.
Type K5 pro and you're all set ;)