Help with AS5 on an X21? (IMAGE WARNING)

[bhtooefr]

I've read this guide on applying AS5 to the X22. However, there's something that doesn't seem to be on the X22's heatsink, that the X21 has.



That's a sketch in Paint of my heatsink's surface. Heatsink, yellow crusty thermal material, and then this metal heatspreader.

My processor matches the pictures in the thread I linked to, however.

Also, the "heatspreader" (more like a heatpipe, but not exactly) in that guide IS present on mine - that's different from what I'm talking about.

Another question: what are the advantages of doing the "heatspreader" mentioned in that guide? I'd rather not bother with it, if at all possible. I know I have to do the actual heatspreader that's currently stuck to the heatsink, though.

(I didn't post in that thread, b/c I didn't want to blatantly necropost...)

[bhtooefr]

CRAP!

I made it worse.

69-70 C at 500MHz, 100% CPU. 54 C at 500MHz, ~20% CPU. 98+ C at 700MHz, 100% CPU (at 98 C, it throttled itself to 330MHz). 64-69 C at 700MHz, ~20% CPU. I got it very even, and pretty thin, where the CPU was.

That silver thingy that I mentioned was aluminum foil. So, that got replaced.

However, I did the "heatspreader" thing, as well, and it was EXTREMELY hard to get even. I know I got the thing back in right, though.

Why is it running so hot?

[bhtooefr]

*bump*

Reapplying a LOT more AS5 and removing the foil helped. However, it wasn't much of a help.

However, I have heard that having lots of AS5 on there is a Really Bad Idea(tm).

So, what is your opinion of a thermal pad?