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Difficulty: EasyCPU Architecture Cooling and Sockets

During a thermal maintenance task on an office PC, an IT technician reinstalls a processor cooling heatsink. Which compound must be applied between the processor integrated heat spreader and the metal base of the heatsink to eliminate microscopic air gaps and facilitate effective thermal conduction?

  1. Thermal pasteAnswer
  2. B
    Dielectric grease
  3. C
    High-percentage isopropyl alcohol
  4. D
    RTV silicone sealant

Answer

Thermal paste should be applied between the processor integrated heat spreader and the heatsink.
Thermal paste (or thermal interface material) is specifically designed to fill tiny surface irregularities between the CPU integrated heat spreader and the heatsink base plate, facilitating proper heat conduction away from the processor.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary obstacle to efficient heat transfer between two metal surfaces.
Microscopic gaps and imperfections trap air, which acts as a thermal insulator.
Air has very low thermal conductivity compared to solid metals.
2
Select the hardware interface material designed to bridge these gaps.
Thermal paste (thermal interface material) fills these air gaps with a heat-conductive compound.
This allows thermal energy to flow efficiently from the CPU heat spreader to the heatsink block for dissipation.

Key Concept

Thermal Interface Material (TIM) application and purpose
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

CPU Architecture Cooling and Sockets

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