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A great video visual aide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyXLu1Ms-q4

That is an excellent video displaying what took me something like 40-50 mounts to figure out. That should pretty much end the argument for the spread method. My only complaint is that he used a little bit less paste than I'd use. I like a little excess to squeeze out to get full coverage on the IHS.

Just a test, 'ehh'. With SMF they are add-on modules not standard build items.

Yeah I've tried the spread method before, had 80+ temps idle with a core2. Was terrible, really hard to avoid air bubbles that way. I went with the line after that and with a new cooler it brought it to 44-46 under full load.

Notice how none of those cover the edges of the cpu. Now pretend that CPU is a bare die. If you can't see the problem with a bare die not being covered completely you shouldn't be messing with your heatsinks. For a bare die the best method is to paste it in an X from corner to corner of the die with more than enough paste than you will need so you will know 100% of the die will be covered.

Always spread it with fingertips on the heatspreader/GPU.

+1

The video does not factor in viscosity change due to heat.  Air bubbles are virtually irrelevant on hot compound. They will almost immediately dissipate once the die is at operating temperature for more than a few minutes. 

The only paste that I know of that might not suffer from this is Shin Etsu, although I suspect that even the Shin Etsu paste becomes fairly free flowing at the temperatures on top of a CPU or GPU die. 

It's like worrying about air bubbles in your cookie dough.  It's pretty rare to find a giant pocket of air in the middle of your cookie... where do you think the air in your dough goes once it's in the oven?

Don't be a fool... spread for even coverage.  If you're really worried about it, heat cycle your die several times to work out the air.

Nice! Thanks for the heads up!

Wait... we're supposed to use thermal compound?!?

Yeah, try to use the whole tube...   ;D

I thought we were suppose to use toothpaste?

I made this post because people were debating the best method for spreading thermal compound in other threads.
While it didn't quell all of the debate, it is the best proof offered so far on the effects of what each method does.
Inaba can prove his theory by making a video, I hear transparent aluminum is available. :D ;)

One Day i was out of ThermalPaste, on Saturday evening. xD
So i look arround what i can use alternatively? And i found MoS Universalgrease.
Before i spray some silikon Aerosol to protect the gpu die.
High-GPU temp was 80°C and that saves my weekend. This works for nearly 2 weeks, but now i use Spire silvergrease pro, best compound i ever have.

It's fairly easy to prove yourself.  Just put the type of compound you want to test on your die, either a pea, whatever and put the heatsink on then take it off immediately.  Look at the pattern it makes. 

Now clean everything off, put the same amount/type on your die, put the heat sink on, heat cycle your die for a few hours (up to 48 or so, with regular on/off cycles), then take your heatsink off and look at the pattern.  It will be very different for most pastes (Shin Etsu and maybe a couple of the other super thick compounds being the exceptions), as it will have spread out (and in the process of spreading out, the air will have dissipated). 

I want to see the transparent glass over liquid ultra ;D

I wanna see transparent glass followed by a heat gun. Or else Chip + compound + glass + heatsink + full burn for a while, then remove heatsink.

If i knew how to cut glass, I would try to make a small piece of glass I could use, but bugger all if I know how to do it!

Looks like the cross method was the best overall in the demonstration video.

Score it with a diamond bit and tap lightly. Non-tempered glass should break along the score line. Be sure to get a good scratch in, 2 or 3 passes of the bit.

Lol you cut it with a so called glass cutter. It's a little wheel out of cemented carbide.

I cut glass with a brick.  Going to go cut some later tonight after a few drinks.  PM me your address, I'll mail you some.   ;D

Another piece of broken glass will also cut or better to say score the glass. Get the pressure right and angle using the broken edge feels like grinding the glass because the broken piece will crumble sometimes. Once you get the score started try to continue along that path. Once deep enough you should be able to complete the break by snapping the glass.

If you have a dremel  around look to see if you have a diamond tipped cutting wheel or bits. Work it the same way. Just all about getting that pressure enough so that you grind a score onto the glass your trying to cut.

Think walmart sells a cutter, home depot or lowes would for sure. If your gonna make that trip take your glass with you and see if they still cut glass. The hardware stores use to last I heard.

good video

Which is actually the most efficient on paper though?