Pentium 4 heatsink question

[crazyray]

I am putting together my first P4 system. Being broke, I'm using used parts including an Intel stock heatsink and fan. The bottom of that heatsink has the stock foil/black stuff on it and looks like this:



Note the scratches in the black stuff. Should I:

1)Ignore them and assemble my system hoping for the best?

2)Add some of my Radio Shack heatsink compound to what is there?

3)Other suggestions?

I can't afford to toast the processor. Helpful suggestions or links appreciated.

[Manfordjinsen]

I don't think that the scratches will cause you any problems but if it were me I'd take off the thermal pad altogether and use thermal paste instead, I never really trusted the thermal pads.

[crazyray]

I don't think that the scratches will cause you any problems but if it were me I'd take off the thermal pad altogether and use thermal paste instead, I never really trusted the thermal pads.

Er, nice avatar! (Dolly Parton meets anime?)

What kind of paste do you use? Anything wrong with Rat Shack silicone heatsink compund? (It works nice for my PIII...)

Other comments?

[thekingofpain]

Er, nice avatar! (Dolly Parton meets anime?)

Beware--- I posted a similar ava image as a suggestion for a member to use quite some time ago and it caused Surreal to flip her lid---
But anyway---

Your warranty will be no-go if you dont use the supplied pad on the retail h/s---if thats not an issue, remove it and use AS or the white paste you prefer---your h/s appears to have been abused but not used...

[Manfordjinsen]

There's nothing worng with the radio shack thermal compund but it just doesn't perform as well as Arctic Silver 3, which will give you a lower tempurature than the radio shack compund.