blade_x23

In all honesty, I'm not 100% sure if I even applied it right (this was like 3 years ago) and I was kinda noobish with thermal paste. Kinda skipped my mind. Also, the base of the heatsink is flat (used a straight edge to check it). But in any case, I want to move onto a HDT that is 939 compatible as well as 1366 compatible (of which the Xigmatek HDT-S983 is with an add on as well as a fair amount of other 939 92mm heatsinks) for better cooling now as well as planning for an upgrade build in the future. And as I've said, I used Spectra Cool (which I've read that is really bad for your CPU in terms of temperature in comparison to OCZ Freeze, see HERE for more details). I've also read that MX-3 and GC-Extreme are 2 of the best possible thermal pastes out there right now (better than OCZ Freeze temperature wise). Trying to figure which is better, but I assume they're similar. Just need to figure out which HDT I'm going to be getting from either NCIX or Newegg.ca so I can determine which of the two thermal pastes I should order. Also, forget bout the GTS250 heatsink, found out that the stock EVGA one is fairly decent (might just need some better thermal paste). Pretty much it comes down to, does anyone have good personal experience with a HDT-S983? I've read some reviews off Newegg and various sites, but want to hear from some hardcore overclockers. Also, I don't quite understand the way that Frostytech tests the heatsinks. Can anyone kinda clarify it?

*See above for the thermal paste issue* As for my current heatsink, I'm using an Ultra SD-12025HB (a near full copper HSF) and I have those temperatures. The HSF is almost the same as a Zalman CNPS7500-CU, but mounts a bit differently.

They get over 60 (I've actually had my PC crash on me). One time I checked it while under full load and it was like 66 C or something similar to that. Pretty much I would like it to be a fair bit cooler so I can overclock the CPU. And for the idle, Core 1 has 39, while Core 2 has like 47 C. I did take apart my heatsink and stuff today and the thermal paste wasn't evenly spread, but the stuff I have is spectra cool, so I wanna get rid of it and get some proper thermal paste, either MX-3 or GC-Extreme (kinda leaning towards GC-Extreme, but want to know which is better for a HDT).

Is the Xigmatek HDT-S983 a recommended buy in my case (as from the dimensions it's fairly small)? I read on frostytech that it's the best cooling (15.9*C) HSF that is a 92mm fan (which I essentially need as a 120mm is too large of a HSF style). Has anyone had any experience with this heatsink? Seems relatively good value at 35CAD, which puts it in the same range as the CCF, which is 34CAD (I'm not holding my breath on a mail-in rebate) which performed at 21.5*C. I don't entirely know if Frostytech's numbers are 100% though. Also, which brand of thermal paste do you guys recommend? I've heard alot of praise about arctic cooling MX-3, but are there any other praiseful brands out there that are of good value? I'm obviously looking for the coolest temperature, but better value is always a good thing. Preferring something that doesn't have to cure. Is the Gelid GC-Extreme stuff pretty good? I understand that in terms of temperature, the MX-3 and the GC-Extreme are fairly close as well. Which would work better for a HDT heatsink? Also, while I'm on the subject of heatsinks, anyone know of a good value heatsink for a GTS250?

So I measured my case a bit better, and I have approx 150mm from the cpu to the case door. I'll be sure to edit that into the main post.

More recently I've been more aware of how hot my PC is running (around 39*C Idle) and am in the market for a new 939 compatible heatsink. What are some of the best 939 compatible heatsinks (cooling wise) out there available today to ship to Canada? Been looking all over, apparently the Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme is good, but not readily available (available on ebay but overpriced because of it's now rarity). Please show links etc to prove you're not just spewing numbers. Not entirely sure how big of a HSF that can fit in my PC, but my case dimension from the cpu to the side of the case is approx 150mm. Obs, the lower profile (like 148mm or something) would be better as it may be a bit closer than expected. Please help me out guys.