If the CPU comes boxed with it's standard heatsink and fan, the heatsink will have a protective tape over the heat transfer compound. Now is the time to record all the information and CPU ID numbers from the CPU itself, and place that info in a secure place.




Removal of the tape exposes the compound and the heatsink is ready to be fitted to the CPU and mainboard.





The trick is to never seperate the heatsink again, because when you do, you destroy the original thermal compound's effectiveness. Here the heatsink has been folded back away from the cpu, exposing the used heat transfer compound.



I have scraped the excess, clean compound from the heatsink and used it to re-seal the joint, but it's never the same again and temps are slightly up, I find the same true when I use ordinary heatsink compound available at local stores. I haven't had the pleasure of trying Arctic Silver or similar compounds, as the price here for them is ridiculously high, so I can't comment on their effectiveness in re-sealing the joint..