PTM7950 application question.

[FancyPants101]

I bought a Thermalright am5 contact frame and am going to use it to apply PTM7950. The contact frame is around 75mmx56mm. I'm also going to buy a 60x60mm PTM7950 pad. Would it be ok to simply install the entire 60x60mm PTM on top of that frame so I don't need to cut anything. I was also hoping this reduces problems with it tearing. Would the little bit of overhang be and issue. Or does it spread out alot? Can I stretch the PTM a little in one direction or will that cause problems? I'm guessing from videos it's better to simply apply it to remove air bubbles and get the correct thickness. So, I'm assuming I should either cut it or simply apply it.

[Hinjima]

13 minutes ago, FancyPants101 said:

I bought a Thermalright am5 contact frame and am going to use it to apply PTM7950. The contact frame is around 75mmx56mm. I'm also going to buy a 60x60mm PTM7950 pad. Would it be ok to simply install the entire 60x60mm PTM on top of that frame so I don't need to cut anything. I was also hoping this reduces problems with it tearing. Would the little bit of overhang be and issue. Or does it spread out alot? Can I stretch the PTM a little in one direction or will that cause problems? I'm guessing from videos it's better to simply apply it to remove air bubbles and get the correct thickness. So, I'm assuming I should either cut it or simply apply it.

What CPU are you using?
This is a lot more complicated than it has to be, why not just use normal paste without a contact frame?

I am just curious, dont take this as a criticism.. Maybe I am missing something  

 

Its fine if paste hits the contact frame and overhangs a little, its not thermally conductive.

[WereCat]

Put it in a fridge for 5 min. It's really easy to cut with scissors when the film is still there.

It crumbles when cold and it gets gooey when warm, it's really difficult to manipulate with it once it warms up so I recommend applying it cold.

[leclod]

1 hour ago, FancyPants101 said:

Would it be ok to simply install the entire 60x60mm PTM on top of that frame so I don't need to cut anything.

Yes

1 hour ago, FancyPants101 said:

I was also hoping this reduces problems with it tearing.

I can't see where it'd make a difference, except for the fact that tearing doesn't matter when it's outside the surface of the cpu.

Really, tearing doesn't matter much at all. At least 80% of that material will spread out anyway.

1 hour ago, FancyPants101 said:

Can I stretch the PTM a little in one direction or will that cause problems?

No you can't. Mostly the foil(s) maintain the size (and without the foils you would tear the material).

1 hour ago, FancyPants101 said:

I'm guessing from videos it's better to simply apply it to remove air bubbles and get the correct thickness. So, I'm assuming I should either cut it or simply apply it.

correct thickness ?

I'd just use thermal paste as @Hinjima proposed

Or I'd cut the PTM to size.

One of the issues is removing the first foil. Use tweezers on either side, one of the two sides will come off easy. No need to cool anything.

Then thoroughly push the PTM on the clean cpu with your thumb, so that it sticks to it as much as possible.

Maybe you got stickers with the PTM, stick one of those in a corner and it should help removing the second foil.

Don't stress...

(I just remembered, if you go with a big pad, you should just stick it on the cooler side instead. Easier and cleaner)

 

Edited October 2, 2025 by leclod

[FancyPants101]

Is there any chance the contract frame would act as more heatsink and allow more of the AIO to be used to cool the CPU?

 

I was about to ask about putting it on the AIO die. I think it's only 56x56mm though. Although that would be more convenient for installation.

[leclod]

Just now, FancyPants101 said:

Is there any chance the contract frame would act as more heatsink and allow more of the AIO to be used to cool the CPU?

No, it won't make contact, it's recessed. You don't want that.

[FancyPants101]

I think the thermalright one is not recessed.(by much) I was hoping it's flush enough to possibly spread heat a little.

 

It is slightly below the top of the IHS. Is that enough to stop any heat transfer to the frame or use more of the AIO die surface? MY AIO die is the exact same width as the frame in a sqaure. Hypothetically I could get some extra cooling.

 

I want the PTM for both the presumed cooling and for it's longevity. I really don't want to touch the CPU again once installed.

 

I think I'm going to just slap it on the AIO so I can install it on the CPU after installing the motherboard the easy way. Then It's like pre-applied Paste! It's the one thing missing from the AIO I bought I had wanted to have. 8)

 

[freeagent]

PTM on a CPU seems like kind of a waste.. but maybe not.

[Blue4130]

2 hours ago, FancyPants101 said:

I think the thermalright one is not recessed.(by much) I was hoping it's flush enough to possibly spread heat a little.

 

The contact frame is only touching about 1mm around the perimeter of the CPU, and no where near the heat generating area. The contact frame is not going to meaningfully conduct any heat EVEN if you could get it touching the AIO coldplate.

[FancyPants101]

If I put the PTM7950 on the entire AIO copper plate do I need to avoid putting it over the area with silver metal screws. Can that get heat into the area it's attached to and cause damage?

 

I'm going to use a Thermalright Wonder Vision 360UB. The metal screws are in the middle of the copper. I think they are identical to this:

 

 

 

[Blue4130]

1 hour ago, FancyPants101 said:

If I put the PTM7950 on the entire AIO copper plate do I need to avoid putting it over the area with silver metal screws. Can that get heat into the area it's attached to and cause damage?

 

I'm going to use a Thermalright Wonder Vision 360UB. The metal screws are in the middle of the copper. I think they are identical to this:

 

 

 

You seem to be overthinking this. Nothing will get damaged, BUT why not just put it on the CPU instead of the coldplate? Then you know that it is in the correct place and the correct size.

[FancyPants101]

I was assuming putting it on the entire AIO coldplate would get rid of issues as it's on a flat surface. Wouldn't it remove issues with air bubbles potentially as it's pre applied and flat? The AIO coldplate is the exact width of 56mm as the contact frame. So I was assuming If I form fitted it to the AIO it could fit perfectly. Would this introduce more issues?

[Blue4130]

1 hour ago, FancyPants101 said:

I was assuming putting it on the entire AIO coldplate would get rid of issues as it's on a flat surface. Wouldn't it remove issues with air bubbles potentially as it's pre applied and flat? The AIO coldplate is the exact width of 56mm as the contact frame. So I was assuming If I form fitted it to the AIO it could fit perfectly. Would this introduce more issues?

The cpu heat spreader is also flat. If you put it on the aio, it going to be bigger than needed. And since ptm turns liquid when warm, the excess has a potential to drip off since the aio only makes contact with the head spreader, not the contact frame.

 

PTM is non conductive, but seems like a potential useless messy situation.

[freeagent]

The first time I used a PTM pad it got warm on me while I was trying to peel the second layer. Cursing myself for picking my nails.

 

I ended up just slapping the whole Intel pad on my GPU heatsink and clamped it down lol.

 

I looked at it 1 year later and it was fine.. should have left it alone.. but I put the TG PTM pad on after I cleaned off the Thermalright.

[FancyPants101]

I put the whole 60x60 ptm pad onto the cold plate to make it simpler. I took some scissors and trimmed around the edged then took off the second layer of plastic before applying. It works so far. I was doing cpu-z benchmark on the cpu and was getting around 75C max. I ran a cpu-z stress test for an hour and afterwords it was down to 69/70C max on the benchmark. Currently is doing around 72C. The lower end(idle) stayed the same at around 47-50 depending on the room temperature, I assume. So far so good.

 

I also cleaned both surfaces with alchohol and qtips. Hopefully that didn't introduce anything to the surface. The qtips were old and the surface was a little streaky looking afterwords. I used 91% iso alcohol.

[freeagent]

I just put isopropanol on a piece of folded paper towel, and wipe. Then I do it again till its clean. No need for Q tips.. just wasting your time.