Is this thermal paste OK?

[ChickenCharlie]

I'm putting a system together for my parents using some of my old parts. I'll be using an Athlon XP2800+ and need to reseat the stock heatsink. I have some heat sink compound from radioshack and I would like to know if it will work? Here's a link . http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102858&cp=&origkw=heat+sink+compound&kw=heat+sink+compound&parentPage=searchhttp://

[Mr.Ferrari]

It would do a whole lot better for you to get some arctic silver ceramique or Arctic silver 5.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2216880&cp=&origkw=arctic+silver&kw=arctic+silver&parentPage=search

[glc]

Radio Shack compound is fine as long as you prepare the surfaces and apply it properly. Use the Arctic Silver application instructions.

[ChickenCharlie]

Thanks for the replies. I was hoping I could use this since I already had it.

[rarchimedes]

Any silicone grease will sink into the pores of the packaging, and will migrate over time under the pressure of the mount, as it is a fluid. It can also cause breakdown under heat, not of itself, but of the phenolic resins in motherboards and plastic packaging in some chips. The safest for amateurs to use is something like the Arctic Silver Ceramique, as it does not migrate, is not conductive, and improves over time rather than deteriorates as most such do. Even the Arctic Silver metallics are not stable in place over the long run. Most people who use such change or remove the processor for some reason often enough that they do not experience the problem unless the cooler is extremely heavy. Ceramique is not the absolute best, thermally, but it is very close to the best, and, as noted, has no long term problems.