Is the Buttered Toast Method a Good Thermal Paste Pattern vs the Pea-Size Method?

There are many different ways to apply thermal paste to your CPU and some experts remain adamant that there are ideal ways to do it to see a better spread and improved performance.

Two of the most popular methods are the buttered toast method and the pea-size method. But, which one is best? We put the experts' theories to the test to prove which method is the most effective once and for all.

Case study summary: the best method of spreading thermal paste

The buttered toast method kept the CPU temperature down the most. This method makes it easy to remove excess paste and therefore helps to ensure the correct amount of thermal paste is on the CPU. This application technique is also great for beginners because of how controllable the quantities are.

When running our test we discovered that a lot of the success of the application came down to having the right amount of thermal paste applied to the CPU. The pea-size method was also very effective, especially where the correct amount was applied – something that can be difficult to regulate with this approach.

The Method

We devised a simple test to find out which of the popular thermal paste application methods was the best for keeping average CPU temperatures under control. We applied the thermal paste to a CPU using both the buttered toast and pea-size methods and ran the system for 15 minutes.

Both of the methods we tested are very beginner-friendly and lend themselves to those either building a PC for the first time, and identifying what kinds of temperature control they might need, or, those reapplying thermal paste by following a beginner's guide or online tutorial. For this reason, we wanted to emulate a realistic scenario to find out which performed better.

Thermal Paste Application Methods

Before we take a look at how these two methods performed, let’s look at what popular methods are available. There are several ways that you can apply thermal paste to the CPU, some are more effective than others.

The 6 most common methods of spreading thermal paste are:

●       Pea-Size (One Dot)

●       5 Dots

●       Cross

●       1 Line

●       3 Lines

●       Buttered Toast

As you can see from this image, only the buttered toast method is pre-spread and doesn’t rely on the heatsink being reapplied to spread the paste across the entire CPU.

The Buttered Toast Method

While the other application methods rely on the heatsink spreading the paste with pressure when reattached, the buttered toast method requires users to spread the paste with a spreader or spatula.

When it comes to thermal paste, the thinner it is spread, the better. With thin and even spreading, thermal paste is able to better transfer heat and keep the CPU temperature under control.

The buttered toast method will give you a thin and even spread of thermal paste. It does not rely on the heatsink to spread the paste. It gives a more accurate and controllable spread and gives you an opportunity to remove any excess paste to stop any overspill.

The downside to not using the heatsink to press the paste is that there can be places where the paste is not touching the heatsink. Thermal paste works by plugging any air bubbles or imperfections that impede heat transfer. Where the heatsink does not touch the paste it loses some heat transfer efficiency.

The buttered toast method for thermal paste application also requires a bit more effort than methods that simply require applying the paste. You need to carefully ensure that it covers the required area without overspilling.

What We Found In Our Study

Our investigation on the most effective methods of spreading thermal paste showed us that even where there were areas in which the paste did not meet the heatsink, heat transferral was still very good.

We also found that it was a way of ensuring the layer of paste was as thin as possible. We applied 0.2ml of thermal paste and found that using a spatula to spread it removed a substantial amount of excess paste. This creates a very good basis for heat transfer.

The Pea-Size (One Dot) Method

The one dot method for applying thermal paste is one of the easiest and therefore most popular ways to reapply thermal paste.

This simple method requires no spreading and minimal effort and makes maintenance of your PC simple if you have noticed that your performance is suffering from the dried thermal paste.

The real issue with this method is that you are reliant on the pressure from reapplying the heatsink to spread the thermal paste and this cannot guarantee a thin or even spread.

With higher-quality thermal pastes, this is more likely to be successful. Good pastes will typically have higher fluidity and this will make them spread more naturally and into a thinner layer when the heatsink is applied.

What We Found In Our Study

In our study, we found that even when the higher fluidity of thermal pastes meant that most of the surface was covered, the layer of paste was much thicker than when manual spreading was done.

We applied 0.2ml of thermal paste onto the CPU and pressed down a glass cover to simulate the reapplication of a heatsink. There was no overspill with this method but the layer produced was thicker and therefore not as efficient for heat transfer.

Which Thermal Paste Pattern Is The Best?

When we tested these two methods against each other, the buttered toast method came out on top and produced a thinner layer of paste and therefore better heat transfer between the CPU and heatsink. This helps to control the system temperature and maintains PC performance for longer.

Although it didn’t perform as well in this test, the pea-size application method is still very effective and requires little effort. Most application methods will provide a fairly good result and absolutely improve performance on a system that is in need of a thermal paste change, regardless of how it’s applied.

Furthermore, we found that having too much or too little thermal paste made more of an impact than how it was applied and greatly influenced the heat transferability.

So now you know, it’s time to give your PC some TLC. Remove the existing paste and reapply using the buttered toast method to keep your CPU cool and your PC running smoothly.

Take a look at our guide on how you can calculate how much thermal paste you need.