How to Insulate for Single Stage Phase Cooling

At this point all of the hard work is complete.  The next step is to apply some Arctic Silver Ceramique and install the evaporator head.  For bench top systems, like the one I use, I find it best to install the evaporator head and move it around a bit until I find that it is sitting flat on the CPU.  Springs and thumbscrews are used to secure the evaporator into that position to ensure good contact with the CPU.

It is best to us a little trial and error to know exactly how your particular system installs and how much clearance you need to make good contact.

Here are some detail shots of the gap between the motherboard and the evaporator head.  I found that  I needed to build a single layer Frostking doughnut to get a good airtight seal.  

I also own a Cooler Express phase unit which didn't require a doughnut type seal so use your own judgment for this step.  If in doubt I would suggest a test install and find out where you may need additional insulation and also make sure the thermal paste spreads out evenly over the processor.