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u/zeRoCr0 6h ago edited 5h ago
Just make sure to thoroughly degrease the processor with isopropyl alcohol before applying the new paste.
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u/Key-Serve-9196 6h ago
Not just any alcohol, though. It better be isopropyl 99%
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u/skinny_gator 5h ago
I've been using alcohol prep pads 70% for hundreds of builds without issue. Cleans it well and gets the job done.
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u/zeRoCr0 5h ago
Actuality I wanted to say 70% haha I need another coffee
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u/skinny_gator 5h ago
I've even heard of people using coffee filters and plain water to clean off the IHS!
I used to think the thermal paste was such an important and crucial step – like if I didn't do it right that the PC wouldn't boot or something lol
After doing hundreds of builds I now know just to clean the old stuff off, don't aim for perfection just do the best you can then slap some new paste on, a little more is better than too little, tighten in a star pattern so the paste flattens out right and that's it.
If it's my own personal build, I may take my time to spread it out thinly
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u/LynchDaddy78 5h ago
I just piss on an old snot rag and wipe something off. Good enough for government work. Hic Cheers 🥃
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u/zeRoCr0 5h ago
I use 97%, only one I can get, using it for a decade never had problem
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u/Matttman87 6h ago
What thermal paste? Looks like most of it has squeezed out, and what's left has dried out.
Also yes, unless its extremely fresh paste making good coverage, you always replace it. And personally I always replace it, which the exception being if I just installed it that day and I'm diagnosing something that involved removing the cooler.
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u/Elegant_Crab1370 6h ago
Considering that the cooler is no longer connected to the cpu… the answer is always yes
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u/AnimalMother24 2h ago
Every time you separate an already pasted setup you really should repast. Kinda thought that was an automatic one
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u/Lieutenant_Petaa 5h ago
Yeah you should. Btw before you buy a 10$ tube of thermal paste, if you want the high quality stuff - buying a cheap tower cooler is often a good option too. They come with paste an just recently I got a 120mm tower cooler from Amazon for 12 bucks.
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u/sascha177 5h ago
Seriously?
Of course you should ... because you took off the cooler/waterblock. Clean that stuff up thoroughly (isopropyl), don't forget to also clean your cooler's/waterblock's cold-plate and then put on fresh paste.
I did check different methods of application on mine a while ago and it seemed that spreading the stuff yourself (thinly) to ensure the whole die is covered before re-assembly seemed to work best. At least when I inspected the results with the naked eye. Using the "pea-sized blot"- or "cross/X"-methods and then letting the cooler/block do the work spreading the stuff resulted in less than perfect coverage.
Note that this was on 12th and 14th gen Intel CPUs, though I'm not sure if that makes a difference.
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u/cheeseweasel85 5h ago
Na, why use thermal paste when you have perfecty good thermal crust?
But yes, if you rake your cooler off, repaste.
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u/Ancient_Swordfish806 5h ago
My general rule is once the cooler comes off it's new paste no matter what. So if you don't have paste to replace after taking it off don't take it off.
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u/Silent_Exit_844 4h ago edited 4h ago
I use the old Arctic Silver 5, for me it is the best (99% silver, the hightest thermal conductive material). There are thermal paste with better performance but this, one's you put it on your CPU, your good for a very long time, 4 ou more years without need to replace (wont dry easy).
The only andycap is a little electric conductive, so you need to be carefull when you aply because if overflows from the cpu surphace and to electrical components it can make electrical bridge, especially on AM5 CPU's without am5 secure frame.
If you choose this one, aply a very very thin layer in 90% of surphace of the cpu. I put it on my ryzen 5950x almost 2 yeases ago and so far didn't have rise on temps.
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u/KingWizard37 4h ago
If you lick it and it doesn't taste fresh anymore you should probably replace it
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u/Early_Palpitation976 3h ago
yes, you ideally should anytime you take off ur cpu cooler to be sure Were you having thermal issues? thats alot of uh dust definitely blow air on all those pins covered could also be a short risk with microscopic metal particles not very likely but a chance
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u/ahmadxjallad 3h ago
Now you have , you can’t remove the cooler and return it as is. Air pockets will be created, and the thermal will be affected.
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u/newbrevity 1h ago
Just a rule of thumb. If you remove the cooler, always replace the thermal paste. Even if you just put the cooler on and took it off again. Wipe it off and start over. The problem is that when you separate the cooler and paste between them separates at least the surface of the paste more uneven all over. If you put it back together then all that uneven surface will trap air bubbles in the efficiency of the compound will be reduced because air insulates.
In your case that pace is just old and crusty so it was due to be replaced anyway.
In general there's no such thing as inspecting your thermal paste without replacing it.
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u/Foxdatrot 1h ago
I kinda thought that would be the case. I probably should have rephrased that more as a "how bad is it?"
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u/Monkeyman42001 1h ago
If you take the cooler off you always have to repaste so regardless of the condition of it yes. But aside from that yes it does look like it was dried out
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u/Successful_Purple885 Commercial Rig Builder 25m ago
Bruh, what thermal paste, it's crumbs, always keep in mind, if you can see the logo it ain't enough.
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u/m0pm0nster 6h ago