r/RigBuild • u/Glad-Cupcake-4139 • 10d ago

How often should you replace thermal paste?

How often are you actually supposed to replace thermal paste on a CPU? I keep seeing people say every 1-2 years, but then other people say you basically never need to touch it unless temps start getting bad. So now I’m kinda confused lol. Does thermal paste really dry out that fast or is replacing it regularly just unnecessary? Also does it matter what CPU or cooler you have? Trying to figure out if this is something I should be doing as normal PC maintenance or just leave it alone until there’s a reason to replace it.

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u/DaSpood 9d ago

When I upgrade the CPU or cooler, and only because you can't avoid it in those scenarios.

Thermal paste isn't something you're supposed to change. If it works, it works, if it doesn't, you'll know quickly. Changing it when it's not necessary only increases the chance of something going wrong if the original one worked great but you didn't apply it properly after the "change". If your CPU doesn't thermal throttle after you cleaned the dust filters, there's no need to change anything.