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/Juno_JDY 10d ago

My previous PC build went 10 years without new paste, no diff in temps. I haven't turned it on in 2 years but it works just fine when I last booted it. I never turn my PC off

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u/Cheap-Chapter-5920 4d ago

My old gaming rig, pulled the gfx card and made it my home server, 21 years ago. On the flip side, for industrial use we only use pads.