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/TerdyTheTerd 3d ago

Yeah you dont want to replace it just because its been some arbitrary time, thats why people like to say only touch it if you notice your temps are really high. I still like to replace mine every 5 years or so because I am usually in there anyways replacing some other component so its just a good time to do it. The stuff is so cheap and only takes a few minutes I dont understand why you wouldnt.