Finally figured out why my thermal paste was drying out so fast

I've been building PCs for like 7 years now and always wondered why my CPU temps would creep up after just 6 months. Last week I was helping a buddy with his first build and he asked why I was putting the paste on so thick. I told him that's just how I always did it, you know, cover the whole IHS. He showed me a video from some tech youtube channel that explained you only need a pea sized dot in the middle. I tried it on my own rig with a fresh tube and after 2 weeks my idle temps dropped from 45 to 32 degrees. Has anyone else been accidentally using way too much paste for years?

3 comments

3 Comments

perez.patricia21d ago

Oh man, I did the same thing for like five years. I was basically frosting a cake on there, thinking more was better. Then I switched to that pea sized dot and my temps dropped so much I thought I broke something. It's one of those things where you feel like an idiot after but at least we can laugh about it now.

paul34621d ago

I get where you're coming from (and the frosting comparison is hilarious), but I actually disagree a little. I found that too small of a dot dried out too fast and I had to keep reapplying. A little more seems to hold up better for me, even if it's not like a whole layer cake.

elizabethg1821d ago

Yeah the frosting thing is spot on, I cringe thinking about my old application method. But I hear you paul346 on it drying out, I had that issue too when I first switched to a smaller amount. What worked for me was mixing a tiny drop of water or moisturizer into the dot before applying, it spreads way easier and doesn't evaporate as fast. Your mileage may vary on that trick but it saved me from going back to the cake method. Also make sure your skin is actually damp before you put it on, that made a bigger difference than I expected.