How to Properly Apply Thermal Paste to a CPU

1. How much thermal paste should I use on my CPU?
2. Can you put too much thermal paste on a CPU?
3. Can I use toothpaste as thermal paste?
4. Is 1 gram of thermal paste enough?
5. What happens if you dont use thermal paste?
6. Should I spread thermal paste?
7. Does thermal paste expire?
8. How do you know if you put too much thermal paste?
9. Can thermal paste kill you?
10. Does thermal paste affect performance?
11. Can you use Vaseline as thermal paste?
12. Can you run a PC without a CPU cooler?
13. Can I buy thermal paste at Walmart?

How much thermal paste should I use on my CPU?

Apply thermal paste onto the center of the CPU's IHS.

You only need to apply a small amount — roughly the size of a grain of rice or a pea — onto the center of the integrated heat spreader.

Can you put too much thermal paste on a CPU?

Putting too much paste on a socket generally won't hurt thermal performance, because the act of tightening down the cooler squeezes out the excess. Too little paste is bad, but anything above the minimum threshold will have the same effect once the cooler is tightened down.

Can I use toothpaste as thermal paste?

thermal paste is made of sillicon which makes contact between cpu and cooler better for a good heat transfer. ... No, toothpaste cannot replace thermal paste although it looks similar to thermal paste, toothpaste doesn't have any cooling properties as the thermal paste.

Is 1 gram of thermal paste enough?

1 gram is enough for a few applications. And no, never run a modern CPU without thermal paste between the heatsink.

What happens if you dont use thermal paste?

Not using thermal paste between the CPU and the heat sink will cause it to eventually overheat and fail. This may not happen straight away but it will happen and in a much shorter time than if you use the thermal paste. ... Modern processors would fail if you repeatedly let them overheat.

Should I spread thermal paste?

It can be difficult to ensure that thermal paste is spread evenly. Some people recommend (wrongly) that thermal paste should be manually spread across the CPU using a flat hard surface such as a credit card. ... Since air doesn't conduct heat nearly as well as thermal paste, temperatures can suffer greatly.

Does thermal paste expire?

Believe it or not, much like medicine and food, thermal paste also has a shelf life and can go bad. Generally manufacturers give their thermal paste a lifespan of 3 to 5 years. That's if it sits under optimal conditions which may not be the case for you.

How do you know if you put too much thermal paste?

Sandwiches don't work - When you apply too much thick thermal paste between the metal surfaces, it will result in a big chunk of paste in the middle and no surface connecting. As a result, it actually reduces the efficacy of the paste.

Can thermal paste kill you?

You won't die. Can you please list the exact thermal paste in question? It's certainly not good for you, and depending on the type, could cause serious long term health issues if you consume a lot of it. But a tiny bit on your fingers once will probably have no lasting harm.

Does thermal paste affect performance?

Getting the wrong kind of paste will not only increase the PC temperature but it may also worsen its performance. Adequately applying the right thermal gel will keep the CPU/GPU cool without overclocking or overheating.

Can you use Vaseline as thermal paste?

Absolutely not. Thermal paste is specially formulated to have high thermal conductivity and be stable over a wide range of temperatures. Vaseline and toothpaste may superficially look like a similar sort of goop, but it's just not going to work.

Can you run a PC without a CPU cooler?

You absolutely can't run it without a heatsink on the CPU, but you can improvise with the fan if you really need to. Makes one kinda miss the x86 days with just the passive heat sinks... No, it'll overheat in a couple seconds and shut off.

Can I buy thermal paste at Walmart?

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste, Carbon Based High Performance Thermal Compound for All Coolers, Thermal Interface Material, 4 Grams - Walmart.com - Walmart.com.