Thermal Paste question

[veimiK]

I'm asking, because I didn't do it. Ever. EVER.
My PC is 4 years old. I didn't do ANYTHING to it, I just changed my Graphics Card. And Here is my queston: Can I remove my Stock CPU Cooler and don't use new thermal paste? I mean, I have to insert some more of it, or I can just let it be? I want to clean my cooler from dust and stuff.

 

[idkfa]

Never ever reuse old thermal paste. EVER.

Go buy some new thermal paste (shouldn't cost much more than 5 or 6$), clean your CPU and cooler (with alcohol e.g.) and then apply the new paste. Much better results.

 

[veimiK]

Can I dip my CPU and Cooler in the water/alcohol? Or I have to use small amount of this?

 

[Janus67]

use a paper towel or a coffee filter, put a bit of rubbing alcohol on to the towel/filter and rub the old stuff off

 

[idkfa]

Can I dip my CPU and Cooler in the water/alcohol? Or I have to use small amount of this?

No! Use Q-tips dipped in alcohol or something similar to clean. When most of the old paste is gone use some lint-free tissue or coffee filters to finish the job.

 

[veimiK]

I have to do this on both cooler and CPU right?

 

[manu2b]

Yes.

 

[veimiK]

Ok, thanks for help. I'll do it soon.

 

[Conumdrum]

Read this, there are many more guides using Google. Please do it right.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/333968-28-thermal-paste-removal-installation-guide

 

[NiHaoMike]

I just clean both surfaces, put a pea sized drop of paste in the middle, and slowly lower the heatsink into place. (Do it too quickly and it might create air bubbles.)

 

[cullam3n]

I'm old school and put a pea size in the center of the IHS, and use an old credit card or something to spread it out to a nice layer.

 

[ikpthegame]

I'm old school and put a pea size in the center of the IHS, and use an old credit card or something to spread it out to a nice layer.

Don't spread it out, the pressure from the heatsink will spread it for you.

 

[Conumdrum]

I don't spread it out. Some do. There are many valid methods. The folks who did all the top notch testing (vapor/Skinnee and others) use the pea method. I have been using it for eons. Still, some use the spread method and it works for them.

If your new or a new style heatsink, you should always apply TIM and install the cooler, then remove it and check if you did it right. Yes, it's an extra 30 minutes, but it's a hobby and it takes as long as it takes.

 

[Janus67]

I've always done the pea method for application, except for when the heatpipes are visible at the bottom (HDT style maybe? I can't remember) then I put a couple small lines down them to make sure there was proper contact.

 

[larrymoencurly]

I'm cheap and will reuse the paste that squeezed out from the parts, but only if it's 100% clean. If I see any dust near or in the paste, I remove it completely because I don't want some hard stuff wedging in between the CPU and heatsink and preventing good contact.

I've removed and reinstalled heatsinks without adding new paste, and the temperature difference between the chip and heatsink remained the same, indicating contact was just as good as before, but don't do that. If you just add paste instead of clean off all the original, be sure it's compatible with what's already on there, i.e., don't mix silicone type paste with the ester type.

If you want to know how much paste to apply, put something like toothpaste on the bottom of something clear and flat, like a glass, then press down and swirl to see how much is spreads out.

 

[idkfa]

I've removed and reinstalled heatsinks without adding new paste, and the temperature difference between the chip and heatsink remained the same, indicating contact was just as good as before, but don't do that.

I'll have to second that. I did a lot of RAM swapping over the past days and had to remove my heatsink during every operation, since I required the system only to run memtest I decided I don't want to apply new thermal paste for every reinstall. Watching the temps indicated that you can reuse old thermal paste without increasing the temps.
However when I get my final setup of working RAM sticks together I'll use new paste just to it the right way.

 

[cdoublejj]

that was probably fairly recent thermal past. I have seen OEM applied thermal paste turn in to.... well flay dry CRUNCHY crud that if reinstalled would not "squish" down from the pressure of the heat sink bracket but, would instead act as a shim spacing the heat sink away from the chip.

 

[idkfa]

that was probably fairly recent thermal past.

I was talking about removing the heatsink for a short time for RAM swapping e.g., when you upgrade parts or want to clean your system I would never scratch off old paste and reuse that.

 

[cdoublejj]

yeah that's what i was saying, i was just trying to give heads for those who don't know the difference. forums like theses tend to pop up first in google results.