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Use pre-applied paste?

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TickleMyElmo

Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Location
Missouri
I recently bought an Arctic Freezer 7 Pro cpu cooler which comes with pre-applied mx-2 thermal paste for a friends build. Would you guys use the pre-applied or apply your own?
I have always applied my own but that's because I never knew what paste they were using and didn't want to use junk. I know that mx-2 is pretty good stuff. What ya's think?
 
I typically apply my own too. However if its a known decent paste like it is.. I'd use it. :)
 
I usually apply my own if it's something like a stock AMD or Intel heat sink (as paste on OEM coolers is usually pretty low quality, as are the heat sinks themselves), but I think if it's something from known brand (like Arctic Cooling) I'd use the stuff on the heat sink as long as it isn't dried up.

Arctic Cooling MX-2 is good stuff, so I see no reason to reapply unless it's dried up.
 
What I see that is pre-applied to CPU coolers is gray thermal tape and not paste, and if you don't get it lined up right, it's hard to pull the CPU and HS apart. So I always clean that stuff off and put Type 44 by GC Electronics.
 
I use it - has always worked good.

Keep a tube of paste around in case you have to remove it though!
 
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