Thermal paste is typically used between a heatsink and a high-power integrated circuit such as a CPU. It is used to ensure there is good thermal conductivity for cooling the integrated circuit.
Questions tagged [thermal-paste]
94 questions
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Is it OK to use toothpaste instead of thermal paste when fitting a CPU?
I was told many years ago to do this by someone who at the time knew more than I did. The CPU was a celeron in the Pentium 2 era. It ran cooler with the toothpaste between the chip and the heatsink than what it did with nothing between.
Has anyone…
Richard C
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What are these little rubber "condoms" that came with my thermal paste?
What are the white rubber condoms? They can be unrolled like a condom. For scale the battery is AA.
Ian Newson
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20
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3 answers
Does unused thermal paste get old?
I've got two small unlabeled plastic syringes with white thermal paste - these are probably 8 years old. Should I throw them out and buy new?
I'll need some paste to build reassemble a mid-range system, so I don't want (need?) the best and most…
Torben Gundtofte-Bruun
- 18,646
19
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4 answers
What's the proper way to remove thermal paste from a CPU?
I'm replacing the heatsink on my CPU, and want to clear the current thermal paste.
What should I do?
Marcos Lara
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What is the gum like thing on the heat sink?
See the attached picture. What is the gum like thing? Should I replace it with thermal paste? Thanks!
Update
Thank you guys! I replaced it with new thermal paste and my laptop is not burning anymore! This particular thermal pad is quite thin,…
LWZ
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Five year old unopened boxed CPU – is the stock thermal compound still good?
I have obtained an unopened, sealed, boxed CPU dating back to 2009. It’s an Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 with heatsink + thermal compound pre-applied. Is the stock thermal compound still OK to use after five years on the shelf?
misha256
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How much thermal paste should apply to the CPU?
There a million different pages around the Internet with conflicting information on how much thermal paste to apply and how to spread it. Some say a half-bean-sized drop in the middle, others say a circle or rectangle on the CPU. Some tell you to…
Mircea Chirea
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3 answers
What chemical should I use for removing thermal paste?
What should I use for removing thermal paste: acetone or isopropyl alcohol? Some say acetone is the best thing for the task, others say it's a no-no. Who should I believe?
Aki
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8
votes
1 answer
What happens when too much thermal paste is used
A client of mine brought in a computer he wanted to get cleaned up, OS reinstall, and had a video card in hand he wanted me to install... no big deal.
So I open up the case and see this...
Wow, right?
I've got most of it cleaned up, its looking…
Joe
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2 answers
Does heat sink compound degrade with time?
Does heat sink compound degrade with time? How long isv it recommended before I replace my CPU heat sink compound?
I have a DELL Studio 17" notebook with core i7 from the lastv one and av half years and it is making more fan noise now than when it…
Lord Loh.
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1 answer
How to remove 13 year old metal loaded thermal paste
Possible Duplicate:
What chemical should I use for removing thermal paste?
I've got an AMD-K6 CPU which has a duff fan, the thermal paste has gone solid and won't come off with alcohol or akasa heatsink cleaner (smells of citrus, like label…
Tog
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6
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4 answers
Clean thermal paste from touch contact points on the underside of the CPU
I bought an used CPU (Intel "Core 2" E4700) on eBay and it came with the underside dirty with something that seems it´s thermal paste.
Before I send it back, I wonder if it could it still work without cleaning this dirt because the seller supposedly…
Karolinger
- 1,001
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4 answers
What is this rubber pad under my laptop's heatsink?
I opened up my HP HDX laptop yesterday to clean it (Warranty was over 2 years ago), and to apply new thermal paste.
My laptop has only 1 fan, 2 sets of fins connected to 2 copper pieces to conduct heat. Around the graphics card, there are these…
Alex
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5
votes
2 answers
How do I correctly apply thermal paste on a laptop CPU with a small surface area?
I watched several videos on YouTube, went through a lot of overclocking forums and websites, but I am yet to find a "correct" answer to this question.
Some agree with the "pea method" where you apply a pea-sized glob onto the center of the CPU and…
Vinayak
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5
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1 answer
What factors are relevant when buying thermal paste?
Based on the answers on this question, I'll probably go buy some new thermal paste. Unfortunately, the marketplace is flooded with spiffy-sounding products at wildly varying prices. I might just go to the local store and buy whatever mid-range…
Torben Gundtofte-Bruun
- 18,646