What is thermal paste and why change it? How to apply thermal paste on the processor? Detailed instructions and useful recommendations Thermal paste principle of operation.

Many users have heard that the thermal paste on the processor can dry out and the processor will start to overheat. In general, this is true, but there are many myths surrounding the replacement of thermal paste. For example, you can often hear that thermal paste must be changed every six months or a year, otherwise overheating is simply inevitable. Here we will try to dispel such myths and tell you how often you need to change the thermal paste on the processor and why do it at all.

Why change thermal paste

To answer this question, let's start with why thermal paste is needed at all. The fact is that any chips emit heat in the course of their work, and such large and productive chips as the central processor desktop computer emit a lot of heat. In order for the processor not to overheat and fail, a radiator is installed on it, which removes heat from the processor and dissipates it into the surrounding space.

The problem is that neither the heatsink nor the processor itself has perfectly flat surfaces. As a result, when a heatsink is installed on the processor, a microscopic layer of air forms between them, which significantly impairs the transfer of heat from the processor to the heatsink.

Just to solve this problem, thermal paste is needed. It fills the void between the heatsink and the processor and improves heat transfer, as the thermal conductivity of thermal paste is much higher than that of air.

However, thermal paste tends to dry out. When this happens, the thermal paste changes from a liquid and plastic state to a solid or powder state. Naturally, in this state, the thermal conductivity of thermal paste is significantly reduced, heat dissipation to the heatsink worsens, and the processor starts to overheat. With severe overheating, the so-called “processor throttling” will begin, the processor starts skipping cycles to lower the temperature, and if the temperature rises further, the computer will reboot. Modern processors rarely fails due to overheating, usually rebooting the computer saves the chip, but there are such cases.

In order not to bring the computer to such problems, the thermal paste on the processor must be changed, at least from time to time.

When to change thermal paste

Now to the question of how often you need to change the thermal paste on the processor. In some articles on the Internet you can find recommendations with specific lengths of time. Somewhere they write that thermal paste needs to be changed every six months, somewhere that it can not be changed for 3-5 years.

• Thermal paste brand;
• The temperature at which she worked;
• CPU load level;

If this is a high-quality thermal paste that was used on an office computer where there is no heavy load on the processor and high temperatures, then it can remain in a liquid state for 5 years or more. On the other hand, cheap thermal paste on a powerful gaming computer with overclocking, the processor can dry out in 1 year.

Therefore, it is impossible to give an exact answer to the question of the frequency of replacing thermal paste. But, you can understand for yourself whether it's time for you to change the thermal paste or not. To do this, you need to monitor the temperature of the processor. If your CPU temperature exceeds:

• 45 degrees idle;
• 65 degrees under load;

Then it's time to take measures to reduce it, for example, remove the cooler, clean it from dust and replace the thermal paste with a new one. If the processor temperature does not yet exceed the indicated values, then the thermal paste can not be changed, it is in a normal state. If you really want to, then you can simply remove the dust from the cooler without removing it from the processor. To do this, it is very convenient to use a can of compressed air.

• Arctic Cooling MX-4;
• Noctua NT-H1;
• Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut;
• GELID GC-Extreme;
• Polimatech;

Video: How to change thermal paste on a computer

thermal paste- this is a heat-conducting composition that improves heat transfer between the heating element (processor, video card) and the radiator, it can be of different consistency liquid (almost like water), medium density and thick. Also different colors mostly white, gray and blue.

How to choose thermal paste

It is worth paying attention that the thermal paste should not be too liquid and not very thick. Since in the first variant it simply will not create the necessary contact, and in the second it falls in lumps as the Cooler Master thermal paste did when we tested it, it may just have been defective thermal paste, or old, but still. As our research has shown, mx-4 thermal paste has good performance, and many engineers use it.

How to remove thermal paste from a surface

Thermal paste is perfectly removed with an office equipment cloth pre-soaked in alcohol. It is possible without alcohol, if it is not a laptop, and the processor crystal will not be damaged by other materials. Do not use acetone, thinners or water. Napkins preferably lint-free, synthetic. In the case of a laptop, you need to be very careful when disassembling, assembling the laptop, as well as cleaning the processor crystal - because its surface is not protected by metal, which means that it is easy to damage it. If the thermal paste was with aluminum shavings, then be especially careful - avoid getting on the radio components.

Very often, out of ignorance or lack of experience, white thermal paste is applied, usually it is KPT-8, KPT-16 or the so-called “silicone” - we strongly DO NOT recommend these thermal pastes use since they have very low heat dissipation rates and dry quickly, which leads either to frequent replacement of such a paste or to damage to your device from overheating.

What is bad thermal paste with the addition of aluminum shavings

It removes heat well and if the manufacturer is normal, then only one sin remains behind it - this is if there are radio components near the processor or surface elements of which you smear that can be shorted out, they are very likely to short out. Unless, of course, such thermal paste gets on them. Moreover, as a rule, this does not happen immediately, but after a while, when the thermal paste dries.

How to properly apply thermal paste on the processor

Thermal paste should be applied evenly, without gaps. And despite the fact that most processors have a metal surface that distributes heat, it is still worth following this rule. The size of the thermal paste applied to the processor is slightly larger than an apple seed. Next, with a special spatula, you need to distribute it over all surfaces. You don't need to put thermal paste on the heatsink.

How often do you need to change the thermal paste

A good thermal paste can last 3 years or even more, but still, if the owner of a laptop, then when cleaning the laptop from dust, you still have to change the thermal paste. In stationary computers, unlike laptops, the replacement period is longer. Indeed, in such a computer, you do not need to remove the radiator in order to clean all surfaces from dust. Although cleaning the desktop computer with full analysis and changing thermal paste is considered better than partial.

thermal paste alternative

Thermal interface- This is an alternative to thermal paste, but it is not its replacement. The thermal interface is used to remove heat, but its body conductivity indicators are lower. There are also advantages - it is not so capricious, it can last much longer and be reused if not deformed.

There is also a thermocoupleit performs the same role as thermal paste, but it is very elastic and sometimes stretches, which is why it got its name.

Reading time: 2 min

Have you ever heard of thermal paste? What is it used for in computers? If you want to know why thermal paste is needed on the processor and whether it needs to be applied, then read the article to the end.

thermal paste on the processor is needed for better heat transfer

Let's start with what thermal paste means. This is an abbreviation that stands for thermally conductive paste. In fact, this is a paste that conducts heat well, which consists of different components, with the help of which heat transfer occurs between the contact surfaces.

Now let's take a closer look. As you know, it is not possible to create a perfectly flat surface. There will always be micro pits, bumps, grooves that are not visible to us. If you look under a microscope, you can see that the surface is not quite even.

Therefore, when supposedly flat surfaces are touched, air space remains. If you look with the naked eye, you might think that they fit tightly and there is no air there, but this is just an illusion. In the world of microprocessors, even the slightest amount of air can affect heat dissipation, resulting in elevated processor temperatures.

Based on this, we understand why we use thermal paste. Thermal paste conducts heat much better than air, so the entire space between the processor and the cooling system must be filled with thermal paste to force out the air. Thus, the heat exchange between the processor and the cooling system will be ideal.

Thermal paste except computer technology used in another. But we'll talk about that some other time.

Do I need to apply thermal paste to the processor

Having read up to this point, you still have the question of whether it is necessary to apply thermal paste to the processor? It is probably worth reading the article carefully again and understanding why it is needed. By the way, not everyone uses it. It is used if the surface is very bad and simply does not fit, but rolls over each other.

Why do some comrades not use thermal paste? The answer to this question is this. The thermal conductivity of metal is 20-100 times higher than that of thermal paste (this depends on the manufacturer of the thermal paste), from which we can conclude that thermal paste in some cases can, on the contrary, worsen thermal conductivity. From the picture you can clearly see how to apply thermal paste and how it is wrong. Thermal paste should only fill surface irregularities, no need to apply a greasy layer of paste, thinking that this will improve heat transfer.

If you notice that your computer or laptop has started to warm up, then it's time to clean it from dust and replace the thermal paste with a new one. Monitor the temperature of the processor using the sensor in the BIOS or install a program to monitor the temperature of all components in system unit and make sure that the temperature is not above the permissible limit. And if you have intel processor, then they have a Simple Communications PCI controller device that helps monitor the temperature and notify the user.

Whether you need to use thermal paste or not is up to you. I would not risk the processor and apply thermal paste, which I always do. If it is applied correctly, then it will not get any worse. And without it, there are chances to kill the processor. After all, thermal paste is cheap compared to a new processor.

From the article you will learn why thermal paste is needed. What is her role? Is it really necessary?

So why do you need thermal paste?

talking plain language, both for the processor and for the video card, there is only one purpose: “so that it doesn’t get so hot”. But you can only give such a primitive answer to a 70-year-old grandmother (no discrimination, she just doesn’t need details)

Let's analyze the question in more detail.

Thermal paste by itself does not cool. Her role is elsewhere. It allows dissipate heat more efficiently from the processor to the heatsink. As a result, the temperature of the first decreases. Sometimes 10-15 degrees!

What is the whole point?

If you look at the surface of the processor / heatsink under a microscope, you will notice roughness in the form of various irregularities and depressions. Because of this contact will be incomplete., there will be air between the surfaces. thermal paste just designed to better adhere to surfaces, fill in all the bumps and slits.

Note: Johanson tiles are almost ideal for smooth surfaces. They are so clean (i.e., they do not have roughness) that when they come into contact with one another, they literally stick together!

– Igor (Administrator)

As part of this review, I will tell you what thermal paste is, as well as about the features associated with it.

The central processing unit in a computer heats up, especially under heavy loads, and therefore it needs to be cooled. And in this part, the presence of a radiator will not surprise anyone, just as it is used in any other heating equipment. As they say, it is well known that this "somehow" allows you to reduce the temperature. However, why do we need thermal paste and what is it for many ordinary users not known.

But first, a little theory. In physics, there is such a thing as thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity is the ability of a substance to transfer heat from hot to cold. For reference, this characteristic is measured in W / (m * K). The higher this value, the faster the substance transfers heat.

To make it easier to understand, imagine that you are dipping a wooden and metal stick into boiling water. The thermal conductivity of the first is significantly lower than the second, so the metal stick will be hot after a few minutes, but the wooden one will heat up for a long time.

Why is this, because the processor and heatsink seem to consist of metals and their alloys? The point is two important points. Firstly, the thermal conductivity of air is extremely low (for reference, this is why double windows allow for a long time keep the heat in the room). Secondly, perfectly flat metal surfaces do not exist. Therefore, if the processor is pressed against the heatsink, then there will be cavities with air between them, through which heat will be poorly transferred.

To solve this problem, apply thermal paste, the thermal conductivity of which is higher than that of air, and which fills all the uneven surfaces of the processor and heatsink, which allows the computer's central processor to cool more evenly.

Note: There are other nuances, such as the diffusion of metals, electric currents and so on, but in computers, heat transfer is more important (usually processors are covered with insulating material).

Note: Keep in mind that some thermal pastes may contain metal particles, so it is extremely important that the paste does not come into contact with the processor contacts in any way.

For reference. AT general case, in addition to thermal paste, hot glue can also be used (additionally, like ordinary glue, it holds two objects together), thermal pads (additionally provides electrical insulation; less effective than paste, but due to elasticity it allows you to fill voids when connecting with complex relief), liquid metal ( provides better thermal conductivity, but implies a lot of nuances).

How to properly apply thermal paste to the processor? It is very important to remember that the layer must be thin. In this case, the rule "more is better" is incorrect. The fact is that the thicker the layer, the worse the heat transfer from the processor to the radiator. Also, before fixing the heatsink, the thermal paste should already be evenly distributed over the processor (no need to apply on the heatsink). If you try to first apply a drop of paste, and then press the heatsink, the paste will not be distributed evenly and voids will appear between the heatsink and the processor (at the edges). For understanding, imagine that you dropped milk on the tablecloth, and then pressed it with your boat and let it go. You will see that the drawing will be uneven.

How often do you need to change the thermal paste? In general, it is good practice to replace the paste once a year or two (for laptops once a year). However, it still depends very much on the paste itself (some pastes do not lose their properties for more than 3 years) and the conditions of use (for example, with a constant high processor load, the paste dries faster).

Note: In fairness, it is worth noting that a considerable number of old computers have never seen a single paste replacement in their lives. At the same time, this practically did not affect performance.