I'm switching motherboard from a P43 to an SLI enabled board i got dirt cheap. I will be using the same CPU and heat-sink. Should i re-apply thermal paste or will what's already there do after i have separated them in order to transfer or is it necessary to re-apply?
And how often is it recommended to re-apply in general? I know it's kinda stupid, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Yeah you need to reapply.
Re-apply every time you remove the heatsink/install new processor and heatsink. Clean off old thermal paste on heatsink and processor with 90% or higher rubbing alcohol, let dry, then apply new thermal paste. You can find videos of it being done on Youtube; you don't want to use too much or too little paste.
[QUOTE=Metalcastr;28610470]Re-apply every time you remove the heatsink/install new processor and heatsink. Clean off old thermal paste on heatsink and processor with 90% or higher rubbing alcohol, let dry, then apply new thermal paste. You can find videos of it being done on Youtube; you don't want to use too much or too little paste.[/QUOTE]
not really, only if you actually touch the TIM
You don't really need to reapply if it's the type that doesn't harden, but you should anyways, it's not like it takes that long to do.
[QUOTE=Shadaez;28627911]You don't really need to reapply if it's the type that doesn't harden, but you should anyways, it's not like it takes that long to do.[/QUOTE]
Uhhh, no thermal paste is supposed to harden.
[QUOTE=ghostofme;28628319]Uhhh, no thermal paste is supposed to harden.[/QUOTE]
it softens up after a little prime 95
You clean and re-apply thermal paste after every removal because of air bubbles introduced when you remove the heat sink. If you want best performance, re-apply.
[QUOTE=ghostofme;28628319]Uhhh, no thermal paste is supposed to harden.[/QUOTE]
Well, I don't know about "supposed to" but it sure does after years of not being changed.
[QUOTE=Shadaez;28631548]Well, I don't know about "supposed to" but it sure does after years of not being changed.[/QUOTE]
I have a Pentium in my basement. Thermal paste was still soft when I took it out last week.
Depends on the type of CPU and paste. If you have something like a white lithium grease based paste, it will tend to disintegrate over time from the extreme heat. More expensive pastes like copper/solver/gold or other metal solutions will generally stay around and can just be spread around again.
Older machines that have CPUs that don't generate as much heat (early P4, athlon, PIII and earlier) the thermal paste will stay on there practically forever and doesn't need to be reapplied unless it gets really dirty or starts cracking/deteriorating.
I suggest cleaning it up, Newegg posted a really amazing video on their Youtube channel about cleaning up thermal paste and reapplying, I recommend checking that.
You should always re-apply it when the CPU and heatsink is separated, otherwise its not gonna do shit
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