If you are a PC user or gamer then this is a question that might have come to your mind at least once. If not, let me tell you what I’m talking about.
Have you ever opened up your CPU? Have you noticed the part where the CPU fan makes contact with the chip? Well, if you don’t take care of the CPU chip properly, the fan might overheat it.
If not taken care of properly, overheating can cause your computer to fail or even damage other components in your system.
The solution is applying a thin layer of thermal CPU paste between the CPU and the CPU fan. This serves as an insulator that maintains proper temperature for your CPU.
The alternative solution is using a liquid metal thermal paste which has better conductivity than normal thermal paste. Here’s an article about how to apply liquid metal for high-end CPUs like i7 and such:
How to Apply Liquid Metal Thermal Paste on your Processor – Liquid Metal vs Standard Paste
This article aims to provide all the necessary steps in applying thermal paste to your CPU.
What you need:
- Thermal Paste
- Cotton Swab
- Isopropyl Alcohol (91% or higher)
- Paper Towel
- Processor (CPU) with the fan removed
- Foil or Plastic Wrap
Easy Steps to apply CPU paste
- Disconnect the computer from its power source: This is the very first step. By disconnecting your computer from its power source you are ensuring safety to both yourself and your PC components.
- Remove the CPU fan: Remove the CPU fan so that you have access to open up the CPU chip ().
- Clean off the old thermal paste on your CPU: You can use a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol to clean off the old thermal paste on your CPU.
- Apply a very thin layer of new thermal paste: Using a paper towel, apply a very thin layer of new thermal paste to the CPU chip. You don’t want too much or too little; just enough to cover the surface.
- Replace the CPU fan and reconnect your computer to its power source: Replace the CPU fan and reconnect your computer to its power source. Turn on your PC and check to see if the fan is running smoothly. If it’s not, then you might need to apply more pressure when attaching the fan to the CPU. You don’t want the fan to be too tight or too loose.
That’s it! You have now applied the thermal paste to your CPU and can enjoy better performance.
5 Benefits of applying CPU paste to your computer:
By applying thermal paste to your CPU you are ensuring that the temperature of your computer is stable. This means that your PC parts will last much longer.
If you are a gamer, installing the thermal paste can help your system with 3D graphic rendering.
The thermal paste will provide better contact between the CPU chip and the fan so that the fan cools it evenly.
By applying the thermal paste to your processor, you are ensuring better performance by removing air gaps that might cause overheating during operation.
When overclocking your CPU, you will need to apply the thermal paste for better performance and cooling.
How do I know if my CPU needs thermal paste?
There’s no need to panic if you find out that your PC needs thermal paste because it’s much cheaper than buying a new CPU.
In order to find out if your CPU needs thermal paste, you can check the temperature on your taskbar while performing a simple task such as watching a YouTube video or opening a web browser. If the temperature is too high, you will need to apply the thermal paste for better cooling and performance.
For laptops:
If you have a laptop, you will need to remove the bottom cover in order to have access to the CPU. You can then follow the same steps for applying thermal paste.
Remember that every laptop is different so you might need to consult your user manual or search for a tutorial on how to open up your specific laptop.
If you’re not comfortable opening up your laptop, you can ask for help from a friend who knows how to open it up.
If you know someone else who has the same model as yours, you can ask them to borrow their thermal paste or even buy some for yourself. You can save money by doing that because applying thermal paste is much cheaper than buying a new CPU.
