Finally figured out thermal paste after 5 years of building PCs

I used to just blob a pea-sized dot in the middle and call it good, but last month I rebuilt a Ryzen 5600X system and noticed my temps were hitting 85C under load. Turns out I was putting way too little paste for the chip size, and now I do a thin cross pattern instead. Has anyone else had a moment where they realized their basic technique was holding back their builds?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_martin406d ago

and honestly my first three builds probably looked like i was frosting a really sad, tiny cake with the way i applied thermal paste. i mean, it took me way too long to realize that more paste doesn't mean better temps, it just means a bigger mess to clean up later. idk, maybe i just needed to make all the wrong mistakes first before getting it right.

harperp246d ago

Yeah @phoenix_martin40 that pea sized method is the only way. First time I just globbed it on like butter on toast. Pea size right in the middle and let the cooler spread it. Never had an issue since.

olivia_lopez986d ago

Are people really this stressed over thermal paste? @harperp24 I get that you don't want a mess on your CPU but like, its not that deep. These chips run so hot anyway that a little extra paste isnt gonna kill your temps or blow up your computer. I've seen builds with way too much paste still run totally fine for years. People act like its brain surgery when really its just goop on a chip. Unless youre dipping it in a bucket of the stuff, its probably gonna work out. Just slap it on there and move on with your life.