How long does thermal paste last?

In general thermal paste lasts for about 2 to 4 years on your CPU or GPU or any other chip. Your thermal paste can last as short as 2 years to as long as 10 years depending on the cooling system, weather, usage, and the quality of the compound.

How often should I replace thermal paste?

How Often Should You Replace Thermal Paste? In most cases, you shouldn't need to reapply more than once every few years, though you should replace your paste if you remove your cooler for any reason. You may also want to consider reapplying thermal paste if you find your CPU temperatures are climbing.

Can I use 4 year old thermal paste?

Do Thermal Compounds have an expiration date? Depends on the contents of the thermal compound but most should have a shelf life of around 2 years, if the cap was placed on properly and it was stored in a cool location out of the sun light.

How do I know if my thermal paste is still good?

This paste then needs to be spread across a metal surface so that you can observe its consistency and smoothness. If it is smooth and evenly distributed, the paste is still in good condition. If it is watery, clumpy, or separated, the paste has expired.

How long can you keep thermal paste?

Although high-end compounds can maintain efficacy up to 7 years after installation, manufacturers recommend removing any thermal paste from your CPU's heat-spreader and CPU Cooler every 2-3 years to be on the safe side.

Quick Question 001: Do You REALLY Need To Replace Thermal Paste?

Can thermal paste last 10 years?

Your thermal paste can last as short as 2 years to as long as 10 years depending on the cooling system, weather, usage, and the quality of the compound. Before you think of reapplying the thermal paste, check your CPU temperature.

Does thermal paste go bad if not used?

Yes, unopened thermal pastes can also expire. Check the expiry date on the thermal paste package before you apply it. In general, thermal greases take around four years to expire, but if you buy N-B Max Pro, it will work well for 5+ years after the manufacturing date.

Can I leave thermal paste dry out?

Dried or “cured” thermal paste can lead to serious cracking and a loss of heat transfer ability.

Does thermal paste need to cover entire CPU?

it needs to cover the entire contact area. Its the primary path for heat transfer and half the area will reduce its effectivity by half. Complete coverage is needed. We've lost CPUs where just a corner of the CPU was not covered with paste.

What happens if you never replace thermal paste?

Thermal paste dries out over the years. When it has, heat from the CPU to the cooling block is not transferred sufficiently anymore, meaning the CPU will heat up. Too much heat, can damage your processor.

Does thermal paste dry out in air?

Yes it eventually dries out, though typically it takes at least 5 years for that to happen, and by that time you should have replaced it anyways.

Is it fine to reuse thermal paste?

Is it ok to reuse thermal paste? It isn't recommended to reuse thermal paste. This type of paste loses solvent under heat within a real-life application. In these conditions, thermal paste tends to crack and dry out, losing its ability concerning thermal transfer.

Can you overdo thermal paste?

Remember that if you spread thermal paste too thick, this could actively work against the heat transfer taking place. So one telltale sign of too much thermal paste is a high CPU temperature. The heat isn't able to efficiently transfer into the heatsink, so it remains in the CPU.

What is the downside of too much thermal paste?

When you apply too much thermal paste, it can act like an insulator. At best case, this may make the paste ineffective, and at worst case, you may damage components via overheating. Make sure that you apply a thin layer of paste to your component.

Does thermal paste really make a difference?

Good thermal paste can have a profound impact on your performance, because it will allow your processor to transfer more of its waste heat to your cooler, keeping your processor running cool. Choosing the best thermal paste is also important if you plan on overclocking your rig to its fullest.

Is it OK to use PC without thermal paste?

No, it is absolutely not okay to play games on your PC without thermal paste. As said earlier, gaming is one of the heaviest tasks you can do on your computer. If you don't apply thermal paste on your CPU and GPU, your computer won't be able to dissipate heat effectively. Hence, it will overheat very quickly.

Can I use toothpaste instead of thermal paste?

Simply put, no. You should never use toothpaste in place of thermal paste. The main reason is that “toothpaste” is too broad of a term to be even considered an alternative. You see, the primary purpose of thermal paste is to conduct heat, which is ultimately dissipated from your CPU to keep it cool.

How hot can a CPU get before it is damaged?

At the highest loads, your average CPU temps can go up to 80–85°C, but consider this the absolute limit. Sustained CPU temps above 80°C can do long-term damage to the CPU and its silicon. If your CPU goes higher than 90°C for several hours, it will likely reduce the lifespan of your processor.

Does water ruin thermal paste?

It won't work as water won't be able to dissolve thermal paste, plus, it would put your computer at the risk of permanent damage. Instead, you should use high-concentration alcohol, preferably 99% alcohol/isopropyl, for this purpose.

How do I clean thermal paste off my CPU?

1 - Dip a paper towel into the isopropyl alcohol (90% or 90%+). 2 - Carefully remove the old paste. 3 - wipe the processor's edges, with cotton swab soaked in isopropyl alcohol, to remove remaining old paste. 4 - Remove the paste on the load plate as well.

Should I reapply thermal paste after 3 years?

If your use is easier going and you're using quality pastes, you should only need to change it every couple of years. In general, changing thermal paste every one to two years is a good idea. However, we would not recommend relying solely on timeframes to monitor when you need to change your thermal paste.

How long does Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut last on CPU?

At correct storage conditions our thermal paste can usually be used for at least 3 years after opening, usually even longer.

How long does CPU cooler last?

On average, you should expect a good quality AIO to last somewhere from 3-5 years—though because of the above, it's recommended to simply replace the entire thing once it reaches the end of its lifespan.

Is it bad if thermal paste gets on motherboard?

Accidents do happen, and it's possible to accidentally spill thermal paste on your motherboard. If that happens to you, don't panic, and follow the instructions mentioned in this post — you're going to be just fine!

What is a common mistake when applying thermal paste?

Too thin a thermal paste layer results in air pockets between the underside of the module and the top of the heat sink, causing a high thermal resistance Rth(cs).