CPU temps worse Everytime I reapply thermal?

[netniuQ08]

I5 4690k not oc'd, with an evo 212. My CPU temp ( easily reaching 47c in games old and new, then going towards 60c on stronger games, which is ok, right?) seemed to be doing worse than it used too (don't remember it going higher than 50c in games), or could, so I cleaned dust out of my fans and case, wiped off heatsink and CPU with isopropyl and coffee filters, reapplied thermal mx-4, probably the minimum dot size recommended, and booted up. Temps felt warm, then I went in the Witcher 1, immediately reaching 51c after 10 min, re applied thermal again, assuming I didn't put enough the prior time, putting what could be a little too much but not in a sense of actual good and bad, just well and not well. Booted again, this time checking idle, which came to 40-45c idle, and 50c in iron snout, a game so small, it could probably run on a potato with a screen. What's wrong? I seem to get worse temps each time I clean and apply, but im following the books and q&a sites like this and Reddit. Clean with isopropyl, wipe with something clean andwont leave fiber, apply a small pea (I don't know about everyone else, but I refer to almost a half an actually vegetable pea size) sized amount, seat evo snug but not crushing, yet it gives me the finger. The first time I did probably ever so slightly smaller than this Video, the 2nd time a little more. https://youtu.be/-hNgFNH7zhQ

this is also what I did the first time to my computer when my temps seemed godly well. Question: what is safe, borderline, and bad for idle, and load? what do you consider load? PS. I am willing to hear about how much thermal to apply assuming this video is wrong somehow, but I won't listen to anyone who even utters the word "card", or "spread" when referring to thermal. You're either on the wrong "toms hardware", or you are not a thinker, and never got your feet wet in tech, not that I have my feet very deep either. Sorry for posting this question, but not one of the others was this specific in the description, nor this close to my problem/CPU and fan.

 

[jossrik]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2MEAnZ3swQ

Check this out, this might help ya. As far as temps go, I try to stay under 70 under load, high 50s into the 60s for games and such. Idle, as long as your temps at load are fine, at idle they're all right too, even if they are high. I'd check for a virus or something like that which would put some pressure on your system at idle, ideally, idle should be around ambient + 5 - 10C. Some chips run less, some run more, and temps will vary depending on background apps and such, so even what system you're running can have an affect on idle temps.

 

[netniuQ08]

Could it even be that this amount is too much thermal? Even though it worked like a charm the first time, and is about the usual amount I believe, I'm just running out of thoughts and ideas here. I highly doubt thats the problem though.

 

[jossrik]

Could it even be that this amount is too much thermal? Even though it worked like a charm the first time, and is about the usual amount I believe, I'm just running out of thoughts and ideas here. I highly doubt thats the problem though.

Not too much, the whole purpose of the video is that you almost can't put too much, but it's easy to put too little, and half a pea sounds like too little. Grain of rice method, almost definitely too little, thermal paste is relatively cheap and processors not so much so, I don't understand why people worry about too much so much. Anyhow, to the bios! If you're not overclocked you could undervolt and be fine.

As the CPUs get older, the pathways and such wear out so to speak and the processor will naturally run hotter over time than when you first got it in some cases, I was in such a case with my last processor (4790K), delidded, which is on the table if you haven't all ready done so, that will drop your temps anywhere from 5/6 - as much as 20c. I only got 5 - 6c out of mine delidded, but I enjoyed the project. That being said, my processor was running near the 100c mark as soon as I put load on it. Undervolted, delidded, got it into the upper 70s at full load, sold it. Went to extreme measures to make sure the person who bought it understood what they were getting into. Anyhow, your temps aren't all that bad. Your current temps. Go for the undervolting thing. That's a fun project you almost can't mess up.