Is dried thermal paste ok to use?

[stevems]

My intel cpu fan recently broke so I ordered a new one to use. Although my intel cpu has some dried thermal paste on it. Will it be ok to use for the fan? Or do i need to scrape it off and apply new thermal paste

 

[socialfox]

Scrape it off and re-apply. The bond wont be as good as new thermal paste. Failure to do so would result in terrible temperatures.

 

[FinneousPJ]

No, don't scrape anything. Use appropriate solvents.

 

[socialfox]

Ah didn't mean it like that, just use a lint free paper towel or cotton swabs with a bit of isopropyl alcohol.

 

[jaguarskx]

Take a jackhammer to pound that dried thermal paste off, then submerge the CPU into thermal paste for around 2 minutes and insert into the socket.

Or simply use alcohol and water to dissolve/wipe way the dried thermal paste from both CPU & heatsink. Then apply about a small pea size worth of thermal paste in the center of the CPU and spread it around before putting the heatsink on top.

 

[stevems]

Best answer selected by stevems.