Is it worth replacing the thermal paste when you remove a cpu for a repair?

[Rodion15]

I wonder if thermal degrades over time or perhaps even more so after you remove and then attach a CPU in a desktop or laptop. I usually replace it with new one after rubbing both surfaces with alcohol but I know techs that don't do it. I'd welcome any expert advice on this?

 

[getochkn]

Anytime I remove the heatsink, I replace it. It does dry out and if you look when you remove a heatsink, part stays on the cooler, part on the cpu and unless you match them up exactly, some spots will have no thermal paste and others double stacked.

 

[synphul]

I'd clean both the cpu ihs and cooler base plate thoroughly (alcohol) and reapply thermal paste any time I removed the cooler. That's my preference anyway, it takes very little time or materials to do. I can't think of any good reason not to other than being lazy unless someone doesn't have extra thermal paste on hand. It's cheap and only takes a small amount, maybe $0.50 worth? Maybe I'm just more nitpicky than others.

 

[Rodion15]

Thanks for your answers 😉