[SOLVED] Thermal paste - Does it dry out faster with higher CPU temperatures?

[ShangWang]

I'm planning to re-paste my laptop with arctic silver 5 soon, it seems it needs to be replaced every 9 months for my case.

What I'm wondering is do higher sustained temperatures cause the paste to dry faster/become less efficient quicker?

Is it ok to run games that cause high CPU temperatures as soon as you put on new paste? Will doing this make it cure faster or just degrade faster? Is cure time real?

 

[USAFRet]

"Every 9 months" is a bit extreme.

 

[ShangWang]

"Every 9 months" is a bit extreme.

Well, it's not like I choose to do 9 months it's likely because it's not good thermal paste or I did it incorrectly. That's just the time it took for temperatures to noticeably be higher.

 

[USAFRet]

Well, it's not like I choose to do 9 months it's likely because it's not good thermal paste or I did it incorrectly.

Do it once, do it right.

 

[ShangWang]

Do it once, do it right.

I went with the dot method, maybe I put too much but even if that was the case wouldn't the excess paste just get pushed to the side? Most of the time too much is better than too little?

 

[USAFRet]

I went with the dot method, maybe I put too much but even if that was the case wouldn't the excess paste just get pushed to the side? Most of the time too much is better than too little?

'Too much' is worse.
It is hard to apply 'too little'.

All you want it to do is fill and smooth out the imperfections in the CPU face and whatever cooler thin is on there.

 

[ShangWang]

'Too much' is worse.
It is hard to apply 'too little'.

Thanks, regarding giving the PC demanding tasks with new thermal paste, will this make the paste cure faster or will it just make it dry out? Should you avoid demanding tasks with new paste?

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks, regarding giving the PC demanding tasks with new thermal paste, will this make the paste cure faster or will it just make it dry out? Should you avoid demanding tasks with new paste?

You can crank it up to 11 on Day 1.

 

[hotaru.hino]

It's not the paste that's drying out faster. It's that laptop cooling solutions can experience a phenomenon called "pump out" more easily due to the cooler having a lighter mounting pressure. The pressure has to be lighter than a desktop cooler because the cooler is directly touching the the die, so higher pressures risk cracking the die.

You have to find a thicker paste if you want something longer term. Supposedly Arctic MX-4 works well enough here, as does Thermal Grizzly's Hydronaut (I haven't verified either on my own systems). Liquid metal TIMs also work well too, but those are a lot more complicated to apply correctly.

 

[ShangWang]

You can crank it up to 11 on Day 1.

You have to find a thicker paste if you want something longer term. Supposedly Arctic MX-4 works well enough here, as does Thermal Grizzly's Hydronaut (I haven't verified either on my own systems). Liquid metal TIMs also work well too, but those are a lot more complicated to apply correctly.

Thanks, I was thinking of getting a thicker paste sometime later but I still want to use the last of what I have for now.
Do you think it would be better if I pressed down on the heat sink to make sure its snug and tight? Can you overtighten the screws?

I think when I put the heatsink down last time maybe it was slightly tilted to one side as opposed to going straight down on top of the die, is this a problem with spreading the paste properly or no once it has been pressed down?

 

[ShangWang]

Sorry for any possible confusion, this is what I mean:

https://imgur.com/a/jg2MCqp

View: https://imgur.com/a/jg2MCqp


Is it ok to put it slightly at a tilt initially? Is it required you put the heat sink perfectly on top vertically parallel for the first contact to spread the paste evenly?

 

[USAFRet]

Human dexterity is never good enough to place it perfectly even.

It will spread out properly. If you did not use too much.

 

[ShangWang]

Human dexterity is never good enough to place it perfectly even.

It will spread out properly. If you did not use too much.

Thank you, but I should try to at least place it parallel to the surface at least right? An angle would not be good or is it no big deal?

 

[USAFRet]

Thank you, but I should try to at least place it parallel to the surface at least right? An angle would not be good or is it no big deal?

Well yes, you should TRY.
But unless you have a calibrated robotic arm, it WILL come down at a slight slant. A degree or two is no problem.

Be careful, don't drop it, and don't stress.