Question Thermal paste replacement

[rcsverige]

I have a EVGA GTX 1060 6g and bought it uses close to 2 years ago. Lately I have been thinking about the thermal paste because certain games (like stalker anomaly) will reach 77c. I also have a case with bad air flow so I use a desk fan to reduce temperatures especially during the summer. Today I would like to replace my thermal paste but it will be my first time working on my GPU in this way. Here in Sweden we don’t have easy access to isopropyl alcohol (sold in pharmacies) and a lot are closed today. Can I use something other than IA that would work? Is it really necessary that I dive into changing the TP for the first time or am I just being paranoid about damaging my GPU and not having the money to replace it? Lol a weird question I know. Would love to hear from the community.

 

[rolli59]

Your temp is fine. I have gtx970 that is older and have never seen any reason to replace the paste but it gets dusted regularly.

 

[KyaraM]

77°C is totally okay. Those CPUs will run up to 82°C without throttling without issues. What you could do, if you still want to reduce temps, is make the cooler curve more aggressive. But I wouldn't jump into repasting immediately.

 

[Karadjgne]

Decent paste will generally last @ 7-8 years before it starts chemically breaking down enough to start affecting temps. Dry-out pastes like AS5 will last indefinitely unless physically messed with by jarring, bumping or twisting etc which breaks the seal.
Nvidia and Amd don't use junk paste.

 

[geofelt]

Do not try to fix a problem that you do not have.
It is normal for a gpu to target 80c for maximum performance.

GPU paste should not ever need to be replaced.

You can always damage a gpu by disassembling it; not worth the risk.

 

[rcsverige]

Your temp is fine. I have gtx970 that is older and have never seen any reason to replace the paste but it gets dusted regularly.

Thanks for your reply…. You all convinced me

 

[rcsverige]

77°C is totally okay. Those CPUs will run up to 82°C without throttling without issues. What you could do, if you still want to reduce temps, is make the cooler curve more aggressive. But I wouldn't jump into repasting immediately.

Thank you for your insight. I was stressing lol

 

[rcsverige]

Decent paste will generally last @ 7-8 years before it starts chemically breaking down enough to start affecting temps. Dry-out pastes like AS5 will last indefinitely unless physically messed with by jarring, bumping or twisting etc which breaks the seal.
Nvidia and Amd don't use junk paste.

Thank you!

 

[rcsverige]

Do not try to fix a problem that you do not have.
It is normal for a gpu to target 80c for maximum performance.

GPU paste should not ever need to be replaced.

You can always damage a gpu by disassembling it; not worth the risk.

Thank you! Decided that I was overthinking thanks to you all 😊

 

[TheSorrow55]

from my experience thermal paste will dry within 1-3 years but u have check speed fans first if over 50% u have to replace it and since ur 77c that is not safe bro dont believe who said is fine . u have to replace it and i commended best thermal paste + cheap "MTG10" on aliepress and if u have any others brands its ok but should be around 12.5 W or above

 

[Karadjgne]

The 'paste' itself is actually an insulator, it's the silicates and other additives inside the 'paste' that actually do the job of transferring the heat. It's why the Diamond pastes work well etc. It's also why Arctic Silver 5 works, whether wet or dried out, the 'paste' is irrelevant, it's only a medium to contain the stuff that does work.

The issue with dried out pastes is once you break the seal, they don't reattach like wet pastes do, and it only takes a small bump, vibrations from a fan etc to break that seal.

 

[KyaraM]

from my experience thermal paste will dry within 1-3 years but u have check speed fans first if over 50% u have to replace it and since ur 77c that is not safe bro dont believe who said is fine . u have to replace it and i commended best thermal paste + cheap "MTG10" on aliepress and if u have any others brands its ok but should be around 12.5 W or above

Considering I have CPUs and GPUs running at those temps for over 6 years in desktop PCs, you are the one talking nonsense here about it not being safe. There is no need to replace anything, especially not after a single year.

 

[rcsverige]

Considering I have CPUs running at those temps for over 6 years in desktop PCs, you are the one talking nonsense here about it not being safe. There is no need to replace anything, especially not after a single year.

Honestly, today I just decided to change the paste because even though I was sure that there wasnt an issue, I still wanted to change it. I am actually glad that I did because the factory paste was horribly applied. I have seen a reduction of 8-10c after changing it. But you are right, those temperatures are not unordinary and I would have been completely fine.

 

[Karadjgne]

What replacement paste did you use? Gpus use direct die, it's a glassy smooth surface not like the rougher surface of a cpu IHS. Some pastes like Noctua work excellent on an IHS, but can have issues with direct die and will squish out the sides with heat and pressure.

The 'stickier', gummier pastes like Arctic MX-4 or Thermal Grizzly are far superior in that aspect, once applied, they stay stuck. Also concerning gpus, should really use a spatula or credit card type application to guarantee every single bit of the silicon is covered, the 'pea' method doesn't work well as there's no guarantee you used enough or got enough spread to cover the entire surface of the die.