Thermal paste touched twice cup cooler. Redo?

[visioner124f]

Hi guys!

So I changed cpu cooler today. Put thermal paste. But in the process I could not align the cooler with the screws fluidly on the first attempt. So I lifted the cooler again a bit after placing the thermal paste. Then the cooler was in place and I screwed it.

Is it ok or should I repeat the process?
In case I need to repeat, can I use the thermal paste I opened yesterday? It is a tub provided with the cooler.

i7 7700k
bequiet slim shadow rock

Ty very much.

 

[aquielisunari]

Hi guys!

So I changed cpu cooler today. Put thermal paste. But in the process I could not align the cooler with the screws fluidly on the first attempt. So I lifted the cooler again a bit after placing the thermal paste. Then the cooler was in place and I screwed it.

Is it ok or should I repeat the process?
In case I need to repeat, can I use the thermal paste I opened yesterday? It is a tub provided with the cooler.

i7 7700k
bequiet slim shadow rock

Ty very much.

Lifting can make bubles which can lead to hot spot. Should it not be aligned perfectly twsting and sliding is much preferred.

You should clean and reapply.

Tub? A TUB of thermal compound 😀. Haven't hear that before. Yes, you should clean off the old paste and reapply again with some of the paste/compound.

Compound sent with coolers(or purchased separately(Arctic silver 5?)) usually are enough for no less than a dozen and usually a lot more applications.

 

[JamesSneed]

A trick I like to use if its a new cooler mount, is to mount it with no thermal paste and start all the screws a turn just to see how it will fit. Then take it off apply paste and install. Usually makes it easier to eyeball placement etc once you see how the mount works. Thermal paste is cheap when in doubt just reapply it.

 

[Eximo]

Test your temperatures first. It is likely fine.

As long as you don't expose the thermal compound to air for a long period it should remain good for a few years.

That all depends on the amount they provide. You can buy varying amounts of thermal compound. Some very small syringes of paste usually only have enough for two, perhaps three, applications. I wouldn't rely on thermal compound that comes in non-resealable packaging.

Arctic Silver 5 was a decent thermal compound about ten years ago. Now there are many better compounds that are far cheaper. (They also aren't using their original silver bearing compound)

Arctic MX-4 (no relation to Arctic Silver) is a common recommendation. Gelid, Thermal Grizzly, Noctua, Phanteks, Swiftech, and a few others are just as good as AS5. Often you get more compound for the money or the same amount for a lot less.

 

[InvalidError]

As long as you don't expose the thermal compound to air for a long period it should remain good for a few years.

Exposure isn't a problem as the silicone oil is chemically very stable, same thing most thermal transfer media (carbon, diamond dust, zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, etc.) in conventional pastes. The problems with air introduced in paste are the increased thermal resistance of air pockets and air pushing paste out as it expands with heat, slowly displacing the paste and expanding the bubbles.

When applied correctly, even cheap pastes last indefinitely or at least until you knock the heatsink hard enough to break the "vacuum bond" that forms between the heatsink and whatever it is attached to over time.

 

[Eximo]

I was referring to it sitting around, not really the air bubbles problem, which certainly exists. But I think it takes a lot of effort to get an air pocket big enough to be a problem. Better safe than sorry as others have stated.

I agree that it is quite stable, but exposed directly to air the compounds tend to 'dry' out. I'm not entirely sure of the chemical/physical properties, but I can guess it is something to do with absorbing and expelling water vapor during temperature changes. This might just serve to redistribute particles such that the oil drops down and the raw particles are sitting on top and form a crusty layer. There could also potentially be solvents in there capable of evaporation.

Might just be a matter of stirring it back up, but then you are back to air bubbles. Perhaps placing it under vacuum would help after stirring.

 

[InvalidError]

I agree that it is quite stable, but exposed directly to air the compounds tend to 'dry' out.

A typical thermal paste is only silicone oil and metal oxide or whatever other heat transfer media particles, there is nothing to dry out. The reason they "dry out" is because particles pack tighter over time as thermal cycles grind them against each other and that drives more of the excess oil necessary for easier handling out of it. The oil is still there, only partially displaced out of its solid components.

If you put solvents in thermal paste and don't make them gas off before putting the heatsink on, solvent vapors would form bubbles between the IHS/die and heatsink, which would be detrimental to cooling performance. Sounds like that would cause more problems than it can solve.