Mistakes in Thermal Paste Application

Thermal paste is a creamy or liquid substance used to fill the microscopic gaps between two metal surfaces. This helps boost heat transfer from a hot CPU to a cooler, and reduces the chance of overheating that can damage electronic components and lead to permanent failure.

Most modern pastes use a mix of ceramic materials and metallic oxides, often with a silicone binder. Aluminum oxide, in particular, is a common component since it doesn’t conduct electricity well but still offers a decent amount of thermal transfer. Some of the more exotic pastes also feature suspended particles of metal, such as silver (used in Arctic Silver 5), which offer even better thermal conductivity.

The precise formulation varies, though, and some types have what’s known as cure time, which is how long it takes for the suspended particles to flow into those microscopic gaps and achieve peak performance. Regardless of the precise chemical composition, most standard pastes are designed to improve heat transfer between a CPU’s die and its heatspreader, reducing the risk of overheating that can lead to permanent failure.

In most cases, the only way to really mess up your application of thermal paste is by using too much or by applying it unevenly. Ideally, you want a single rice grain-sized dot of paste on the center of the CPU, with four smaller dots (2mm) a couple millimeters in from each corner. It’s important to remember that using too much can actually create more problems than it solves, as excess paste will likely squeeze out and spread to nearby exposed components and potentially short them out.Thermal paste application