Thermal paste plays a very important role in cooling two key components in every PC, the CPU and the GPU. It is a material that acts as a contact between both components and their cooling systems, accelerates heat transfer and prevents imperfections and irregularities in the packaging and heat sink from being a problem.

Without the thermal paste, it would not be possible to achieve good heat transfer, which would eventually become a very serious problem because eventually it would accumulate in the CPU and in the GPU. We must also take into account that this is a material with a limited life, that is, it deteriorates over time, it loses its properties and eventually becomes useless junk. When this happens, temperatures skyrocket and if we don’t change it, we risk damaging our components.

Replacing the thermal paste is one of the maintenance more important which we have to do from time to time. It doesn’t have to be every six months or even every year, in fact there are thermal pastes that will maintain a good level for three, four or even five years, but it is advisable to take regular temperature measurements to identify minor problems of excessive temperature because will be a clear indicator that we need to replace the thermal paste.

When it comes time to make this change, another question arises, how should we apply the thermal paste? In my case, I always resort to the system put a pea-sized ball in the centerbecause the pressure exerted by the base of the dispersion system crushes said sphere and optimally spread across the IHS. It’s also easier to clean up if I have to make any changes later.

There are people who prefer to apply it in the shape of an “X” or a cross because they believe that this way it is applied in a more homogeneous way, but the truth is that in the end the result is the same in terms of cooling. and with these methods it is easier to make the mistake of applying too much thermal paste.

It is important when applying heat-conducting paste be careful not to overdo it, and also not to come short. If we apply a lot of thermal paste, it can spill and coat the drawer and motherboard, it’s nothing serious if the thermal paste we use is non-conductive, but cleaning this “mess” will not be easy or pleasant. On the other hand, if we drop, temperatures can be higher than they should be, and that can cause problems in some cases.

In my case, I remain faithful to the classic system of the ball in the center, And you, how do you apply thermal paste? Read in the comments.