Showerthought: I thought the whole 'thermal paste spread' debate was just forum noise until I saw a 15 degree drop on a stubborn Ryzen chip. | Computer Technicians - Opinions Matter
Showerthought: I thought the whole 'thermal paste spread' debate was just forum noise until I saw a 15 degree drop on a stubborn Ryzen chip.
I used a pea-sized dot for years, but after a client's PC kept overheating, I tried the thin spread method with a credit card. Has anyone else found a specific method that actually made a real difference on a hot system?
Wait, spreading it cold? That sounds like a terrible idea. The paste is meant to be soft and easy to spread from the heat of the CPU when you first turn it on. Doing it cold seems like it would just create air pockets. Scott.william's X pattern idea is way more reliable in my book. You just put a line across the middle in both directions and let the cooler pressure do the work. Spreading it yourself, especially cold, is just asking for trouble and bad temps.