How much paste on cpu

Also because the thermal pastes available in the market years ago were packaged in tubs instead of tubes , so getting a chunk at a time is common.

The concept of using the thin spread technique is that this supposedly ensures maximum contact between the heatsink and cold plate. The layer in between these surfaces is thin enough for them to stick, but because of this, it could even cause air pockets.

Another advantage of the spread method is that you can be sure that the corners of your heatsink will be covered nicely without spilling to the edges. Note that liquid-like thermal paste is very hard to spread evenly, so this may not work for low-viscosity pastes. This is also true for pastes that are on the thick side, since its texture would make it impossible to spread thinly.

What makes this technique a good choice is that because you're spreading it so thin, you're only using minimal amounts of paste. If you're using the expensive brands, this application method can be budget-friendly.

Many people recommend sticking with the pea-sized dot when applying thermal paste. It is straightforward and it works. Here's how you can do this:. Another benefit to this pea-sized method is that the layer will always have less air pockets than other techniques.

The downside though is that the corners may not get enough coverage. If the surface has gaps on the edges instead of the middle, then this would be a huge issue. If not, then it's your lucky day and you can carry on. The reason why many people swear by the pea-sized dot method is because it is an easy method to replicate should you need to do the application again.

As you may have guessed, applying too much thermal paste can be a sticky situation, regardless of using a liquidy or thick paste. Note that applying too little thermal paste always trumps applying too much. Imagine doing all the steps and finding out that you were unable to cover everything due to the lack of paste.

You just need to clean out the old paste, then get back from the start. However, if you put too much thermal paste and then have to redo everything, you'd find that it isn't easy to clean out super-thick thermal paste from the surface.

And if the paste has spilled a little over the motherboard or other components, then this could cause irreversible damage. If you were able to prevent spillage and just add a chunk of thermal paste between the two surfaces, you'll discover soon enough that thick paste could prevent the surfaces from connecting, and in turn, preventing heat transfer and possible overheating. Don't be too scared about learning how to troubleshoot your own computer, especially if the problem is as simple as reapplying thermal paste onto your CPU.

Save Saved Removed 0. Related Articles. Added to wishlist Removed from wishlist 0. We will be happy to hear your thoughts. When it comes to applying thermal paste, less is more: a small, pea-sized drop is all you need. Thermal paste also known as thermal grease, thermal interface material, or thermal gel is the semi-fluid compound you apply to the metal housing of the CPU to allow efficient heat transfer to the cooler mounted directly above it.

Before we get started: thermal paste is applied to the top of the CPU, not the bottom. It should applied to the smooth metal plate where the manufacturer and model information is printed , not to to the hundreds of squares or pins on the underside. Worried about what kind of thermal paste to use? If you apply too little paste and your CPU runs too hot resulting in computer crashes, you can always clean it off and reapply, but cleaning paste out of the socket itself is much more problematic.

Once you have the paste applied as above, simply set the cooler on top and screw it into place on the motherboard with its included mounting hardware. Image credit: Intel. Browse All iPhone Articles Browse All Mac Articles Do I need one? Browse All Android Articles Browse All Smart Home Articles Customize the Taskbar in Windows Browse All Microsoft Office Articles What Is svchost.

Browse All Privacy and Security Articles A quick wipe with a non-linting towel and some isopropyl alcohol will do the trick. Squeeze out a small amount of thermal paste onto the center of the CPU. You only need a small dot a few millimeters in diameter. No larger than a small grain of rice. Before installing your cooler make sure all required hardware is in place.

Ideally, applying the thermal paste will be the last step before mounting your heatsink.