How to Apply Thermal Paste: 5 step by step Guide

Have you come across the term thermal paste? Have you wondered how applying thermal paste can change your CPU’s performance? Find out how to use the thermal paste in 5 easy steps in this article.

If you think that thermal paste is a trick to cost you money, you are wrong. On the contrary, it can pretty much improve your CPU’s performance. And as all the parts of your CPU are not perfect, the thermal paste will ensure your investment in the CPU runs well for a long time.

When the CPU and the heatsink are attached, they still have some space left for air bubbles to pass through. That is why thermal paste will ensure that these air bubbles are not hampering your CPU’s performance anymore.

What is Thermal Paste?

Thermal paste is nothing but a conductor. If we apply them between the CPU and the heatsink, it can conduct heat more effectively from one of these metals. It is the only function of thermal paste. But, this paste fixes up all the lagging issues your CPU has been facing so far with this one simple function.

If you have invested enough money behind your CPU to ensure good performance, and if it lags just because of some trivial air bubbles, it would be a waste. Now, invest a little more behind thermal paste and apply it on your CPU to have a guaranteed good performance lifetime.

Here, we have mentioned five step-by-step guides for you to learn how to apply thermal paste easily in 2021.

STEP 1: Cleaning the heatsink and the CPU

Before applying the thermal paste, you must clean the heatsink and the CPU. You can use a microfiber cloth, or a cotton ball, and a little bit of alcohol for this purpose. Now, pour some isopropyl alcohol on the cotton ball or the cloth. After that, clean the surface of the CPU and the heatsink.

Ensure there is no alcohol left inside the CPU or the heatsink because that will cause an opposite reaction. So instead, just apply it on the surface so that you can wipe off all the dust.

STEP 2: Using sandpaper to sand the surface

After you clean the surface, your next job is to ensure that the surfaces are flat. If the surfaces are not balanced, you won’t be able to put thermal paste appropriately there. For example, it might look to you that the surface of the CPU and heatsink are flat, but they don’t have the ideal flat shape.

So, you have to apply sandpaper to the surface and sand it. Don’t bother using sand on the sides. Just stick to the surface because that is where you will be applying the thermal paste. Once it has enough sand to flatten the surface, you can use a small brush to wipe off the dirt and dust.

STEP 3: Applying the paste

Now, when you have flattened the surface, it’s time for you to apply the paste. If you think you have to fill the CPU and the heatsink with thermal paste, that’s not how it is done. You don’t want your CPU to have an overflow of thermal paste, but you just need enough so that the CPU and the heatsink stick together.

You need a minimal amount of paste here. When you take the thermal paste to apply, make sure it looks nothing more significant than the size of half of a pea. Now, leave it between the CPU and the heatsink as a tiny dot, and your work will be done.

STEP 4: Attaching the metals

If you have pasted the thermal paste on the heatsink, then put the CPU on top of it and vice versa. Whatever you do, just make sure you put the paste on top of one metal and lower it slowly.

This process is necessary to make sure the paste is evenly distributed on the metal. In addition, it will keep the pressure equal between the two metals. If you can see a thin layer of paste over the whole CPU or the heatsink, that means you have done your job perfectly.

STEP 5: Letting it rest

Now, you simply need to rest the components. Let the paste dry before you start re-assembling your CPU. Don’t try to move the CPU or the heatsink from their positions. Even if they don’t look quite right to you, don’t try to adjust their placements because that will ruin everything you have done so far.

The paste is still wet, so if you try to move the metals now, it might pour down on the motherboard or on other parts of the CPU. So, let it rest for a few minutes before you start reassembling it.

Conclusion on How to Apply Thermal Paste: 5 step by step Guide in 2021

These steps are straightforward for even a layperson to apply. Still, if you think you will mess up the amount, give it to a professional because we want your CPU’s performance to increase. Because, if you let the thermal paste overflow, it will damage other parts of your CPU, and that will simply ruin all the effort and money you have spent behind it so far.

Author Bio:

Hanna Flores is a passionate blogger. She loves to share her thoughts, ideas, and experiences with the world through blogging. Hanna Flores is associated with Techrab, World News Inn & Exclusive Rights, WorthyToShare.