Solved Is it time for new CPU paste?

[logo897]

Hi all,

I always have been working on my grandma's pc which is now 6 years old, but there's a concern I have. She bought it in 2011 and it's getting up there in age. I have already replaced the hard drive for her 1 time and re-installed windows 7.

I notice now that her CPU is getting a bit hot, as I've never pasted it before since it's been applied by the factory.

Her pc model is a dell inspiron 580 with a core i3 550 cpu. 4 gigs of ram and a 1tb hard drive. Windows 7 home premium.

The temps are ranging from 30-50c when in use, and at a full 70 degrees Celsius when at 100% usage with a stress test using cpu-z.

Is it time I apply new thermal paste for her PC? I just did on my PC with the help of another thread on here, and I notice a difference with my temps.

By the way, her CPU max for her PC is around 72 degrees Celsius. I believe the clarkdale CPU's like her cannot have as high of a temp as these newer cpu's.

Thanks

 

[Layback Bear]

A i7-680 do run a little hotter that others.

Because of the time it's been in use, some new thermal paste is a good idea in my opinion. It would also give you a chance to make sure the heat sink and fans are nice and clean and operating properly.

Jack

 

[logo897]

A i7-680 do run a little hotter that others.

Because of the time it's been in use, some new thermal paste is a good idea in my opinion. It would also give you a chance to make sure the heat sink and fans are nice and clean and operating properly.

Jack

Thank you, Jack. That's a good idea considering I haven't opened it up since I replaced the hard drive in 2015.

 

[Mellon Head]

I agree with Jack. New thermal paste and a good internal cleaning are just what the doctor ordered.

And DON'T USE A VACUUM to clean the dust out of the computer. Use compressed air to blow it out.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I agree with Jack. New thermal paste and a good internal cleaning are just what the doctor ordered.

And DON'T USE A VACUUM to clean the dust out of the computer. Use compressed air to blow it out.

X2 on not using a vacuum.

 

[logo897]

Gotcha, I happen to have 2 cans of compressed air

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I use a shop vac all the time it does not have any metal on it's hose or it's attachments and works well
It also sucks or blows but I do prefer suction it is less messy

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Hi,
I use a shop vac all the time it does not have any metal on it's hose or it's attachments and works well
It also sucks or blows but I do prefer suction it is less messy

Read these:

Should I vacuum my PC? — Ask PC Gamer | PC Gamer

Ask How-To Geek: Why You Should Never Vacuum Your PC, Converting Books for the Kindle, and Controlling Multiple Computers with One Keyboard

There is a fair amount of controversy over this, mostly because one isn't guaranteed to cause ESD with a vacuum cleaner every time it's used so many people get away with it. I feel why take a chance? Btw, static electricity can build up on plastic.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yep well to each his/ her own opinion but since adding real filters the inside is fairly spotless
Only have to vac the front filter and bottom filter and I'm done

I believe it's a no brainer not to get the tip too close to anything

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Hi,
Yep well to each his/ her own opinion but since adding real filters the inside is fairly spotless
Only have to vac the front filter and bottom filter and I'm done

I believe it's a no brainer not to get the tip too close to anything

Nothing wrong with vacuuming the filters since that is from the outside; heck, I also do that between cleanings. It may be a no brainer for us to not to get too close with the tip, including when using a compressor or high powered blower, but most people do not realize that.

Where I'm at (I live in a desert), a lot of really fine dust gets through the filters but there is no question that filters stops the worst of the dust.

 

[logo897]

Okay, I have just applied new thermal paste, cleaned the dust, and now the PC is booted back up.


Her PC is now ranging from 20-30 degrees celsius, and it goes up to around 60 degrees Celsius under 100% full load for several minutes. I don't have to worry about that, though, as she only browses on Facebook and her CPU usage is never full for several minutes straight. I'm blown away by the positive results. It's even colder compared to my PC! But still, I put more paste on hers compared to mine. I wonder if I should redo mine :/

 

[logo897]

Thank you all very much!

 

[logo897]

Heres a pic

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Be aware you can put too much paste between a CPU and a cooler and, not only will it not cool as well, it can cause damage to the CPU and the motherboard if the paste squeezes past the IFS (the top of the CPU). See: How-to apply thermal compound - YouTube

 

[logo897]

Be aware you can put too much paste between a CPU and a cooler and, not only will it not cool as well, it can cause damage to the CPU and the motherboard if the paste squeezes past the IFS (the top of the CPU). See: How-to apply thermal compound - YouTube

Hi,

I understand. I made sure to smooth out the paste on the cpu and then I put very little on the heatsink, while on mine I didn't put any on the heatsink at all. I'm going to look over mine again with a bit caution and see if I can add more without adding too much, thank you for letting me know

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Hi,

I understand. I made sure to smooth out the paste on the cpu and then I put very little on the heatsink, while on mine I didn't put any on the heatsink at all. I'm going to look over mine again with a bit caution and see if I can add more without adding too much, thank you for letting me know

I would only put a dot onto the CPU and let the cooler spread it out when you cinch it down. Spreading it out first sets up the likelihood of trapping air bubbles that will interfere with heat transfer.

I would also put paste on the cooler only if it had heat pipes on it. I would spread it thin, then scrape off all but the paste that gets into the cracks between the base of the cooler and the heat pipes. Then put a dot on the CPU and cinch down the cooler.

Keep in mind the CPU chip is actually smaller than the IHS (cover) on the CPU so it isn't necessary for the paste to cover every bit of the cover. A round circle that comes close to the edges of the IHS when you cinch down the cooler is all you need.

 

[logo897]

There's no paste going over onto the Mobo though
Also the dot method is one of the ways. I've seen ways done where you put a small line down through the middle of the CPU. That's how I did it.