The main principle of thermal paste is, to improve the heat transfer rate from your CPU to the heatsink. Basically, it helps to keep your CPU core’s temperature cool and prevent overheating issues. Now from this, you may think that applying more thermal paste will increase the rate.
However, applying too much thermal paste won’t increase the heat transfer rate. And sometimes it can be bad. So, to find out whether using too much thermal paste is good or a curse, be with us till the end.
Let’s begin then!
Does Using Too Much Thermal Paste Harm Your PC?
According to the expert, a pea-sized amount of thermal paste should be provided on the CPU. But if you use more than this or provide a big blob of thermal paste on your small-sized CPU, then it may harm your PC. Now you may ask how so?
The reason is when you are using more thermal paste on your CPU, it will spill out from the edges of the CPU whenever you will place the cooler unit on it. After that, it will reach the CPU socket and will dry out there.
For this reason, the thermal paste will start to transfer the heat of the CPU to the motherboard socket and you will have overheating issue on your PC. And it’s known to all that overheating can creates a lot of issues and may it damage the PC components as well.
Is Too Much Thermal Paste Can Damage Entire PC Components?
Basically, if the thermal paste has electrical conductivity, then using too much can cause a short circuit issue. Now, the question is, does thermal paste has electric conductivity?
Based on the material, there you will find four types of thermal paste available, including Silicon, Ceramic, Metal, and Carbon-based. Among these four thermal pastes, without Metal, the rest of them don’t have electric conductivity.
The metal thermal paste has the best heat transfer rate and people often choose this over other thermal paste. Now, if you are one of them and willing to apply more thermal paste then be prepared to buy a completely new setup.
When the metal paste will spill out, it will contact with the motherboard. And as a result, there will be a short circuit. And having a short circuit on your motherboard means, the entire system will damage.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers – FAQs
Does a medium blob of thermal paste have a better heat transfer rate?
Compared to a pea-sized blob, a medium blob can have a better transfer rate. One of the users tested it and found that a medium blob reduces more temperatures than a pea-sized blob sized.
Is 1g of thermal paste too much?
Basically, it will depend on the CPU size. If you have a smaller CPU then it’s too much but if you have a larger one then 1g of thermal paste isn’t that much.
Is watery thermal paste bad?
Actually, no. The watery thermal paste must be avoided. Because when you will apply it to your CPU, it will spill out and can damage your CPU socket pin and the motherboard as well.
How much thermal paste works best on a 30mm by 30mm CPU?
For a 30mm by 30mm CPU, compared to 0.1 and 0.3ml, 0.2ml thermal will work best. According to a test, the lowest temperature was achieved by 0.2ml thermal paste.
Conclusion
To sum up, using an excessive amount of thermal paste isn’t a good practice. Always try to follow the rule of thumb and use the actual amount of thermal paste. Especially, when you are using metal thermal paste, always avoid using it too much! Be aware and keep your PC safe.
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