A-How-To: Reapplying Thermal Paste to CPU/Heatsink...

Today’s processors are running quite hot. Advancements are being made to make them run cooler at higher speeds, but the importance of a high quality heat sink and fan cannot be overstated. PCs that are not properly cooled can be quite unstable, or at its worse, it may not even boot properly.

 

A heatsink and fan are typically used in keeping your CPU cool. A compound is used to seal the gap between the heat sink and the top of the processor. Sometimes, over time the compound may need to be re-applied.

General Steps
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1. Follow your system manual in order to carefully remove the heatsink and fan.
2. Clean the top of the processor. Using a lint-free cloth and isopropyl alcohol (or some other non-abrasive cleaning solution), ensure that the surface of the processor is clean and free of dust and finger oil. Do the same to the bottom of the heat sink.
3. Apply the heat sink compound over the entire top surface of the processor. It is a good idea to use good quality compound. Arctic Silver is a very popular choice. Be careful not to get compound on any motherboard electronics. Apply only a very small portion to the processor. Only a very thin layer is required. The compound must be spread out evenly across the top of the chip, forming that very thin layer. When spreading the heat sink compound, do not use your finger.
4. Follow your system instructions for re-attaching the heat sink. and securing the heat sink.
5. No compound should have oozed out from the sides. If it did then you applied too much and need to remove the heatsink fan, clean both the heatsink and CPU and start over.

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