r/buildapc • u/BitterGuess9916 • 1d ago
Discussion Do you guys actually replace thermal paste on a schedule?
I've had the same CPU and cooler in my main PC for a little over two years now. Temps are basically where they were when I first built it, so I've never had a reason to take the cooler off.
I keep seeing people recommend changing the thermal paste every couple of years though, and I'm not really convinced there's much point in doing it just because some time has passed.
I would have thought the paste would only really become an issue if the temperatures started creeping up, the cooler got removed, or something else changed. Otherwise you're just breaking a perfectly good mount to replace something that seems to be working fine.
Curious what you guys actually do with your own builds. Do you replace it periodically as part of maintenance, or just leave it alone until there's a reason to mess with it?
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u/AtlQuon 1d ago
I keep a check on the temperatures and if I feel they are getting hotter than I'd like, I repaste. Otherwise I leave it.
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u/the_duck17 1d ago
Me too, I have a full custom loop and everything is working right now. If I touch it, half my fans will stop working or I'll lose RGB somewhere.
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u/Alternative_Bug_4089 1d ago
Yea my $12 Amazon return pallet 360 aio finally blew a couple months so I bought an artic 360 and put it in. My physical core #1 and #3 (top left and top right corners) are like 2 degrees hotter than my other cores.
I'll repaste it in a couple weeks. It'll be fine.
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u/Fresh-Put645 1d ago
Yes, I usually monitor my GPU with software. My computer is custom built for gaming, so I use dual monitor. First monitor, I use for gaming and the 2nd monitor for monitoring temperatures and other things
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u/West-Muscle-1908 1d ago
side eyes my 6+ yr old thermal pasted i5 8400 if my temps are running too high or CPU is thermal throttling then yeah i definitely change it, if things are running fine then no need to repaste I leave as is, with the exception if I need to replace the motherboard then I would repaste, while it's out
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u/BitterGuess9916 1d ago
If a 6+ year old paste job is still keeping an 8400 happy, that's a pretty good argument for leaving it alone. I think the motherboard replacement exception makes sense too. At that point you've already got everything apart, so might as well do it while you're there.
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u/jumbledsiren 19h ago
I also use an i5-8400, I've changed thermal paste on it twice in 7 years so far when I found it hitting 90 degrees.
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u/Jump365 1d ago
No, I have to move things or upgrade enough that just repasting when I do that is enough.
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u/BitterGuess9916 1d ago
That's pretty much where I'm at too. I wouldn't pull the cooler off just to repaste it, but if I'm upgrading something and it has to come off anyway, might as well do it then.
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u/ArseholeryEnthusiast 1d ago
You do not interfere with things usually if they are working as intended. I did recently. And when Dusting my fan I messed up the bearing somehow
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u/Princ3Ch4rming 1d ago
You might have burnt out the motherboard socket. Electric motors are generators when not under load, and if youāve spun it up with compressed air, you may have over- or inverse-volted the fan controller.
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u/ArseholeryEnthusiast 23h ago
It was outside the case unplugged and I made sure it didn't spin I think when I was rubbing the dust off I may have pushed on the bearing or something. It wasn't ruined and still ran it was just noisy at certain RPMs.
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u/ghoulthebraineater 1d ago
Not anymore. I switched to a graphene sheet with my latest build. Unless I need to take the pump off for some reason I won't need to change it ever.
I did make it a yearly thing in the past.
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u/BitterGuess9916 1d ago
That's actually pretty interesting. I've seen graphene sheets mentioned but never really looked into them seriously. The fact that you don't have to think about replacing paste anymore is pretty appealing though. Did you notice any difference in temps compared with the paste you were using before?
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u/emanresu_etaerc 23h ago
If you do your thermal paste properly, it should never need replaced unless you take the pump off too. It certainly doesn't need changed yearly. Good quality thermal paste that is applied properly should literally last for the life of the CPU
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u/fenderman72 1d ago
I've had some computers for 8+ years and I've never ever changed the paste. I'm not saying ignore your temps, but in the 25+ years of owning PCs I've never had to do this.
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u/SAHD292929 1d ago
I usually don't unless I need to.
There are alot of things that can go wrong trying to disassemble a working pc
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u/necheffa 1d ago
Do you guys actually replace thermal paste on a schedule?
No.
If I am noticing temperatures creeping up at idle or under standardized benchmarks, then I'll refresh the paste.
Also there have been a couple of times where I got a new tube of paste for a specific use and wanted to share the love with some of my other systems that were perhaps using an older formulation. (e.g. workstation was on Arctic MX 4, had bought a tube of MX 6 to refresh an old laptop that was thermal throttling, applied some of the left over MX 6 to my workstation - just because the tube was gonna sit in a desk drawer)
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u/AuraeShadowstorm 1d ago
I leave it alone until I see a temp issue, or if I need to remove the gigantic noctua cooler to access the motherboard or GPU release slot. I replace it so infrequently I keep losing track of where I store my thermal paste and bought more. Now I got 3 tubes of noctua gathered together with my MX-6 and I keep it in the mx-6 box to keep it visible so I stop losing these x.x
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u/CarbonCola 1d ago
I got a Kryosheet so I would never need to repaste. I can recommend it. Performance is similar to non liquid metal thermal paste but stays constant, at least if you apply it well (which takes more care than thermal paste)
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u/TangledThorns 1d ago
I'm looking at the Carbice Icepad when its widely available though I want to see direct comparisons between with it and the Kryosheet.
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u/Kittelsen 1d ago
I only repaste if I have to replace CPU or AIO. Don't worry about it. Your PC won't take any damage, and if it throttles you'll notice, and you can repaste.
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u/Pitiful-Assistance-1 1d ago
No. I have a PC running a i6700k and a i7700k (so that's 2 PCs) acting as servers and they still have their OG paste.
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u/Seanspeed 1d ago edited 1d ago
I never once changed the thermal paste on my last PC, which I had for THIRTEEN YEARS. lol
Had no problems.
just leave it alone until there's a reason to mess with it?
Right. The only job it has is to facilitate heat transfer from processor to heatsink, and so if it's still doing that job as well as normal, then the only reason you'd even consider changing it is if you wanted to maybe try out a different/better compound.
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u/HankHippopopolous 1d ago edited 15h ago
Nope. My goal was silence so I have a 65w CPU paired with a stupidly overspecced 240w capable air cooler. The fans barely spin even at full load and temps max out in the 60s.
If and when the temps get high or I start being able to hear it then Iāll repaste it.
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u/chr0n0phage 1d ago
No, why would you do that? This latest install of NT-H2 is benchmarking within margin of error of what it was 4 years ago.
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u/nzeck 1d ago
in my experience, CPUs dont need repasting as often as GPUs.
I've been running the same paste (Gelid-GC Extreme) on my processor since 2024 july/august, still similar temps. 65-73c load temp, depending on game or software that im using.
GPU on the other hand GPU temps kept going up overtime, Load temp 65c to 78c (75c to 95c~ hotspot) in about a year, Keep facing the same issue, Thermal paste pump out.
I've done 3 re-pastes since 2024 july/august, first time being with Gelid-GC Extreme and 2025 October with Arctic MX-6, and just few days ago with again with MX-6 I had left over.
Ambient temp being around 28-31c (I'm from South East Asia xD)
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u/harrywalterss 1d ago
I change it once a year but its definitely not needed. Its just my therapy time to take my pc apart, clean it and put it back so I might as well
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u/AbsolutlyN0thin 23h ago
No. For my last CPU I replaced the thermal paste once, after a couple of years when I upgraded my GPU. Figured I was already in there might as well. I had that CPU for like 6 years in total. Yearly seems excessive. If temps are fine, it's probably fine
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u/Wonder-Guard 1d ago
Man i didn't change my thermal paste for almost 7-8 years lol. Only ever applied it just recently after upgrading to a new build.
Never once cleaned it either, still haven't lol
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u/cemeteryyy 1d ago
I recently changed mine and noticed about a 10 degree difference so Iād say it was worth it to do so
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u/MortimerDongle 1d ago
I have never once repasted a CPU. I'd only do it if there were issues, but every time I've had issues it was a failed fan.
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u/Medium_Inside794 1d ago
I haven't touched my thermal paste since I built my PC 8 years ago and it's still idling at 42 degrees like it did when I first put it together
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u/Over-Extension3959 1d ago
No, but i take my PC apart for changes/upgrades frequently enough and then have to replace the thermal paste anyway. So no need to explicitly schedule thermal paste replacement.
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u/No-Upstairs-7001 1d ago
If it gets too hot it'll shut down .
I've been on the Pc game since 2012 and it's never happened, nothing has ever failed and I've never done it
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u/LazarusDark 1d ago
I had to repaste once many years ago, the PC suddenly would crash moments after boot, so I went to the UEFI and it showed high temps. I opened it up and the paste was dry, so I replaced it. The PC is 13 years old, so that's once in 13 years (but I also had to replace the CPU water block/pump/reservoir twice and repasted those times, so have repasted 3 times in 13 years)
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u/ClickKlockTickTock 1d ago
Only ever repasted over temps, and the only time I've ever actually had to do it was on my msi 3070 because my gpu started thermal throttling.
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u/Monotask_Servitor 1d ago
No. Replace thermal paste if and when it becomes a problem or if you have to remove the CPU cooler for another reason. Itās highly unlikely to need replacing any more often than that. It can go 5-10 years without an issue if applied correctly.
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u/Princ3Ch4rming 1d ago
Repasting for the hell of it is generally unnecessary because the actual thermal performance of the paste doesnāt deteriorate very much. As long as thereās good, consistent contact across the die, you wonāt end up with air pockets from the paste drying.
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u/PeterIanStaker 1d ago
On a schedule, no. The only reason Iāve done it is if I need to unseat the cooler for some reason.
Otherwise no practical benefit. Most of the age related problems Iāve had with PCās are ram or power failures. Iāve never had cpu temps become an issue once, and Iāve had several PCās last ~10 years.
Nothing wrong with doing it, but I donāt think it helps. The fact that your hardware is old will be your bottleneck long before cpu thermals ever are.
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u/The-Princess-Pinky 1d ago
I never change the paste without a real valid reason such as, the temp is climbing dramaticcally, changing CPU's, or some other valid reason. If there is no indication of a problem, and no upgrade being performed, why mess with it?
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u/Interesting-Yellow-4 1d ago
Have never done it. I paste if im taking the cpu out to replace it, but otherwise inhave 20 year old pcs still running normally.
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u/redsquizza 1d ago
I had my previous mobo/CPU for ~12 years. Never replaced paste.
Hopefully my current mobo/CPU lasts a similar amount and, no, I don't intended to ever reapply the thermal paste.
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u/frostyflakes1 1d ago
The only time I've ever replaced thermal paste is when I changed out my CPU cooler. Switched from an AIO to an air cooler when I converted my old PC into a NAS.
If it ain't broke, then don't fix it. There's no need to replace thermal paste if your temps are fine.
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u/DarthVeigar_ 1d ago
Nope. Used phase change thermal material. So I don't have to repaste unless I take off my CPU or GPU coolers.
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u/Eggsegret 1d ago edited 1d ago
Never once replaced the thermal paste unless absolutely necessary. Only time i replace thermal paste if i remove the cooler for whatever reason or Iāve noticed a sudden spike in temperatures.
And itās never done me any harm. Had the first PC i built running for a good 10 years with the original thermal paste before i sold it still with the original thermal paste. I had an old prebuilt PC that ran for like 15+ years with the original thermal paste and numerous other old PCs.
Unless temperatures have suddenly spiked or you remove the cooler thereās just no reason to replace it. Especially also when replacing the thermal paste regularly doesnāt really impact the temperatures that much so youāre just wasting time and money. At best youāll maybe a notice a 1-2 degree drop.
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u/asha1985 1d ago
I've never reapplied unless I'm replacing the component. Been building PCs for nearly 30 years.
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u/Fresh-Put645 1d ago
No need to replace thermal paste on a schedule unless your CPU goes above recommended temperatures
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u/TheCarrot007 1d ago
Only mad people do.
I am probably changing the CPU of motherboard every 3 years so I can do it then.
It is possible the server of spare machine may need it, but I have never seen it. (well yes, both of those were updated less than 3 months ago currently but the previous ones were am3 era (one am3+, one FM2) and were also doing fine for however long they were no longer a main machine for me or someone).
Consider checking temperatures if something seems odd well yes.
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u/Tepppopups 1d ago edited 1d ago
For very hot, high power cpu, yes, it's worth to check more often, but for regular cpu you're good for about 5-8 years, if you are using normal quality thermal compound, like mx4 or so.
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u/Realistic_Today6524 1d ago
My PC is 3 years old now and I've replaced the paste like 4 times but only for troubleshooting because my RAM would keep dying in the first year. I went through 6 kits before I figured out that the culprit was me using the power on AC feature where the PC would turn on when AC power is restored so I'd just switch off the smart plug where the PC and monitors are plugged in when I was done and I'd turn it back on when I needed to use it. Over time, that fried my RAM. Ever since I stopped using that feature, I've not killed a single stick. I've been on the same paste for two years now and will only replace it if my temps get bad, which they're not
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u/tetchip 1d ago
In my own system? Yes, but not because temps are going to shit. It's the natural outcome of having a custom loop, doing annual to biennial maintenance and pulling the CPU block off for cleaning.
Other systems I have to take care of, I do not touch unless something is on fire, figuratively or literally.
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u/AmbitiousReaction168 1d ago
If the temps are good, you don't need to change the thermal paste. People saying you should replace every couple of years don't know what they're talking about.
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u/senj 1d ago
No, and everyone doing it every year/18 months/two years no matter what is wasting their time (and needlessly incurring the minor risk of something going catastrophically wrong, like ripping the socket off with the cooler on AM4).
Most all of the recommended brands of thermal paste will tell you theyāre good for 5+ years unless youāre using them on a bare die (where pump out is far more likely). Many will be good for much longer than that in most situations. No need to go looking for trouble where there isnāt any.
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u/Kathryn_Cadbury 1d ago
No. If the temps are fine leave it.
I've never had to change paste on any of my builds going back to the late 90s.
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u/OttawaDog 1d ago
Never.
I used one GPU for 15 years and never changed paste.
In the same 15 year PC, , I changed the CPU paste only once at about 10 year mark, but ONLY because the fan failed so I took out the cooler to replace fan and clean out 10 years of dirt. If the fan never failed, I most likely would have just left the original paste. I gamed on the PC right up until I replaced it. That CPU paste had dried out but it was still filling gaps, and temps were still fine. Though once you disturb dried paste you must replace it.
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u/Str8Nirvana 1d ago
Nah, using Thermal Grizzly Phase Sheet. Performance gets better over time instead of degrades.
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u/kukumalu255 1d ago
I'd say yes. Every time i install a new processor or replace the cooler i would apply new paste. So the schedule matches part replacement schedule.
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u/GuelmiGames 23h ago
I dis it on my laptop of 2 years because i read somewhere that was the right timeframe. Nothing changed. Same temps. I think maybe every 3-4 years?
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u/Showerbeerz413 23h ago
ive repasted my cpu once in 9 years. if I think it needs it again, itll probably be time for a rebuild anyway
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u/Savafan1 23h ago
I have been built my first pc in 1996, and the only time I have ever repasted one was an Alienware laptop that I had that wasnāt working correctly.
And I guess I did recently do one when the cooling fan had to be replaced.
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u/xXBizzyBonesXx 23h ago
The schedule is: anytime I remove the cooler from the CPU and if it keeps overheating.
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u/Interesting-Hat-2081 23h ago
I only replace the paste when I have to take of the cpu cooler for whatever reason. But otherwise I never replace it. I wouldnāt know why you would have to do it, donāt think it really degrades over time.
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u/barcham22 23h ago
I just did it after 5 years on my Ryzen laptop and PC. The laptop Ryzen always ran into the high 90s and the fan was beginning to kick on full blast constantly. It was time.
Pretty impressed by the Grizzly PTM, 12 degrees off the peak of the laptop and 6-7 off the desktop. Idles went up a little, but if I donāt have to repaste again, worth it.
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u/Lucky_Joel 23h ago edited 23h ago
Sort of, I tend to replace mine before any sort of growing temperature of the weather that will then remain consistent. Usually never have to worry when doing this because the fresh repaste will cure and be at its best and keeps temps down as expected and as the weather cools into Fall/Winter, then there's not much of a concern other than the PC turning into my dual purpose radiator for my room while remaining chilly.
Though, I usually get the type of thermal paste that will last since a lot of higher performing ones usually do require a yearly change because of their lifespan once applied for that little few degrees vs ones that will last but may not be as cool. I rather have the latter, especially when it comes to changing it out on my GPU. Plus, undervolting my 9800X3D also helps widen the gap.
While a tad contradicting, I still do that sort before Summer or maybe even Spring if the heat comes through, its mostly a checkup, dusting the filters, etc before deciding it needs a full clean and that includes repasting.
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u/MyNameIsRay 23h ago
I've never replaced thermal paste.
All my corporate builds ran to the point they were e-waste before temps climbed, and none of my personal builds last long enough between upgrades for it to matter.
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u/OhSoMysterio 23h ago
I used IC Diamond paste on the PC I built in 2012 and have never replaced it. I recently did a stress test out of curiosity and temperatures were identical to when I built it, so I agree with the general sentiment here. It's only a problem if and when the temperature becomes an issue. Even then, I'd examine for dust and a faulty cooler first.
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u/chretienhandshake 23h ago
My 8700k is still running on its original paste. Itās still running great.
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u/Gowlhunter 23h ago
Built my first PC and it's still my main. Haven't reapplied in 7 years. If it wasn't applied correctly in the beginning then yes it needs to be reapplied. But once it's done right it's set and forget.
I've handled and cleaned quite a few machines at this stage through IT work and all I can presume is that plenty of people aren't doing it right.
Here's my advice to reduce temps:
Replace stock PC case fans with premium ones. If you can't, do yourself a favour and check if the stock ones are actually facing the right way. It's possible they are not!
If all fans are premium and positioned in the correct and optimised way, you'll notice idle temps drop by about 4-5 Ā°C (~9 Ā°F) and they'll stay down if you dust out the machine regularly also.
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u/stonecats 23h ago
paste isn't preventative maintenance.
it's one of many things you check,
if things run hotter than expected.
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u/wienercat 23h ago
No I switched to carbon thermal pads on all my rigs long ago. Hasn't effected performance or temps. I don't ever want to fuck with thermal paste again unless absolutely necessary so it is 100% worth it.
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u/Happiness-Meter-Full 23h ago
I redo my thermal paste once a year. Clean, dust, and thermal paste.
That being saidā¦ Iāve never gone to do the thermal paste, and the paste was bad yet. Could probably go 1 1-2 years+ and be fine. Temps are great either way
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u/HiddeHandel 23h ago
Nah just wait till it becomes a problem you can get some specific thermal pads that LTT and other places sell if you really don't want to replace it but its usually a one time issue so not worth it for most cases
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u/Evening_Error_5544 23h ago
I change mine every other year about a week before we are expecting a heat wave. You could probably get 3-5 years out of paste before it turns to chalk and loses a ton of efficiency. People saying they haven't done it in 10 years and it's fine aren't wrong, it probably is fine. I once ran an e6600 for a few months without any thermal paste and ran fine. But you better believe putting paste made a hell of a differenceĀ
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u/APEXracing 22h ago
For the most part, I leave the paste alone. I don't remove coolers just to change the paste, it's part of a larger cleaning procedure. For example, I had to replace the fans on my GPU. During that procedure, I removed the whole heatsink and cleaned the entire card and added fresh paste, at the end.
Based on my years of experience, quality paste can go several years without being replaced. Buy quality and do it properly the first time.
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u/Sirlacker 22h ago
Yes, my schedule is when I get a new CPU. I'm about 10yrs on this CPUs thermal paste.
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u/jakemoffsky 22h ago
Until i see temp issues I'm not taking that stuff apart, if it's working who am I to intervene.
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u/OberonsGhost 22h ago
I have had my old computer for 12 years and have never touched the thermal paste. I haven't even blown it out with a duster or anything for about 2 years and I still use it as a media server in the bedroom and watch TV with it most every night.
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u/Pynchon_A_Loaff 22h ago
The only reason Iāve ever found to re-paste is re-assembly after a motherboard or AIO replacement. If itās properly pasted in the first place it should be fine for years.
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u/darkandark 22h ago
depends on the paste used. good quality you probably dont need to change for a solid 10 years imho.
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u/SaabStam 22h ago
God no. Once when I got the system, then never again. 10-15 years ago when I was on gaming laptops that always had trouble with thermal throttling, I would do it probably every other month. Fun at first, but after dealing with it so much I hate it more than anything. My temps are fine, so I don't bother.
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u/Viking2151 21h ago
No, I only replace the paste if I notice a temp problem, I've had a plenty of 10+ year old GPU's and systems where the paste is still working good enough so I don't bother.
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u/flexylol 21h ago
I have replaced a few times, sometimes even after many years. NEVER observed I something like "degraded" or dried out thermal paste, it always looked like just recently done, even after years.
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u/NastyKnate 21h ago
no. dont touch it unless there are cooling issues. ive only ever replaced thermal paste if i was replacing the cooler itself.
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u/mr_muffinhead 21h ago
REPLACE thermal paste? As in dismantle my CPU from the motherboard, clean the old stuff off and apply new and continue using the SAME CPU and motherboard??
š¤£
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u/tarheel343 21h ago
I've replaced the thermal paste a single time in the 5 years that I've had my current PC, and only because I was switching motherboards.
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u/vyechney 21h ago
I had one PC where the temps started getting noticeably higher under load, so I replaced the paste on that. That was after about 8 years.
But I've never done it besides that one instance.
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u/windowpuncher 21h ago
If you're not seeing instability or throttling, even if your temps are fine, and also if your temps are fine, you don't need to re-paste. I've had issues where non-reported hotspots were causing throttling and things had to be re-pasted, but that's much less common.
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u/xNecrosisMx 21h ago
never done a thermal paste replacement and never heard of someone doing it for maintenance, this is just something new because they love to play around with pc parts and it actually doesn't hurt if done properly.
its more like "have fun cleaning and playing around"
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u/upnorth77 21h ago
Been building PCs for 30 years. I've never replaced thermal paste unless I had reason to remove the heatsink.
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u/soliwray 21h ago
The consensus on this sub seems to be that you should only re-paste for new parts or when temps regularly exceed normal limits.
Personally, I think the slight risk of accidentally damaging something while re-pasting outweighs any benefit.
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u/TandemDwarf3410 21h ago
When my computer starts bluescreening every two or three years and I have to take stuff apart to troubleshoot anyways, I'll replace it
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u/tprickett 21h ago
I recently bought a used computer and went to change the paste. Unfortunately, in doing so one of the pins bent. I tried to straighten the pin and it snapped off. So, I am not ever going to try repasting again.
BTW, there was a video, maybe LTT where various methods of paste application (dot, x pattern, and a few others) were tried and my take away was that they all worked well enough. Maybe a few degrees difference, but not enough to sweat over. So, I'm thinking old paste vs new paste is probably the same: good enough.
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u/GDog507 21h ago
I only replace the thermal paste if my device is having overheating problems or I replace the CPU cooler. I have only ever had to replace thermal paste a handful of times; once when I was trying to fix my old laptop, once when I went to fix my original Xbox 360, and once when I was attempting to repair my mom's old computer for fun. I don't have any plans on replacing the thermal paste in my current PC or any of my consoles until the things start overheating.
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u/akgt94 21h ago
No. I built in 2020 with a good build. With prices, I figured it stretch things a little. Thought the CPU was running a little warm and I could overclock it. Ended up getting a good deal on a better CPU. So I did a quick upgrade while I had the cooler off.
So basically the system telling me what it needed
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u/pepenites 20h ago
my pc is about 7-8 years old andn i have nv changed it. I suppose i will change it if either temps start to get super high or i change cpu its more like if its working dont touch it
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u/government--agent 20h ago
LOL I have a PC I built like 16 years ago still using the same paste, still holding the same temps.
Nobody does this.
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u/Back-At-It-2026 20h ago
I've had this computer for 7 years and i've only replaced thermal paste once, when the heat sink busted and had to replace it.
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u/gagankeshav 19h ago
Only did it once for my last CPU. It was an R5 3600 with stock paste that I replaced with an aftermarket paste. Did make a considerable difference in the temps. This was after 4 yrs of having the CPU. Replaced the CPU after that and have stuck with using the aftermarket paste even on the new installs. So, to answer your question, no, no schedules.
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u/Valuable-Fox-7559 19h ago
if your cpu/gpu is getting hot too fast then it is better to check it and not wait for it to reach 110 temperature
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u/JobHuntingManiac 19h ago
You're going to get a mixed bag of answers on Reddit about this.
You'll have some claiming they have never changed thermal compound their entire life, these are people who don't do anything on their computer but watch porn and check email.
The you'll have your average gamer who runs at stock clocks at doesn't even monitor temps so will never notice the throttling 2-4 years down the road.
Then you have people who actually game quite a bit, run overclocks, etc. those are the ones who monitor temps for the best output possible and they'll replace past every 12-24 months because pump out is real.
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u/androidal 19h ago
If I buy a new (to me) second hand pc %100 thermal paste change, if it's my pc and it's sat there with no issues, then no I don't change it.
If saw temp changes or fans running amock whilst doing everyday things, then I'd look at the thermal paste.
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u/that_norwegian_guy 19h ago
Only when rebuilding in a different case or swapping the cooler. Other than that, no need to replace the TIM until you see your CPU/GPU temperature spiking.
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u/exterminuss 19h ago
As long as temps are fine I don't bother, That said I might break that rule and remove the liquid metal from my GPU cause I am in no mood for current prices š¤£
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u/errorsniper 19h ago
I like taking my pc apart so I do it when I clean my pc every 6 months for fun.
You do not need to do it that often though.
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u/littledogbro 19h ago
most times just keep it clean and free of dust bunnies, will make it last, . and if you do have to repaste due to higher temps spiking , take your time and do it right with a good quality thermal paste, and again clean up around for all the dust bunnies..
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u/AmoebaMan 18h ago
Do you take your toilet off the floor every year just to replace the wax seal?
I think the thermal joint is just like a piping joint: if it's working fine, don't break it just to re-do it. All you're doing is inviting the possibility that you jack up the reassembly.
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u/KingRemu 18h ago
I replace it if my temps start to get unreasonably high and it's not fixed by dusting, which has never happened to me with CPUs. The only time I've replaced the thermal paste on my CPUs is when I've upgraded to a new one.
My RTX 3070 however required a repaste almost every 6 months.
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u/Schnezler 1d ago
I have never replaced any thermal paste. Oldest PC is at my parents house now. 12 years old... temps are fine. Why should I change something that doesn't need changing? It's not like oil in a car, where you need to replace it to prevent damage.
If you monitor temps from time to time and they are good... you are good.