
All screwdrivers necessary to open your device and remove the logic board and heatsinkĪnd of course, a syringe of thermal paste.Q-tips and a lint-free cloth (a coffee filter will work).The demonstration was performed on a MacBook Air, but the same steps can be applied to most computers. Smcfancontrol works wonderfully, and it tracks more than just temperatures.īelow is a step-by-step guide detailing our favorite method for replacing thermal paste.
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There are free apps and software available for Mac computers that will track CPU temperature. A number of things could be responsible for a spike in temperature, but if the obvious reasons are not the culprit, thermal paste could be the cause. The healthy temperature range for a CPU varies quite a bit by processor type, so it’s best to look up the safe range for your particular processor. So the more efficiently you can draw heat out of the computer chassis, the longer the internal components will last. The hotter your computer runs, the shorter the lifespan. An average user who only does some light web surfing can generally go many years without needing the thermal compound replaced, but the thermal paste is always becoming less efficient at pulling heat away from the processor.įor computer components without moving parts, like the CPU, heat is the silent killer.

If you use your computer frequently and for longer periods of time, this process happens more quickly. Over time, thermal compound will dry out and begin to develop cracks which interrupt the heat transfer, making it much less effective. Why would the thermal paste need to be replaced?

The thermal compound improves the efficiency of the heat transfer so much that without it, the processor overheats in a matter of seconds or minutes, at which time your computer will likely shut down to protect itself from permanent damage. The thermal compound fills in the tiny gaps and allows for a much more efficient transfer of heat away from the processor, and boy does the processor generate some serious heat. The CPU and heatsink are already sandwiched together, but microscopic imperfections in their surfaces reduce the efficiency of heat transfer between them. Thermal paste acts as a bridge between the CPU and the heatsink.
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We’ve got the answers about what thermal paste is, what is does, and how to apply it.īefore you learn how to replace your thermal compound (thermal paste), you should take a second to understand what it actually is and the purpose it’s serving. What do I do with this syringe? Where does this part fit?” It just fits.īut then you come across some goop in a pouch, or maybe it’s in a syringe, and you find yourself thinking “I’m not a trained medical professional. This part connects to this part, you feel a reassuring click and you know that it belongs there. Building your own computer or assembling a repaired computer can seem pretty straight forward.
