Do Ryzen CPUs come with thermal paste?
Do all Ryzen CPUs come with thermal paste? Or just those with coolers.
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Keeping your processor cool is important so that the CPU doesn’t face thermal throttling. Thermal throttling can cause a significant performance hit, especially for gaming. Depending on the processor, you’ll need an adequate cooling system so that your CPU has a longer life span.
Now Read: Best thermal paste for CPU.
However, most people prefer to stick with the stock cooler that comes out of the box. This is fine considering the majority of gamers do not care for overclocking. While stock coolers aren’t great, they get the job done fine. We recommend upgrading to an after-market cooler which is less noisy and performs better. However, sticking with the stock cooler will save you some cash.
Now Read: Optimal CPU and GPU temperature
While some CPUs come with a stock cooler, you might be wondering to yourself if Ryzen CPUs come with thermal paste or not.
Do Ryzen CPUs Come With Thermal Paste
After installing the CPU into the motherboard socket, the second step is to apply the thermal paste and then install the cooler. To keep the CPU temperature in check, you need to properly apply the thermal paste and install the cooler properly. So, where can you get a thermal paste from?
Well, thermal paste is never pre-applied on the processor itself. Furthermore, CPU boxes do not include a tube of thermal paste. However, if the CPU comes with a cooler, there will be thermal paste pre-applied on the cold plate.
A good number of Ryzen processors include a CPU cooler in the box itself, so these Ryzen CPUs come with thermal paste pre-installed on the cooler. The Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 5 2600, and Ryzen 5 3600 all come with stock coolers and thermal paste pre-applied.
Generally, all Ryzen 3 and Ryzen 5 processors (3300X, 3600, 5300G, etc) will come with a stock cooler and pre-applied thermal paste. The second and third generations of Ryzen 7 processors (2700X, 3700X) also come with stock coolers in the box. However, most Ryzen 9 processors like the (3900X, 5900X, etc) do not come with stock coolers or thermal paste.
Ryzen 7 processors that are a part of the Ryzen 5000 family do not include stock coolers or thermal paste either. This mainly includes the Ryzen 7 5700X and 5800X3D.
Conclusion
To sum it up, a good number of Ryzen CPUs do come with thermal paste pre-applied on the stock cooler. However, you’ll need to check the product page for whatever processor you are buying to see if it comes with a stock cooler. If it includes a stock cooler, then thermal paste will be pre-applied from the factory.
If the CPU does not contain a cooler, then the CPU will not come with thermal paste. So more accurately, the CPU coolers come with thermal paste, not the CPU.
