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How often should you change thermal paste?

Don't let your thermal paste dry up

Updated: Jan 30, 2023 12:00 pm
How often should you change thermal paste?

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If you’re into PC building, you’ve probably heard about thermal paste. And since you’re here, you’ve probably also heard that it needs to be replaced after some time.

Well, does your years-old PC need its thermal paste replaced? Find out the answer in this article.

Why is thermal paste important?

Thermal paste is a gray liquid compound applied used in computers to facilitate the transfer of heat from a microprocessor to its heatsink.

As you probably already know, microprocessors (your CPU and GPU) consume a ton of power under stressful operation and convert all of that electrical energy into heat.

This heat needs to go somewhere. Otherwise, it would damage the microscopic circuitry that makes up a microprocessor. Heat is drawn away from the microprocessor by attaching the heatsink of a cooling solution, such as an air cooler, to the microprocessor’s heat spreader.

But the problem is, a cooler’s heatsink and the processor’s IHS (Integrated heat spreader) don’t have 100% smooth surfaces, and microscopic bubbles of air remain when they’re pressed together. Air is a poor conductor of heat and hampers heat transfer from the processor to the heatsink of the cooling solution.

Thermal paste, a thick liquid, gets into these gaps and makes heat transfer more efficient by an incredible margin. So much so that your CPU or GPU are guaranteed to overheat when the thermal paste isn’t applied.

How long does thermal paste last?

The thing is, thermal paste dries out with time. It is a liquid, after all. And as it dries out, it loses its effectiveness, and you see rising temperatures.

Thermal paste can last several years and even up to a decade. It depends on how much heat transfer the paste has to cope with and, of course, the quality of the paste itself.

That means you can go without ever having to replace the thermal paste on a CPU until you upgrade.

In fact, that’s very common. Laptops, in particular, usually go entire lifetimes without ever getting a thermal paste replacement. This is also partly why older laptops are more prone to overheating.

Generally speaking, though, you will likely notice your thermal paste start to lose effectiveness in 3-5 years. Many hardcore PC enthusiasts replace the spent thermal paste at this point to keep their hardware’s temperatures to a minimum.

However, it may not be necessary, as a temperature difference of a few degrees won’t cause or prevent much harm to a microprocessor.

When do I need to change my thermal paste?

You will need to change your thermal paste each time you detach the heatsink from your CPU or GPU.

However, other than that, the answer really depends. It’s not necessary for you to replace your thermal paste as long as your computer’s temperatures are healthy.

To give you a rough idea, anything under 70°C or 158°F for CPUs and GPUs is excellent. Up to 80°C is fair, but undesirable. Anything above 80°C warrants some concern.

If your CPU or GPU temps go above 80°C, the need for a thermal paste change is high on the list of potential culprits.

It could also be due to poor airflow or overclocking, but once you rule out those possibilities, it’s likely the case that your thermal paste needs changing. Here’s a guide on lowering CPU temperatures.


As a Junior Staff Writer, Jack is involved in writing and maintaining a bunch of hardware guides & reviews. With an interest in PC gaming, he now focuses on writing about monitors, headsets, and more.

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