Do you have to let Thermal paste dry?

[Nikv]

I have just brought Thermal paste for my CPU. I applied properly so that you can't see the surface. I didn't let it dry. When I turned on my computer, It worked for about 6 minutes then shutdown due to it being too hot (100+C). The CPU itself is fine, and I had just brought a new motherboard, RAM, GPU, PSU etc.

Do I need to let the Paste dry before working my computer?

[Jeston Veteran]

No, you don't let it dry. Perhaps you applie too much paste. Also, reseat the heatsink and make sure it's in properly.

EDIT: You do have a heatsink/fan on it right?

[Nikv]

We do have a heatsink/fan on.

How much should I have put on? I put on most of the tube..Would it really make a difference?

After letting it cool down, I booted the comp and it already was in the 100's C for the CPU temp..

It wouldn't take that long to heat up would it? The CPU itself is pretty hot though.

[Jeston Veteran]

It makes a huge difference, too much paste and the heat will not get transferred to the heatsink to be dissipated. Normally, we use a dot in the middle about the size of a bb, or a line in the middle about the size of a grain of rice. It just needs to cover the processor with a very thin layer.

Read these instructions (even if you're not using the same brand of paste.)

[Nikv]

It makes a huge difference, too much paste and the heat will not get transferred to the heatsink to be dissipated. Normally, we use a dot in the middle about the size of a bb, or a line in the middle about the size of a grain of rice. It just needs to cover the processor with a very thin layer.

Read these instructions (even if you're not using the same brand of paste.)

Thanks.

Shall we use the scraper tool they gave me to clean it off?

[Jeston Veteran]

Yes, it would be a good idea to clean it all and start over. I hope this solves the problem for you!

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

We do have a heatsink/fan on.

How much should I have put on? I put on most of the tube..Would it really make a difference?

...

:|

You're supposed to put a small amount on, like the size of a grain of rice, too much and it turns into an insulator (so it keeps the heat in the CPU)

[Berserk87]

@ title, its called thermal paste, not thermal crust :p

and i put on quiet a bit more then a 'bb' when i did mine :s mabye thats why there wasnt much of a temp difference lol

[Nikv]

I found out it was the heatsink that wasn't on properly.

[zeroday]

All you need is a tiny amount, like a grain of rice, and then use a flat and thin object (a blade?) to spread it carefully. It doesnt need to dry.

[Shof]

what kind of paste are you using?

[Hexter66]

I have put too much on myself and it got stuck like glue between the cpu and the cooler, when I removed the cooler the cpu got pulled out of the sockets. :lol:

[Shof]

I have put too much on myself and it got stuck like glue between the cpu and the cooler, when I removed the cooler the cpu got pulled out of the sockets. :lol:

then the fun part is getting the heatstink and the processor unstuck. One time, i used a small flathead to pry it loose, when someone else happen :pinch:

[kylejn]

then the fun part is getting the heatstink and the processor unstuck. One time, i used a small flathead to pry it loose, when someone else happen :pinch:

That's what I did once. Took a flathead screwdriver, stuck it between the two, and popped the processor off. Except it sounds like yours didn't work afterwords, whereas mine worked fine.

For my current computer, I probably applied too much thermal paste, since I'd never done it before, but the machine is running rock solid, so I guess it turned out OK. I just made a light spiral from the outside in, so the weight from the heatsink would spread it out evenly. Now I know to put a BB sized dollop on there and use a credit card or something to manually spread it out across the surface of the CPU.

[Hexter66]

Mine worked quite fine actually, except I used a kitchen knife to get the cpu unstuck, when I put the new cpu cooler on, it had the thermal pre applied so I shouldn't have any problem about it really. :)

[x-scratch]

a credit card works wonders have a cooler master cpu cooler but just ordered a zalman cant wait to get it :)

[Shof]

That's what I did once. Took a flathead screwdriver, stuck it between the two, and popped the processor off. Except it sounds like yours didn't work afterwords, whereas mine worked fine.

Well, i applied too much pressure on the flathead. When i pry it off, i wasnt that careful that much, which made the processor fly a bit. Lucky the processor survive its flight in the air

[Nicholas-c Veteran]

too much is worse than none atall i believe, all you need is a small pea size in the middle and spread it

[revvo]

How much should I have put on? I put on most of the tube..Would it really make a difference?

Most of the tube? Whichever tube it may be, you shouldn't need to put most of a brand new thermal paste tube that's WAYYYYYYY too much.

The key is make it as thin as possible.