I recently built two PCs, one for me and one for my brother, and they have almost identical specs except for the RAM speed—mine is 3600MHz while his is 3200MHz. We're both using a Ryzen 5 5600X, an RTX 5060Ti, an MSI B550 Tomahawk Max WiFi, and an NZXT Elite 240 AIO. I've noticed that my brother's CPU stays cooler at around 30°C at idle and maxes out at 35°C, while mine is at about 40°C. During gaming, his CPU goes up to around 40°C and mine hits around 50°C. The odd thing is, the temps for Fortnite seem to match. I'm considering adding more thermal paste to my CPU, but it's only been three days since I built my PC. Do I need to clean the old thermal paste first?
5 Answers
Don't stress too much about the paste; your PC isn't running hot at all. Adjusting fan curves and ensuring proper airflow can have more impact. Every CPU is different, and sometimes you just get a 'better' chip by luck.
If you do decide to clean the thermal paste, just take your time to watch a tutorial first. It's always better to warm up the cooler a bit before removing it—this can help avoid damage. Use the highest % isopropyl alcohol you can find to clean both the CPU and cooler's base before applying a fresh X or pea-sized amount of new paste.
The difference in temps might just be the nature of the silicon lottery—sometimes you just get a luckier chip. Your brother's CPU being cooler could just be one of those things!
It's not really necessary to clean the thermal paste after just a few days. The temperatures you mentioned are actually pretty normal. I wouldn’t bother repasting unless you're experiencing really high temps. And remember, thermal paste alone won't make a drastic difference; CPUs are built to handle up to 90-95°C without issues.
More paste on top of old paste can lead to worse thermal performance if it’s too thick. It's meant to fill tiny gaps between surfaces, so if it's too much, it might insulate instead. Just a little will do.
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