I've been dealing with high hotspot temperatures on my GPU lately, reaching around 105-109°C with over a 30°C delta. It's making me super anxious about repasting my GPU, but I really can't put it off any longer. I'm planning on doing it tomorrow and have a couple of questions to help avoid mistakes.
First off, is the thermal paste I'm considering any good?
[Link to thermal paste](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011F7W3LU?ref=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apan_dp_H4ZGYAJH9EQPMHNX6GJC)
Secondly, I know I need to be careful when removing the back plate, as well as tighten the screws gradually, like how you would with car tires. Are there any other important things I should keep in mind to avoid damaging my GPU? Oh, and by the way, I have a 4070 Ti; does that change anything?
4 Answers
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From my experience with the RTX 4070 Ti Gaming OC, I wish I had recorded myself when repasting it. I highly recommend using thermal grizzly PTM for the GPU die and thermal grizzly advanced thermal putty instead of thermal pads. After applying this, my core temps hover around 60-65°C under full load, and the hotspot doesn’t exceed 80°C. Conventional thermal paste is okay but doesn't last as long, so going this route is definitely worth considering!
The Arctic MX-4 is a great choice! I've used it for years on both CPUs and GPUs without any issues. It's also pretty forgiving to work with, which helps if you're feeling nervous about the whole repasting process.
When you're taking apart the GPU, make sure to go slow. Look for a teardown video specific to your 4070 Ti model if you can find one. The cooler may be a bit stuck due to the old paste, so wiggle gently while lifting it off. It’s also smart to take a photo of the thermal pads on the VRAM and VRMs before removing them, so you know where they go back.
As for the screws, use a cross-tightening pattern and only go snug—not overly tight. You should notice a significant drop in temperatures once you replace the paste, especially if the old paste was dry!
Thanks for the info! Just to clarify, the paste I linked is the Grizzly brand Kryonaut 1. I heard it holds up better at higher temps over time but have seen mixed reviews, so I wanted to make sure I bought something suitable for my GPU.
For GPUs, I'd actually recommend using PTM 7950 instead of traditional thermal paste. It's a solid thermal pad that won't pump out from the GPU die and usually lasts longer. It's a safer choice if you're worried about applying paste.
I considered pads too, but wasn't sure about the thickness and how to measure it accurately since I've never done this. I might invest in some calipers for next time to get it right.
I don't think OP is talking about a laptop. The 4070 Ti is definitely a desktop GPU.