Hey everyone! I just installed a Ryzen 7 5700X 3D and used the single dot method for applying thermal paste. While securing the heatsink, one of the screws slipped, which forced me to quickly remove the heatsink. I didn't replace the thermal paste since it was only off for about two minutes. Now, I'm worried it's necessary to reapply it. During a CPU stress test, my temps peaked at 77C, and during gaming, they reached 67C, which seems decent to me. Should I go ahead and reapply the paste, or am I fretting unnecessarily? I appreciate any insights!
5 Answers
Honestly, you're probably fine. Your temperatures are in a good range. Even if you were to reapply the paste, the temps might not change much.
While your temps don’t seem too alarming, I did the same thing and reapplied thermal paste. Now I’m idling around 30-40C, and 50-60C under load. If you're experiencing throttling, better cooling could help. By the way, I found a good cooler on Amazon that worked wonders for me!
Your temps look fine, so I’d just leave it as is. If it ain't broke, don’t fix it!
Typically, you only need to mess with thermal paste if the CPU temps are concerning, which is usually every 6-10 years, depending on conditions. Every time you take things apart, though, there's a risk of a problem cropping up.
77C under stress is actually pretty good for that CPU. Most people experience temps in the low 80s. Just remember, if you overapply thermal paste, it's usually not a big deal. Most modern compounds are non-conductive and just squeeze out if there's too much. Don't hesitate to ensure full coverage!
Thanks for the input! I actually don’t have a stock fan; I'm using a Deep Cool heatsink. Turns out, it’s very similar to the one you mentioned, with just one fan attached.