I'm planning to swap out the GPU and CPU fans on my Acer Nitro 5 (model 515-43). I've seen countless videos that emphasize the need to apply new thermal paste during fan replacement, but I'm not sure if it's really essential this time since I'm only changing the fans. I do have some thermal paste somewhere, but I can't seem to find it at the moment. Is it okay to replace the fans without reapplying the paste, or should I really do it to avoid issues later on?
1 Answer
It’s a bit of a gamble if you don't reapply the thermal paste when changing fans, especially since you'll be removing the heat sinks. Removing those can disturb any old paste already on the CPU and GPU, which could lead to overheating later. It’s generally best to clean off the old paste and apply new stuff for good measure. Might as well do it while you're in there, right?
Got it, so when I take off the heat sinks to access the fans, I’ll definitely need to replace the thermal paste on both the CPU and GPU? Anything else that might need it?