Is it OK to Run a PC With Dried Thermal Paste?
When we spend lots of time, effort, and often money building PCs or buying pre-built systems, we want to ensure that they are properly maintained. So, with this in mind, what will actually happen when you continue to run a PC with dry thermal paste, one of the key components for keeping your system cool?
Can You Use Dried Thermal Paste?
It’s not advised to continue to use thermal paste that is noticeably dry, cracked or has lost its liquidity. When you notice the paste in your system has visibly changed or you are noticing overheating or performance difference, it’s definitely time for replacing the thermal paste.
The frequency of which you should replace your thermal paste is mostly determined by how you use your computer and the condition of both the paste and the computer's components. A thermal paste’s only function is to help transfer heat from the CPU to the heatsink. If it is dried, it will not properly conduct heat because micro-cracks hinder heat transfer, and this will impact the temperature regulation of your CPU.
You might not notice too much of a difference in performance for light computer work, but an overheating system can cause some performance issues (and sometimes some damage) if the issue is not addressed. It’s easy to get used to your PC running at a reduced capacity, but once the thermal paste has been changed the difference can be extremely noticeable, even for more mundane tasks.
If you regularly use your PC for labour-intensive tasks like gaming or video editing you will most likely notice a performance dip when the time comes to change the thermal paste.
What Causes Thermal Paste to Dry Out?
The thermal paste gets its heat conductive qualities from metal oxides. Naturally, these aren’t very fluid, so most traditional thermal pastes have organic solvents added to help improve fluidity and make pastes more spreadable.
As the PC is used, and heat is created, the temperature of the system will slowly dry the solvents in the paste and this can make it less fluid. Of course, the more intense the activity on the PC, the quicker the solvents will be impacted and the faster the paste will dry.
Once the paste is dried, the CPU will no longer be able to properly transfer heat and this will impact both the system temperature and the performance.
How Can You Prevent Thermal Paste Form Drying?
There are a few things you can do to lengthen the lifespan of your thermal paste.
Firstly, you can opt to use a paste that doesn’t use the organic solvents that cause that loss of fluidity. Kooling Monster KOLD-01 is an example of a paste that doesn’t use these types of solvents to have a longer-lasting impact. It has a unique formula that maintains its functionality and still offers ease of application.
On top of choosing a high-quality thermal paste, you can look into improving other elements of the system that help manage the temperature of the CPU and slow down that drying process. Case fans are a popular option, as is an upgrade from air coolers to liquid cooling systems, particularly if you are using the PC for intense activities.
How Long Does It Take For Thermal Paste To Dry Out?
For average use, we’d typically recommend changing your thermal paste every 1-2 years, but it really should be considered on a case-by-case basis. There are a number of factors that can influence the lifespan of your thermal paste and determine how often you will need to change it.
The Quality Of The Paste
The quality of the paste can make a significant difference to how regularly it needs to be changed, and how effective the paste is at conducting heat. The organic solvents in the paste, can of course make a difference but the quality of the paste and its effectiveness can also be a determining factor.
Typically high-quality pastes will be easier to spread and therefore will be able to achieve a thinner application. The thinner the better for thermal paste, as it requires less “effort” to transfer the heat, and this can help keep the CPU cooler for longer.
PC Use
How you use your PC will make a big difference to how frequently your thermal paste will need to be changed. Using a PC for a standard word processor and using a PC for long and intense gaming sessions will demand very different things from your CPU.
The more intense the tasks, the higher the temperature of your hardware will typically be, and the harder the thermal paste will need to work to effectively transfer the heat to your heatsink and help keep temperatures under control. Of course, on top of this, the build of the computer can influence the temperature and therefore the longevity of any thermal paste used. Coolers and fans can help to regulate the temperature and take the pressure off the thermal paste by cooling the entire system.
Where you place your PC can also influence the longevity of your thermal paste. Is the system sitting in direct sunlight? Maybe it is in a particularly warm area? Both of these things can raise the base temperature of the components and influence how fast the thermal paste dries.
Conclusion: Running a PC with Dry Thermal Paste
If you want to maintain the condition of your PC, it’s never a great idea to run it when you know the thermal paste is dry. It’s a cheap and easily replaced component of your build that doesn’t take long to check. You can easily buy both a thermal paste removal kit and a new high-quality paste to change it.
Learn how to change your thermal paste with our comprehensive guide.