Installed new CPU and moved Sync Do I need to change paste?

oldschoolPCdude

Prominent
Jul 13, 2017
2
0
510
Hey community new here, I installed an AMD Ryzen 5 1400 on a MicroStar Mobo. I had played with the sync and unit fan trying it both ways and the thermal paste from the factory was rubbing off on the back end of the chip as I did this. Would this still be sufficient to leave alone? Or do I need to wipe off the chip and start again... I hear that air bubbles on the top of the chip could interfere with cooling of the CPU .. All I could see on the back of the CPU Chip is a gluey substance as I tried to seat the Sync/Fan just right onto the Mobo. Am I trouble with this?

Last time I installed a chip we did not have thermal paste so this is new for me. I hear this question asked a lot and I didn't hear a definitive answer.
 
Solution
Ideally, you'd want to clean the old off the old stuff and apply new whenever you disturb the existing paste. But if your CPU temps are normal, you are good as is. You can also place a plastic baggie over your finger and wipe the old paste around to redistribute it a bit on both surfaces... as a work-around. That should eliminate the air bubble aspect. (assuming the paste is still fairly new, as yours would be) It takes very little paste to do the job.

clutchc

Titan
Ambassador
Ideally, you'd want to clean the old off the old stuff and apply new whenever you disturb the existing paste. But if your CPU temps are normal, you are good as is. You can also place a plastic baggie over your finger and wipe the old paste around to redistribute it a bit on both surfaces... as a work-around. That should eliminate the air bubble aspect. (assuming the paste is still fairly new, as yours would be) It takes very little paste to do the job.
 
Solution