XPS 700 desktop thermal compound?

[gadenn]

This morning I decided that it would be a good time the clean the dust out of my 6 month old XPS700. After cleaning what I could, I thought it might be a good idea to get better access to the heat sink to clean it more easily. I thought that if I took out the two screws holding the black plastic cover (the one over the fan and heat sink marked XPS) that I could remove the cover and get to the top of the sink. It turns out that removeing the screws and rotateing unit on its hinges toward the back of the case, seperates the entire head sink and fan from the cpu! This not only suprised me but troubles me because I don't have any thermal paste. I put the unit back and put the screws back in without cleaning the factory thermal paste off. Is the cpu safe by just putting the heat sink back on with the origional paste as long as I didn't touch it or am I asking for trouble?

 

[shinigamiX]

I'm fairly sure the answer is no. The paste has hardened and won't work well if taken apart and put together again. I tried the same thing when I got a new motherboard a few months ago and it didn't work.

 

[g-paw]

Definitely get paste and then clean both the HSF and CPU with rubbing alcohol, coffee filters are great for cleaning. Be sure the HSF is secure when you put it in and only use a dab of paste, more is not better. Paste isn't that expensive and no sense in taking a chance of screwing something up, unless you're looking for an excuse to build a new machine