I'm getting ready to clean and reformat an old computer I have. I haven't removed the heatsink since I installed it in '99. Should I remove the heatsink and apply new paste while I do my spring cleaning?
Thermal paste tends to dry out over time. That causes it to eventually crack and defeats the purpose of having thermal paste.
Personally, I tend to re-apply thermal paste every 3 years . The exception is my HTPC, I kinda got lazy with that one. However, I will be replacing it very soon (within 2 months).
i do a yearly clean of my pc, my room is quite small and gets dusty quickly, so i clean all the dust filters, HS/F and reapply thermal paste, my temp goes from the high 55-60 to around 40-45 under load after a good clean.
i do a yearly clean of my pc, my room is quite small and gets dusty quickly, so i clean all the dust filters, HS/F and reapply thermal paste, my temp goes from the high 55-60 to around 40-45 under load after a good clean.
Hmm, that's a pretty good idea. I think I'll start doing that as well. Thanks!
3-4 years is good...using a pipe cleaner to get dust/cobweds out out the HS fins and off the fan blades a few times a year are a must and I wait untill I see 2C over the fresh install in relation to air temps.
Never used canned air on a warm computter and then only after a good cleaning with a pipe cleaner and 1" natual bristle paint brush.
A can of air should last about 20 cleanings this way.
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*While we crash and burn, small, low tech, agrarian societies such as the Hmong in the mountains of Laos will continue on without so much as blinking an eye.*
I give my PC a good cleaning once a year and every two years a thorough cleaning by disassembling everything, and wiping down each individual component.
Can be drag though, especially since I have 2 PCs at the moment.
Message edited by jaguarskx on 04-02-2008 at 04:19:32 AM
