[Explained] Is Too Much Thermal Paste Bad?

The same substance is referred to as thermal paste, thermal gel, or CPU paste when installing any kind of cooling solution. Basically, it is used when installing a CPU cooler on a computer. When handling a lot of tasks, a computer’s CPU can become very hot, especially while overclocking it. So, to keep the CPU temperature within the right range, users apply the thermal paste as a liquid medium.

However, using too much thermal paste might be harmful since it acts as an insulator. In the best-case scenario, this might render the paste void, and in the worst-case scenario, overheating could cause component damage.

How Much Thermal Paste Is not Bad?

Reputable tech companies advise utilizing thermal paste in little amounts, such as pea-sized amounts. Despite your initial concerns that there won’t be enough, it will adequately cover the entire area.

Excessive usage of thermal paste can cause it to expand outside of the chip and plate and into the CPU area, where it can transfer heat to the CPU’s electrical connections and the nearby printed circuit board. You have the option to quickly clear it out and restart the operation if you improperly use a few thermal pastes. Always keep in mind that too little paste is preferable to too much paste.

How to Clear Off Thermal Paste If It is too Much?

While cleaning the thermal paste – 

• If the thermal paste becomes solidified, you’ll need to scrape off a maximum of it of the heat sink’s surface using the flat portion of a spudger. 
• You can use a special cleaning solution to remove any remaining residue from the heat sink’s thermal contact surface.
• If there is still any liquid paste, you should also use a lint-free cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol.
• Ensure that any paste may not get on the other parts.
• Avoid touching the chip or the heatsink surface when cleaning is complete.
• Let the alcohol dry out.
• Remove dust or other material that may have accumulated on the surface by wiping it off with a microfiber cloth.

How Often You Should Reuse Thermal Paste?

In a typical case, you should reapply thermal paste to your CPU cooler every two to three years. It is not necessary to perform it annually. You might also need to reapply your thermal paste in other instances. 

First, you must replenish the thermal paste if you remove the heatsink for any reason, such as cleaning, to prevent air bubbles from forming on the surface. Second, if you see that the temperature of your CPU is rising, you might want to think about reapplying thermal paste. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is 1g of thermal paste too much?

Yes, it is. because, 1g of thermal paste is more than enough for 10 or more application. So ideally, use one-tenth of a gram.

Can too much thermal paste ruin the CPU?

A contemporary CPU won’t likely crash from eating too much paste. Simply put, the thermal defenses in place are too effective. However, if you apply too much paste, your computer may overheat and shut down.

How to know if I put on too much thermal paste?

If the thermal paste is spilling or dripping over the edges of the CPU or any parts of the motherboard, then it is quite clear that you have used too much of the paste.

How much thermal paste is appropriate to apply?

It can’t be exactly measured, but it will be wise to use a little portion of the thermal paste. Because using much of the paste will intend to damage the CPU components.

Is it OK to touch thermal paste?

Yes, touching thermal paste is totally fine. It’s just an old myth that thermal paste is toxic and therefore shouldn’t be touched.

Conclusion

So, by now, you probably get the actual concept of the inconvenience of using too much thermal paste. Just apply any of them amongst a thin spread, a small dot, a cross, and two parallel lines. Just enough to cover one-quarter of the CPU, the rest will be covered when you put the heatsink over it. Good luck and thanks for reading.