Check if you need thermal paste for your first PC build.
Check if you need thermal paste for your first PC build.
Ordered the Amd Ryzen 5500 with its stock cooler. Upon inspection, the bottom of the stock fan feels sticky but doesn’t appear to have the original thermal paste. Confirming, does this processor come with pre-applied thermal paste? If not, I’ll head out and purchase a silicon-based paste instead.
The absence of grey paste suggests the application wasn't done beforehand.
The new AMD stock cooler includes pre-applied thermal paste that spreads smoothly and uniformly. Its application is so effective that it blends seamlessly into place. Many models typically use white thermal paste for this purpose.
I believe so, but I’m concerned I might have contaminated it by removing it from the box. Even placing the paste flat on the bed before noticing anything on that side could be risky.
The thermal paste is located at the bottom of the cooler and works well even with minor dust. You might want to gently remove any black debris using tweezers. There’s a lot of paste present, so a small dent shouldn’t cause issues—it will ooze out as the CPU warms up. You’re all set.
Ideally it should look clean, but it might work even with some dust and link fragments. Think of thermal paste as conductive dust particles in silicone oil.