Pastes for heat transfer beneath the PCIe shield
Pastes for heat transfer beneath the PCIe shield
Hello, good evening. Your question is clear. After removing the PCIE shield from your z390 Phantom Gaming X MOBO, should I replace the thermal paste under it before installing the MOBO? Or is it safe to leave the existing paste in place and just secure the shield screws without touching the paste? I want to ensure everything works properly and maintains the original temperature.
Thermal pads differ from thermal paste; you can likely reuse a thermal pad.
It's acceptable to reuse parts as long as they're properly reattached, like when they separate and then put back together correctly. I've done this several times out of need, but it's usually better to replace the pad with a new one. Avoid using TIM instead of the actual pad; there should be a slight gap between the surfaces, and the pad helps fill that space for optimal heat transfer.