Yes, you should consider adding or reapplying thermal paste if needed.
Yes, you should consider adding or reapplying thermal paste if needed.
I was setting up my new CPU and faced some issues with the motherboard backplate. I had to hold one part with one hand and the other with the CPU heatsink. Eventually, I had to remove the heatsink and break the thermal paste seal. It looked like the paste was split—half on the CPU and half on the heatsink. I wasn’t sure if the sides were aligned properly, but I just wanted to finish installing it and get my PC running. Temperatures were around 35°C in BIOS, 50-59°C for Windows, then rising to 60-65°C with the Ryzen 7 2700. I forgot to connect the CPU fan at the last moment.
I’ve heard about potential air pockets, but the processor temperatures dropped back to 34–36 because I neglected to install the fan. LMAO