Best Method for Thermal Paste on a CPU?

[JuliusvanWegen]

Erm… I actually use liquid metal instead of thermal paste. It’s riskier, but the cooling is next-level. Just, uh, don’t spill it or you'll fry your rig.

[jamespeterson]

I do an X with a dot in each section created. Quick note though: too much is WAY better than too little. Nearly all thermal paste is nonconductive (barring exceptions like liquidmetal), and testing by places like GamersNexus shows that having extra doesn't really hurt performance.

[TheHaloM]

Spreading that thermal paste is the only way I know that it’s covered

[TheEnderCyclops]

I use the pre-applied method personally

[Reploid-djjc]

i am the spreader, do not wanna see any bare metal on the top .

[tykoru]

No matter what I feel like with my luck it WONT spread somehow lmao. I just frost the cake for peace of mind💀

[chandanasri]

For me, a 5 dot pattern.
• •
•
• •

[please-wake-up-now]

I think the spatula method is underrated! It's super fun to spread it around, kinda like icing a cake 😂. But man, I wish someone would invent a perfect amount dispenser for us! 🤔

[templin]

I like using the spatula myself, just so I have peace of mind that it’s perfectly, and evenly covered.

[pigsinspace]

I just draw a really tiny smiley face in the center

[twylanaythias]

REAL Spoiler Alert: X marks the spot

Square CPU, rectangular, circular, whatever - drawing an X works for all of them. The crossing in the center is very close to the Pea method, while the diagonals spread a bit more to the corners (which are often shorted/missed be the Pea).

[SirHuman]

yeester wishes to have a word with you

[thewhiteknight]

Only the spread method proved to consistantly cover the entire IHS and I respect a pc seller for going that extra mile. It is the quality and attention to detail that counts

[Average_JJKfan]

Now introducing… *THE 2 PEA METHOD!!!!* Pace down a pea sized glob at both 1/3 and 2/3 across the CPU. The spacing of this allows for full coverage while using only the needed amount paste.

[jaxcze]

Well once I tried thermal grizzly thermal pads. No more paste. Works truly amazingly.

[DGENexMACHINA]

As someone who has minmaxed and tested all methods on overclocked CPUs/GPUs I can confirm the spread works the best. Regardless of application it's really about getting the right amount. Too little will result in high temps, too much won't have any negatives besides being a little messy. However there's a sweet spot you can hit where you get just the right amount (it's not much) and maximize coverage across the IHS that results in even better temps. It's possible to do this with other applications but spreading is the most logical way to do it with any level of certainty. Also saves paste if you build dozens of pcs as it takes a lot less paste to spread and be effective vs dots, lines, Xs etc.

[Lemoncit]

I find the 5 small dots method to cover the most area without spilling

[The_T_Gamer]

You can't escape the ryzen 4070 cover on an actual 4070 the people have decided!

[PeterPing]

The speading one with a tiny dot on the center is the best method.

[lassipls]

As long as you put enough it doesn't matter