Do I need to buy compound if my new cooler already has some on it?

Not for the first fitting. Most coolers arrive with a layer already applied or a small tube in the box, and that covers one mount. Buy a separate tube when you expect to remove the cooler again, because the pre-applied layer cannot be reused once it has been disturbed.

Why does a brand new build overheat within a minute of first boot?

The commonest cause is a protective film left on the cooler's base. It sits over the pre-applied compound or the bare copper, matches the surface closely enough to be missed, and blocks the heat path completely. Check the base by eye and by touch before the cooler goes anywhere near the processor.

How often should compound be replaced?

There is no useful calendar for this on a desktop. Replace it whenever the cooler comes off for any reason, and otherwise only after temperatures have genuinely climbed and you have ruled out dust in the fins, a failed fan or pump, and a mount that has worked loose. Many well-seated air-cooled machines run for years without it.

How do I get the old compound off safely?

Shut down and unplug, but let the machine idle warm for a few minutes beforehand so the layer softens and the cooler twists free instead of lifting a processor out of its socket. Clean both surfaces with high-strength isopropyl alcohol on a lint-free cloth, keeping liquid away from the socket, and let everything dry before the new layer goes on.

What happens if I use too much?

The surplus squeezes out over the edges, costing a little cooling through the thicker bond line and a lot of cleaning. With an inert compound that is a nuisance. It turns into a repair when paste finds its way into a socket's pin field, which is the reason to keep the amount modest on an AMD board.

Can I use ordinary paste on a graphics card?

On the exposed processor die, yes. The complication is that stripping a card down almost always means replacing the pads over its memory and power stages at the exact thicknesses that card's teardown specifies, and those do not come in a syringe. Buying compound alone leaves the job half equipped.

Should I repaste a laptop myself?

It is a more demanding job than a desktop. The die is bare and small, the heatsink usually covers memory and power circuitry through pads of specified thickness, and the clearances leave little room for surplus. Check the warranty terms before opening a machine still covered by one, and consider phase-change film instead of paste, since portables are where pump-out does its damage.

Thermal Paste and Pads South Africa

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Thermal Paste SA

Syringe of thermal compound beside a cleaned processor heat spreader

The Thin Layer That Decides Whether a Cooler Works

Two machined metal surfaces pressed together touch only at a scattering of high points, and the gaps between them hold air, which conducts heat poorly. Compound exists to fill those gaps. It is a far worse conductor than the metal on either side of it, so the aim is the thinnest continuous film that leaves no voids, not the most generous covering.

Material follows the job. Silicone, ceramic and carbon compounds are electrically inert and forgiving to apply, metal-loaded pastes buy a small margin in exchange for care around exposed contacts, phase-change film answers the specific problem of paste creeping out of a laptop over time, and pads exist only to bridge deliberate gaps a cooler cannot close. Evetech stocks compounds, pads and cleaning supplies at Limeroc Business Park in Centurion, with delivery to the major centres in one to three business days.

The Thin Layer That Decides Whether a Cooler Works

The Thin Layer That Decides Whether a Cooler Works

Top 5 Reasons to Buy Gaming Laptops

Getting the Layer Right: Amount, Pattern and Material

Top 5 Reasons to Buy Gaming Laptops

Getting the Layer Right: Amount, Pattern and Material