Tried a different thermal paste method on an old gaming PC

I used the pea-sized dot method for years, but this time I spread a thin layer with a plastic card on a Ryzen 5 3600... temps dropped by 4 degrees Celsius under load. Has anyone else found spreading works better for certain chips?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_fiona2mo ago

Wait, four degrees is actually pretty solid for just changing how you put paste on, right? That's the difference between a fan ramping up loud or staying quiet during a game. Matthew_lee42, maybe you got a golden chip, but on my old 3600 the paste spread method was the only thing that covered those two little chiplets properly. A pea dot sometimes left a corner dry on mine.

gavin_kim31mo agoMost Upvoted

Wow, my buddy did the spread method on his 3600 and got way better temps too, like five degrees cooler.

matthew_lee422mo ago

Four degrees is barely a difference, who cares.