Help, I uncovered my cpu and exposed the thermal paste. I then returned it without changing the paste, dis I screw up?
Posted by Koblizek361@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 35 comments
It is on my ps4. I know this is a PC sub, but I feel like you guys would know more about CPUs rather than people over at the ps sub.
Half a year ago I cleaned my ps4. I took it apart and I also uncovered the CPU and the thermal paste. After that I just said "eh it should be fine" and I just screwed it back on without even touching the paste.
There were no problems since, I played God of War and Spiderman without issues. But I wanna make sure I just didn't accidentally take off 10 years off of the lifespan of my already 10 year old Playstation. And If it is necessary for me to take it apart again and apply new paste.
psimwork@reddit
Honestly it should be fine. Silicon is REALLY stable stuff. Even if you did take 10 years off the lifespan (which you probably didn't), the lifespan is probably such that even with a 10 year old Playstaiton, you likely have another 25 years before the Silicon starts to breakdown to the point where it's not usable. If not longer.
If you're REALLY that worried about it, you can always open it up again and re-paste it. But if you DID damage it (and I cannot stress this enough - you almost certainly didn't), then the damage is done and you won't be able to do anything about that.
I personally wouldn't bother with doing anything.
jca_ftw@reddit
This is incredibly incorrect. Modern silicon processes have serious aging problems and unless the computer is just turned off for 25 years it won’t work nearly that long. Expect about a 50% failure rate at 10 years old.
HZ4C@reddit
Can I get a source for modern consumer silicon that has a 50% failure at 10 years old?
jca_ftw@reddit
https://dl.acm.org/doi/full/10.1145/3659950
This paper is technical so I apologize if you are not in the industry. If you read through it, you can see references to standard aging assessments and simulations targeting a 10 year life. I can tell you that for desktop and laptop processors, industry has switched to simulating 7-year life now. 10 year was just impossible to hit now with the 5/4/3/2 nm nodes.
You can find several articles dating back to ~2010 about how transistor aging was a brand new worry and what to do about it. 16 years later and the problem is exponentially worse.
Transistor performance, area, density, and all associated issues always grow or degrade in an exponential fashion. It’s never linear.
HZ4C@reddit
What an incredibly interesting read, thank you
9okm@reddit
You should clean with alcohol and apply fresh paste whenever you break contact from the cooler.
Lunam_Dominus@reddit
Eh it doesn’t matter that much. If there is enough thermal paste and the temps aren’t high, it’s fine.
Canadian_Border_Czar@reddit
Squishing crusty old thermal paste together defeats the entire purpose of it. Infact, thats worse than having no thermal paste with respect to temperatures.
Thermal paste serves to fill in any micro pores for optimal heat transfer while providing a non-conductive interface. Reusing old thermal paste creates much larger pores, cracks, chasms, and isnt guaranteed to be non-conductive after breaking the layer.
Without those conditions all youve done is added two or more thermal interfaces to a system, which reduces heat transfer.
Lunam_Dominus@reddit
If the temps and clock speeds are in check, it’s fine. Not optimal, but fine.
9okm@reddit
To each their own, of course!
FortDragCartel@reddit
So many wrong answers here...
No, it's not fine so long as it's "gooey". And without core monitoring software you wouldn't know until drastic thermal throttling and shutdowns occur down the line. When you lift up the contact plate on heatsink, air bubbles will form and the paste will not be evenly distributed. This will also cause the paste the dry up quicker as well as being less effective. Thermal pads are different. Paste needs to be reapplied every time you remove the heatsink.
Monotask_Servitor@reddit
If the paste was still soft and pasty, then you should be fine. Sure it might be best practice to reapply new stuff but unless it’s got old and cracked and turned to shit it’ll still do its job.
FortDragCartel@reddit
No that's not how it works. When you lift it up gaps and air bubbles form. There is a reason why you apply a small about of paste and apply the heatsink for even distribution (and don't lift it back up). Paste is not a graphite pad.
Potential-Instance-1@reddit
Do u remember how it was looking like? I mean, did it look like it was all dried up or was it fine? Sufficient? Do u have access to temperature monitoring?
On the other hand, if u havent ever changed the termal paste and is very old, can just do it out of "maintenance". We all do it every 1 or 2 years in pc community
Nosferatu_V@reddit
More like once every 5 years, really.
Ryan32501@reddit
Yeah 5 years is good, unless it's been overclocked and reaching 90c for a while
Shadow555@reddit
So then your good to go and don't need to panic over nothing.
Resident_Albatross_9@reddit
Terrible advise
Shadow555@reddit
Why?
I have never repasted any console or PC after an accidental or purposeful removal in 20 years, and never lost a console or performance to it.
Resident_Albatross_9@reddit
I have smoked for 20 years and have not gotten Cancer.
Same logic
Shadow555@reddit
It's not. If there is no problem, why potentially create a new one?
Resident_Albatross_9@reddit
Repasting is not creating a new problem, lol how the hell are we arguing about repasting in a PC sub, this is like the most basic thing in the world 😂
clodzor@reddit
Im obsessed with monitor temps, do a bit of overclocking and just tinker around. You know what I never stress about? My thermal paste. Could I get a a degree or two cooler if I did? Possibly. Would it create a noticable impact in my experience outside of benchmarking? No. Not unless theres a problem with the application or quality of the past. I have reused thermal past after remounting the cooler, same temps as before I did it. Its not best practice, it's also the kind of thing where if it was a problem it would be obvious.
At one point I cobbled a machine back together with both old thermal paste and a scratch on the contact surface of the cooler. Still didn't cause an issue.
Shadow555@reddit
Because opening a console always creates some risk, even if low.
So if OP is not having performance issues in his normal use case, why re-open the console?
People are obsessed over repasting when it's just not that necessary lol. Good thing to do for maintenance but not something that needs to be obsessed over.
Oeds_Vlogt@reddit
If you're using a bandage and remove it you wouldn't use that same bandage again, right? Even if it was clean you would reuse it once already used.
Lunam_Dominus@reddit
Is the silicon goop tainted by exposing it to air? You could probably scoop it back up into the tube and it’d work almost the same.
psimwork@reddit
There's an argument to be made that if the seal is broken on a 10-year-old playstation, that the paste used would be pretty dried out and unlikely to be fluid enough to properly "re-squish" and cover the chip. So there's undoubtedly going to be poor contact between the heatsink and the chips.
Personally I wouldn't bother. But I can see the argument being made the other way. But terrible advice? Nah. That's just internet being internet.
Shadow555@reddit
Yeah, my entire point of my reply was "No problem being shown, why dwell on it?". The console is closed up and working, if it was opened and still being worked on, sure, take 15 minutes and clean and re-paste, takes no real time.
I'm not ignorant to the benefits and scenario where it should be used, but this does not sound like one of them at this time lol
Yangman3x@reddit
Imo if he had no problems there's no rush. Tho at the next dust cleanup I'd repaste the thing
Full_Vegetable_5348@reddit
It depends on if the paste is still good. If it's dried up and crusty it's probably time to replace it. If its still gooey its probably fine
donut4ever21@reddit
I would reapply thermal paste to it. I did that for my ps4 pro, and it doesn't act like it's about to take off anymore when I play a game
itsforathing@reddit
Desktop CPUs, especially for gaming, will boost as high as the thermal limit will allow. Better cooling means better boost and therefore better performance. Always replace the thermal paste on a computer because removing the cooler may introduce air bubble that could increase temps and reduce boost clocks.
The play station cpu doesn’t boost the same way a desktop cpu does. It has hard limits that keep it cooler so you aren’t hitting the wall the same way a desktop would. Plus the PS is relatively low power (than therefore generates less heat) than a desktop would. So any bubbles you may have introduced into the thermal paste probably aren’t enough to affect anything. At worst the fan may be a tiny bit faster/louder.
TL:DR you’re probably fine
St3vion@reddit
Did that to my laptop years ago and it's still working (2016 model), never saw the temperatures get worse either. It's not the proper thing to do, you're meant to replace the thermal paste but if it works, it works right?
NewestAccount2023@reddit
Probably air bubbles in there now but if the performance is fine then whatever
Suitable_Mix8553@reddit
If the paste is still pliable / malleable it should be OK.
Some dry out quick, and once removed will be less effective.