How to apply thermal paste on a processor (2022)

New PC builders almost always find trouble understanding the use case of thermal paste and its application.

Thermal paste, also known as thermal grease, is used to ensure efficient cooling of the CPU. It is applied directly to the CPU before installing the cooling solution/CPU cooler.

Disclaimer: Before starting with the application, please note that this article only states general knowledge. Please read all the specific instructions that come with your CPU and cooler. Also, do any particular research required. Any inaccurate application is not the responsibility of Sportskeeda.

Preliminary information about using thermal paste

Looks like a syringe (Image from Noctua)

If you are building a new PC, please note that some processors currently have a pre-applied paste. In this case, you do not need to apply any paste.

To see if your processor already has thermal paste applied, check the bottom plate of the CPU cooler. If you see a silver-colored paste, it means you need to install the cooler and you will be done with it

However, if you are working on an existing build and are going to replace the old paste, you need to clean the existing buildup before applying the fresh paste properly.

Here's what you will need:

Isopropyl Alcohol
Paper Tissue
Cotton Swabs

Directions:

Take a paper tissue and clean the majority of the residue.
After that, take a fresh tissue and conservatively dip it in some isopropyl alcohol and use this to wipe away the rest of the residue.
Finally, you might be left with some residue on the edges. Take the cotton swab dipped in Isopropyl Alcohol and gently wiped away any traces.
Make sure you only take the bare minimum of Isopropyl Alcohol.

How to apply thermal paste

There are numerous ways and recommendations for the right amount and spread of the thermal paste on the CPU. The ideology is to apply about enough to coat with a very thin layer of the paste. If it is too much, it can also affect negatively. So as a starting point, we recommend just applying a pea-sized amount in the center.
Some people recommend spreading the paste before applying the CPU cooler, but it is unnecessary. A beginner trying to spread the paste might do more harm than good. So we recommend just using the CPU cooler and letting the pressure spread the paste evenly.
We recommend looking into specific instructions from either AMD or Intel to install the CPU cooler. Please refer to any specific instructions for your CPU and cooler. Or you can refer to these links as a general starting point - For AMD, for Intel.

Keep in mind to gently apply bare minimum pressure from the top down to have an even spread of the paste. Do not apply too much pressure as it can damage your CPU and motherboard. Attach and screw the CPU cooler as stated for your specific CPU.

Is thermal paste necessary?

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In theory, the thermal paste should not be required as the CPU itself is already conductive. But in reality, there are microscopic air gaps between the surfaces of the CPU, which obstruct the cooling process. Thermal paste is used to counter this problem and provide consistent cooling, especially for gaming systems.

Also, the pre-applied pastes aren't nearly half as good as some of the brilliant ones you can buy separately. Ensuring that you keep a check on your thermals means increasing the longevity of your precious hardware. Remember, pea-sized. Always!