How to apply the thermal paste for CPU and GPU? It has always been a topic of discussion among DIY users. Some people think that it is best to put a little in the middle, and some people think that it should be crossed lines, or evenly applied to the entire surface of the chip. For the GPU part, a foreign laboratory has recently conducted this test, and the final data obtained is: Applying thermal paste to a line in the middle of the GPU will obtain the lowest temperature.
How to apply GPU thermal paste to get the lowest temperature?Foreign research points out that a line is drawn in the “middle”
Recently, the foreign laboratory igorsLAB released a report on the actual measurement of GPU thermal paste. They tried many of the application methods discussed by everyone, and then conducted the same temperature test to obtain the temperature change of each type.
The application methods tested were as follows:
- Standard factory paste method (Full Surface)
- Squeeze a little thermal paste in the middle (Point Method)
- Smear vertically downward in the middle position, also known as the sausage method in foreign countries (Line Method)
The graphics card used is RTX 3080. It can be clearly seen from the figure below that the temperature using the Line Method is the lowest, that is, applying a strip of thermal grease down the middle position. The GPU Edge temperature is 29.2 degrees, the GPU Hotspot is 35.6 degrees, and the PCB Below The BGA is 35.9 degrees. Compared with the Full Surface with the highest temperature, these three items are all regarding 5 degrees worse. The temperature of the Point Method is between these two methods:
In the thermal paste part, it is also written that the gap between the GPU and the heat sink may lead to insufficient heat dissipation, so it is strongly recommended to use “high viscosity thermal paste”, he does not recommend Arctic MX-2 and Arctic MX-4, etc. Products, it is recommended to choose Alphacools Apex, Subzero.
Before applying, they also recommend that the thermal paste can be heated first, such as through the temperature of the hand, put it in the pocket, to ensure that the thermal paste is not too cold, and even use a hair dryer to improve the ductility.
The report also specifically mentioned that the graphics cards with higher performance are not flat on the surface and are easily deformed under the pressure of the radiator. Pay more attention to this point. Smaller graphics cards do not have this problem.
It is a pity that they did not test other popular smear methods, such as: drawing a cross in the middle, if there is one, it can be more determined which method is the best.
So, if DIY players want to change the thermal paste for GPU graphics card next time, they might as well try this method. Maybe it will give you extra performance or a more stable running process.
Finally, I would like to remind you that if you want to replace the thermal paste of the graphics card yourself, you may lose the official warranty. Therefore, it is not recommended for ordinary players. If you feel that the GPU graphics card is not as stable as before, and the operating temperature becomes higher, if the warranty is still there Most of the official original factories provide relevant replacement and cleaning services, so this method is recommended.
If the warranty is over, you can try it out, but you also have to bear the risk of possible man-made damage, that is, it cannot be used normally following being installed.
