Right, Bill! I am ashamed to say I was so excited to OC this computer when I built it that I didn't even apply the stock cooler - I went straight for the "liquid cooling". I just brought it out of the tin from 3-4 years ago with the thermal pad good as new.
Nothing to be "ashamed" of. It worked fine for several years, right? So no harm done.
News flash, stock cooler does the job it is designed for .............. WHEN thermal paste is renewed and applied correctly.
Totally agree with the first part, not the second, but definitely the third!
- Yes, stock coolers do the job (if not extreme overclocking AND with properly configured case cooling).
- No, thermal paste does not need to be "renewed" unless (and always when) the cured bond between the mating surfaces has been broken.
- Yes, it always must be applied correctly (to include thorough cleaning of old TIM (thermal interface material)before applying new).
It is a common misconception that TIM must be regularly replaced, but it is just not true. TIM will last 10, 15 years or even longer
if not disturbed. There are NO, not a single CPU or GPU maker, computer maker, aftermarket cooler maker, or even a TIM maker that says TIM must be "renewed" just because it is X number of months or years old. Not one! Even if it dries out, the "heat
conductive" solids that remain are still occupying the microscopic pits and valleys thus preventing unwanted
insulating air from getting in. So it is still doing its job. The liquid portion of TIM is only there to make the TIM pliable so it can easily come out of the tube and be spread thin and evenly over the processor.
Since CPU/GPU makers, computer makers, and aftermarket cooler makers want their products to work right, they would recommend regular "renewal" or replacement of TIM
IF it was necessary. But not a single one does! Not Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, Dell, HP, Cooler Master, Corsair, Noctua, TT, Zalman, Be Quiet! - none of them.
True, over several
years, some TIMs become
slightly less effective. But if you really
need those
few degrees to prevent crossing the threshold into "hot" territory to where the CPU becomes unstable or starts to throttle down, then you have other problems to deal with - like a broken cured bond/loose heatsink, bad CPU fan, dust filled interior, inadequate case cooling, bad voltages or improperly implemented clockspeeds.
Too often, and sadly often due to bad advice, less experienced (or just careless) users have destroyed their processors (or sockets) through mishandling due to ESD, failure to remove all power, bent pins, poor cleaning, or improper application of new TIM that never needed to be replaced in the first place.
If it's not broke, don't fix it!
