Warning: don't cheap out on thermal paste, my 5800X hit 95C in 10 minutes

Used some $3 tube I found on Amazon instead of my usual stuff and my CPU went straight to thermal throttle during a Cinebench run. Cost me an hour of panic re-seating my cooler before I figured it out. Anyone else get burned by fake or old paste?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_seth13d ago

Bought a $5 tube once and it was basically chalk, never again.

linda_butler2813d ago

Wait, was the paste actually chalky or was it just old and dried out? I've seen people mix up "bad thermal paste" with paste that's been sitting in a hot car for two years. If it was crumbly and didn't spread, that's oxidation, not necessarily a fake product. Amazon returns might have been sitting on a shelf for a while. I've used a $3 tube of GD900 for years without issues, it's actually pretty well reviewed if you get a fresh batch. But yeah, the panic of reseating everything and getting the same temps is the worst.