Can I remove the heatsink without new paste

[dane3388]

NO do it properly!

 

[Swifty123]

On the trapped air thing, it shouldn't really matter since people who spread the paste usually have bubbles of some sort, this isn't much different and if it doesn't effect their temps in the slightest i don't see how it would effect yours. You have to understand that this layer of air will be so incredibly thin that it may well help thermal conductivity rather than hinder it.

If you don't want to reapply paste then you don't have to, but it's 'recommended'.

Not really thats one of the reasons why thermal paste is used and spread, air is bad

 

[PermaBanned]

A thin layer of air will never help conductivity. Ever. Air is an insulator.

Nope, air is a conductor. That's how convection works, and why there's a vacuum in thermosflasks.

Thermal paste is used because the two surfaces are too uneven for conduction between them to happen normally. If they have been lapped to a reasonable degree then it's often fine to use it without. The layer of air would be unimaginably thin anyway, and would fit to the shape of it's 'container' quite nicely.

But really, it's not going to effect temps to any noticeable degree.

 

[ThomasTheTankEngine]

Nope, air is a conductor. That's how convection works, and why there's a vacuum in thermosflasks.

Thermal paste is used because the two surfaces are too uneven for conduction between them to happen normally. If they have been lapped to a reasonable degree then it's often fine to use it without. The layer of air would be unimaginably thin anyway, and would fit to the shape of it's 'container' quite nicely.

But really, it's not going to effect temps to any noticeable degree.

Air is a terrible thermal conductor, that's why we put big metal heat sinks on in the first place. Compare the values of air to copper,aluminium or silver.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_thermal_conductivities

0.02 compared to ~400.

 

[Gundog48]

Nope, air is a conductor. That's how convection works, and why there's a vacuum in thermosflasks.

Thermal paste is used because the two surfaces are too uneven for conduction between them to happen normally. If they have been lapped to a reasonable degree then it's often fine to use it without. The layer of air would be unimaginably thin anyway, and would fit to the shape of it's 'container' quite nicely.

But really, it's not going to effect temps to any noticeable degree.

Everything conducts heat, its just to what degree they conduct to. If air was a good conductor we wouldn't use thermal paste at all, or even use a cooler. Air is always generally warm, but if you touch a piece of copper, it feels cold. That is because it is drawing the warmth from your hand and then rapidly transferring it into the air. The colder something feels at room temperature, the better conductor it is.

 

[IKMS]

I've removed and replaced the Stock AMD Heatsink multiple times and never re applied paste. Running fine and is actually low temps ^^

Need a new cooler, possibly H50, when I start to overclock this beast.

 

[Lleot]

I've done it with my H50 countless times, maybe I should get some new paste?

 

[Gundog48]

I've done it with my H50 countless times, maybe I should get some new paste?

If you feel the need to use as extreme cooling as a H50, then you should defiantly use good thermal paste every time! Get a nice tube of MX-3 and it will last you a while!