What is Thermal Paste?
The tiny layer keeping your processor cool — and why it doesn't last forever.
What Does It Do?
Thermal paste fills microscopic gaps between your CPU and its cooler, creating a path for heat to escape.
Heat Conductor
Metal surfaces look smooth but have microscopic valleys. Thermal paste fills those gaps so heat transfers efficiently from your CPU to the cooler.
Silver or Ceramic
Made from thermally conductive materials like silver, ceramic, or carbon. It's a thick, toothpaste-like compound applied in a thin layer.
Every PC Has It
Whether it's a gaming rig or a basic laptop, every computer with a processor uses thermal paste (or a thermal pad) between the chip and cooler.
Where Is It?
Sandwiched between your processor and its cooling system — a thin layer doing critical work.
Why Does It Need Replacing?
Heat cycles cause thermal paste to dry out, crack, and lose effectiveness. Here's what that looks like.
Smooth & Effective
Full contact, no air gaps. Heat transfers quickly from the CPU through the paste to the heatsink. Temperatures stay low.
Cracked & Failing
Air pockets form where paste has cracked. Heat gets trapped, causing throttling, shutdowns, and reduced lifespan.
Temperature Impact
Fresh thermal paste can mean a 20-40°C temperature drop. That's the difference between smooth performance and constant throttling.
Cool & quiet under load
Overheating, throttling, fan screaming
Signs Your Paste Needs Replacing
Loud Fans
Fans running at full blast even during light tasks like browsing.
High Temps
CPU temperatures above 80°C at idle or spiking over 95°C under load.
Shutdowns
Random crashes or shutdowns during gaming, rendering, or heavy use.
3+ Years Old
Most thermal paste degrades significantly after 2-3 years of use.
We'll Sort Your Paste
Thermal paste replacement is included in every cleaning. Book today and keep your PC running cool.