Thermal paste basics?

[LegacyStijncat]

Hello, and thanks for reading this already!

 

Can anyone explain (or send a link) what thermal paste is, what it is for, and what to consider about it while building a computer?

 

Thanks in advance!

[TheKDub]

[Tedster]

[snip]

Ninja'd.

[Vacsol]

Thermal paste goes between the CPU and the heatsink in order to allow heat to more easily pass from one to the other

[WinNut]

3000th post. yuy!

 

Thermal paste facilitates the transfer of heat from the IHS to the heatsink. There's a lot of ways people say you should apply it but the best way IMO is to apply a small spot the size of a grain of rice to the center and then install the heatsink on top of it.

[LegacyStijncat]

Does an separate heatsink come with thermal paste?

And/or is it sometimes applied by default?

[WinNut]

Does an separate heatsink come with thermal paste?

And/or is it sometimes applied by default?

The processor comes with a stock heatsink that has thermal paste preapplied for you, but that thing is a potato. If you buy an aftermarket heatsink you *sometimes* get it with the heatsink in a ketchup packet or syringe and apply it yourself.

[thekeemo]

Does an separate heatsink come with thermal paste?

And/or is it sometimes applied by default?

it depends on which one. The 212 evo comes with paste and the Intel stock one has it preapplied

[LegacyStijncat]

I'm planning to get the Dark Rock Pro 3 of Be Quiet!, which says this in the specifications:
Accessories: 
Thermal grease (g) --> Corning TC-5121 / 1
 
Is that thermal paste or something else?

[mark201200]

Isnip

Yes, that is thermal paste

But i would suggest getting Arctic MX 4 or IC Diamond, or Noctua NT-H1