run out of thermal paste :( alternatives?

[The Flying Sloth]

Hi,

So prettymuch I have a secondary computer that I don't give that much of a shit about and when I built it from scrap parts I never bothered re-applying thermal paste. Everything ran fine UNTIL TODAY when it crashed on me while playing NFSMW 2012. My question is, being a sunday when nothing is open, does the old 4:1 toothpaste to vaseline trick still work and if not is there anything else I can use??

[thekeemo]

Dont use that. It is good for 30 minutes then it starts drying and cracking.

[rm -rf]

2 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

Hi,

So prettymuch I have a secondary computer that I don't give that much of a shit about and when I built it from scrap parts I never bothered re-applying thermal paste. Everything ran fine UNTIL TODAY when it crashed on me while playing NFSMW 2012. My question is, being a sunday when nothing is open, does the old 4:1 toothpaste to vaseline trick still work and if not is there anything else I can use??

Wait until Tuesday, unless you're from Western Australia or Queensland....

[The Flying Sloth]

2 minutes ago, thekeemo said:

Dont use that. It is good for 30 minutes then it starts drying and cracking.

you know of any better options?

And is it better than having nothing? (current)

1 minute ago, rm -rf said:

Wait until things are open.

I kinda need to use the computer, like now

[rm -rf]

1 minute ago, The Flying Sloth said:

you know of any better options?

And is it better than having nothing? (current)

I kinda need to use the computer, like now

Could you put the hardrive into a different computer?

[The Flying Sloth]

1 minute ago, rm -rf said:

Could you put the hardrive into a different computer?

I only have access to this laptop and that PC right now

 

[rm -rf]

4 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

I only have access to this laptop and that PC right now

 

Are you in a city?

Many places are open even on the long weekend.

Shortcut Computers near Frankston is open until 9pm, and I'm sure many other places would be as well.

[The Flying Sloth]

2 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

No.

Thanks, that's a really comprehensive answer. 

1 minute ago, rm -rf said:

Are you in a city?

Many places are open even on the long weekend.

Shortcut Computers near Frankston is open until 9pm, and I'm sure many other places would be as well.

Nowhere here is open. I have access to a full tool shed with almost every tool under the sun in it, if nobody has any better ideas I'm just gonna clean everything out and go ahead with the vaseline/toothpaste thing. 


MY MAIN QUESTION IS WOULD THE VASELINE AND TOOTHPASTE THING BE BETTER THAN HAVING NOTHING ON IT

[aisle9]

3 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

MY MAIN QUESTION IS WOULD THE VASELINE AND TOOTHPASTE THING BE BETTER THAN HAVING NOTHING ON IT

For a short while, sure, if you don't mind remounting your cooler every hour because your CPU is running 60C at idle.

[rm -rf]

3 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

Thanks, that's a really comprehensive answer. 

Nowhere here is open. I have access to a full tool shed with almost every tool under the sun in it, if nobody has any better ideas I'm just gonna clean everything out and go ahead with the vaseline/toothpaste thing. 


MY MAIN QUESTION IS WOULD THE VASELINE AND TOOTHPASTE THING BE BETTER THAN HAVING NOTHING ON IT

I am not liable for this advice, follow at your own risk.

I'd do the toothpaste and Vaseline trick, though it may abrade the CPU.

Though you can run a CPU without Thermal Paste, it will just run about 40% hotter and thermal throttle to the second mark in games. (Turning itself off)

[The Flying Sloth]

3 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

For a short while, sure, if you don't mind remounting your cooler every hour because your CPU is running 60C at idle.

 

2 minutes ago, rm -rf said:

I am not liable for this advice, follow at your own risk.

I'd do the toothpaste and Vaseline trick, though it may abrade the CPU.

Though you can run a CPU without Thermal Paste, it will just run about 40% hotter and thermal throttle to the second mark in games. (Turning itself off)

I've got it running at 38 idle with no paste and a 6950 with no paste at 47 idle

 

[aisle9]

2 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

6950 with no paste

Why is that PC even turned on right now?!

 

*Edit: wait, Radeon 6950, not i7-6950. Carry on.

[GenericAssassin]

Mayonnaise is a pretty effective thermal paste.  In 2011 some tests were done and it beat several commercial pastes available.  Worked for 12 days in the test so it might help you here.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/does-mayonnaise-last-as-a-thermal-compound/

 

And with nothing your CPU won't work, it will heat up too much then throttle to oblivion and crash immediately.  Toothpaste/vaseline wont last for a useful amount of time.

[The Flying Sloth]

1 minute ago, aisle9 said:

Why is that PC even turned on right now?!

because I need it to be and I have run it like this for probably 8 months

[The Flying Sloth]

12 minutes ago, rm -rf said:

I am not liable for this advice, follow at your own risk.

I'd do the toothpaste and Vaseline trick, though it may abrade the CPU.

Though you can run a CPU without Thermal Paste, it will just run about 40% hotter and thermal throttle to the second mark in games. (Turning itself off)

 

32 minutes ago, thekeemo said:

Dont use that. It is good for 30 minutes then it starts drying and cracking.

Extra research done, apparently thermal paste is 70% zinc oxide, could I use sunblock (25% zinc oxide) instead?

[The Flying Sloth]

16 minutes ago, GenericAssassin said:

Mayonnaise is a pretty effective thermal paste.  In 2011 some tests were done and it beat several commercial pastes available.  Worked for 12 days in the test so it might help you here.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/does-mayonnaise-last-as-a-thermal-compound/

 

And with nothing your CPU won't work, it will heat up too much then throttle to oblivion and crash immediately.  Toothpaste/vaseline wont last for a useful amount of time.

I've had nothing (as in no paste) on anything for over 8 months

[pcnoob99]

 

 

 

[refinedskillz]

Cant you just order some online with one day delivery? Honestly if you even had thermal paste before you should've left it on, I had a pc that used the same thermal paste for 6 years and it was fine.

[The Flying Sloth]

1 minute ago, refinedskillz said:

Cant you just order some online with one day delivery? Honestly if you even had thermal paste before you should've left it on, I had a pc that used the same thermal paste for 6 years and it was fine.

had none on before, has had none for 8 months, am about to apply zinc sunblock because it seems to be the best option

[leadeater]

Rather than go buy some go to a computer repair shop that is an authorized HP agent and ask for one of their bazillion unused thermal paste and clean wipe kits that come with HP replacement parts.

[The Flying Sloth]

2 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Rather than go buy some go to a computer repair shop that is an authorized HP agent and ask for one of their bazillion unused thermal paste and clean wipe kits that come with HP replacement parts.

as I said, nothing is open

[leadeater]

2 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

had none on before, has had none for 8 months, am about to apply zinc sunblock because it seems to be the best option

Personally if it is just for a short period of time I would use a tiny amount of low residue cooking oil, like rice bran or sunflower. It's about as bad as any other option I can think of .

[The Flying Sloth]

3 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Personally if it is just for a short period of time I would use a tiny amount of low residue cooking oil, like rice bran or sunflower. It's about as bad as any other option I can think of .

it's done now anyway

[The Flying Sloth]

Well, using green zinc sunblock keeps my cpu at 38 idle and 49 when stress tested for 10 minutes

[Cormac mc kinney]

This is a bit of a long shot but people have told me that tooth paste works