You are assembling a custom workstation and have just locked the CPU into its socket. Before you attach the air cooler, you need to apply a material that will sit directly on the integrated heat spreader (IHS). This compound will be the very first component to absorb heat leaving the processor and will transfer that heat to the cooler's base. Which component should you apply?
Thermal paste (also called thermal compound or thermal grease) is a thermally conductive interface material placed between the CPU's integrated heat spreader and the cooler's base plate. Because it fills microscopic gaps and replaces insulating air, it is the first substance to receive heat that leaves the processor package. The heat then passes into the metal heat sink, where the CPU fan and case airflow dissipate it. Without an adequate layer of thermal paste, CPU temperatures will quickly rise, leading to throttling or shutdown.
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