Why should you apply thermal paste in a line It reduces the temperature by 5 degrees more

Thermal paste is a viscous liquid that is placed between the GPU or CPU and the heatsink, so that heat dissipates better and faster. It has a major function, because if it is placed incorrectly it will dissipate heat worse and this translates into worse performance, and even motherboard problems, due to overheating.

The most common solution is to place a small ball of thermal paste in the center of the chip, and level it with the heatsink as you put it in place, so that the paste spreads evenly.

But there are countless techniques, most of which are valid, although they don't offer the same performance. Some make an X with thermal paste on the chip, others put 4 small dots in the corners and one in the middle. Some evenly distribute it over the entire surface of the chip using a credit card or paddle. Which is better?

Computer expert Igor Valosik, from Igor's Lab , tested several of these methods, made complex thermal measurements, and concluded that the best option is the one shown in the picture:

As we can see, it involves placing a horizontal strip of medical paste that divides the flap into two equal parts.

By placing the heatsink on top and pressing it, the paste will be evenly distributed to the sides.

According to Igo lab measurements, this method heats the RTX 3080 GPU tested with it by 5 degrees less, compared to other methods.

Although it has been tested on GPUs, it also applies to powerful CPUs.

- Learn the difference between white and gray thermal paste and which one offers better performance.