Temperature is getting off the chart – what is causing the problem

Temperature is getting off the chart – what is causing the problem

Hello Alonzo,

I assume that when you say you replaced your "cooler fan" you are in fact referring to the processor's heatsink and fan. If that is the case, did you clean up the thermal paste from the processor after removing the old heatsink? Did you apply a fresh layer of thermal paste on the processor prior to mounting the new heatsink?

Thermal paste is necessary to ensure optimal contact between the processor die and the heatsink. The heatsink and processor die may look smooth upon visual inspection but it actually has very tiny gaps on its surface. The thermal paste fills in these tiny gaps thereby maximizing contact between the heatsink and the processor. Maximum contract means heat from the processor get transferred more efficiently to the heatsink. Efficient heat transfer means your processor cools down quicker.

My suggestion is to buy thermal paste and apply it before mounting the heatsink. Most Heatsinks that are sold today usually have thermal paste pre-applied to the bottom of the heatsink or is packaged in a separate tube.

Hope this clears things up for you.