There's a thin layer of thermal paste between the processor and the cooler's heatsink. It's barely visible, yet it directly determines how well heat flows away from the chip. Metal surfaces only look smooth — under a microscope they are peaks and valleys, and the air trapped in them is an excellent insulator. Thermal paste fills those gaps. When it dries out and cracks, heat transfer drops and the processor starts overheating even with a perfectly clean heatsink.
Why thermal paste loses its properties
All thermal paste degrades over time. Constant heating and cooling cycles evaporate the binding oils; the paste thickens, hardens and separates. The cheap compounds used on production lines can dry out within eighteen months to two years. In gaming PCs, where the CPU and GPU regularly reach 80 °C or more, it happens faster still. Graphics cards are a story of their own: besides paste, they use thermal pads on memory chips and power circuitry, and those pads lose their elasticity too.
The effects build up unnoticed. The computer gradually gets louder, frame rates drop in games, and sudden shutdowns appear in hot weather. Owners usually put it down to the machine "getting old", yet in about half of cases performance returns once the cooling system is properly serviced.
Signs it's time for new thermal paste
- CPU temperature above 85 °C under load, or GPU above 80 °C;
- dust cleaning didn't noticeably lower temperatures;
- fans run loudly even during simple tasks;
- games or renders slow down after 10–15 minutes;
- the computer is over 2–3 years old and the paste has never been changed;
- the graphics card's hotspot temperature is far above its core temperature.
How we replace thermal paste
- "Before" measurements. We stress the CPU and graphics card and record temperatures, clock speeds and fan speeds.
- Removing the cooling. We carefully take off the CPU cooler and disassemble the graphics card without damaging mounts or warranty seals.
- Surface cleaning. The old compound is removed completely with a dedicated cleaner — no abrasives.
- New thermal interface. We use high-conductivity pastes from trusted brands, chosen for the specific chip and cooler type.
- Graphics card pads. Where needed, we fit new pads of the correct thickness — vital for proper contact with memory and power stages.
- Reassembly with even pressure. The cooler is tightened in a cross pattern with the correct force.
- "After" measurements. We repeat the stress test and show you the result.
It makes sense to combine thermal paste replacement with dust cleaning: together they give the biggest improvement, and the cooling system only needs to be taken apart once.
Guide prices
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| CPU thermal paste replacement | from 40 ₾ |
| Graphics card thermal paste replacement | from 50 ₾ |
| Graphics card: paste + thermal pads | from 80 ₾ |
| Package: PC cleaning + CPU and GPU paste | from 90 ₾ |
Why choose us
- quality pastes and pads of the right thickness;
- experience with NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards of every series;
- before-and-after measurements — results in degrees;
- home and office visits across Tbilisi 24/7;
- a warranty on the work.
