A guy on here told me my thermal paste job looked like a toddler did it

I was fixing an old PS4 that kept overheating, and I posted a picture of my work. Someone straight up said I used way too much paste, calling it a 'thermal paste volcano'. I was putting on a blob the size of a pea, like I'd always done. He explained that for the PS4's APU, you only need a tiny dot, maybe half a grain of rice. I cleaned it off and tried his method. The console's fan is way quieter now and hasn't shut down once in two weeks. Has anyone else had to completely change a basic habit like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_julia2mo ago

It's wild how many things we learn one way and just stick with it forever. I used to load up the dishwasher wrong for years because that's how my dad did it, and nothing got clean. A friend showed me the proper spacing and it was a total game changer. We get these routines in our heads and assume they're the only way, even with simple stuff. That PS4 fix is a perfect example of a tiny tweak making a huge difference.

piper_wells652mo ago

Proper spacing" sounds like my whole life needs a reboot.

the_jennifer1mo agoMost Upvoted

You know, it's funny you mention the "tiny dot" method. That's actually what I used to do too, but I learned the pea-sized blob in the middle is still the right way for most PC CPUs. The PS4's chip is different because it doesn't have a heat spreader lid on it. So for that bare chip, you're totally right, a tiny dot is key. But for a regular desktop processor, the pea method is perfect because the pressure from the cooler spreads it out just fine. It's all about the specific hardware!