Q9450 thermal paste?

[pb126]

I just got the Intel Q9450 to plug into my existing build. Would folks recommend removing the stock thermal paste and putting on Arctic Silver 5? and would you put that on the circular pad on the heatsink or on the CPU?

[The Wise Monkey]

It really depends on whether you are going to overclock your PC or not. If not, and you are just going to be using the stock fan, then there is no point - the stock stuff is very good, and you won't notice more than 1-2C difference.

If you are going to use an aftermarket fan, then you will need the AS5. They have some very good instructions on their website, if you need some guidance:

http://www.arcticsilver.com/ins_route_step2intelas5.html

[RickyTick]

This is the best review I've seen on thermal paste.
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=1