Even if your graphics card isn't overheating, it will still benefit from fresh thermal paste and pads.
If you've been using your graphics card for a while, there's a good chance it's no longer running as cool and quiet as it did when it was new. In extreme cases, you might even experience degraded performance or crashes. Regular dusting helps, but it doesn't fully address the issue—the thermal paste and pads inside the card have dried out and are no longer doing their job properly. Thermal paste and pads play a crucial role in cooling, as they help transfer heat away from your graphics card's crucial components. When these materials degrade, the card can start to overheat. Fortunately, replacing them is both cheap and straightforward. Here are a few reasons why it's worth considering. Opening your GPU is risky and can cause permanent damage if not done properly, so it's best to have a professional handle it. It also voids your warranty—if your GPU is still under warranty and overheating, you might want to consider an RMA instead. 9 Thermal Paste and Pads Degrade Over Time Over time, the thermal paste inside your graphics card will dry out, regardless of its quality. This is inevitable, as the paste undergoes thousands of heat cycles throughout its lifespan. As it dries and hardens, it begins to break down microscopically, forming tiny air pockets that reduce thermal transfer efficiency. Thermal pads are slightly more durable, but they also degrade as the silicone material loses elasticity, shrinks, and becomes brittle over time. Ismar Hrnjicevic / How-To Geek AOK Technologies, a manufacturer of thermal interface materials (TIMs), states that thermal paste typically lasts around 3–5 years (longer for high-quality paste or phase-change thermal pads), while regular thermal pads can last around 5–10 years. This means that replacing the thermal paste is generally more important than replacing the pads, as pads could technically last the lifespan of the card. However, if you're already opening the card to replace the paste, and the card is nearing the five-year…