Hey I want to know, does thermal paste have to dry? I do not think it does, and also why should I use thermal paste?

i think it makes for a better bond between the cpu and the heatsink, for better heat transmission...

No, you don't have to let it dry. In fact you shouldn't.

Thermal paste provides better contact between the chip and the heatsink. The heatsink, and to a lesser extent the CPU core, isn't completely flat. They are textured, and that makes it impossible to get total contact between the CPU and heatsink, even if these spaces are microscopic. Air doesn't conduct heat very well, so thermal paste fills up these cavities and provides better contact and conduction. I strongly advice against even powering up a computer that hasn't got thermal paste (or that thermal tape) applied between the CPU and heatsink.

Remember, a very thin layer is enough! Too much and it will actually insulate instead of provide better conduction.


Håkan

You might also want to consider 'lapping' the heatsink to reduce the small uneven places and make for better heat transference between the CPU and HS. Just google 'lapping' and follow the many tutorials online. However even after lapping it you should still use a thin layer of thermal paste.

I read that you should only apply it to the die(central part of the amd processor) what if some gets off by mistake ;( am I screwed?

Thermal paste is designed to be heat conductive but not electrically conductive. I wouldn't go betting the farm on that though.

Don't use too much. You don't need a whole lot. The biggest problem is that it's toxic.