No Thermal Paste! Potential Harm?

[pokernod]

I was just reading the Thermal Paste Aplications Thread and it reminded me.....
About a week or so ago, My brother, A city over from me, Had pulled his heatsink for cleaning and didnt have any Thermal Paste to put it back on with. So he just didnt use any. He Said he "Polished" both the CPU and HS before putting them together. I tried to tell him that Polishing takes days, Starting with an extremely fine grain sand paper and ending with a polishing compound and has to be done to a Mirror Finish. But he didnt want to go without being able to use his computer.
So what kind of destruction is going on under there? About how long does he have before his "Abrupt Lesson" is learned?

 

[gurusan]

Well it depends on what sort of temperatures he's getting. With no paste I assume the temps are pretty nasty though.

Also it depends which sort of processor he has...some of the older ones heat up and die....but most just downclock to reduce dangerous temperatures and/or shut down.

In any case he should get some thermal paste on there ASAP.

 

[pokernod]

Its a (old) Compaq P4 1.8 ghz all stock. I was over there last night and it seems to still be running fine. Its only got 380+ Ram so its kinda hard to tell. But they cant afford anything better and Id hate to see theyre only computer (no matter how crappy) Die.

 

[gurusan]

everest or speedfan will tell you the temperature

 

[Kharn]

P4's tend to run hot anyway so he may be baking his chip, tell him to get some compound on that chip as soon as possible it's only a few quid an will save him more in the long run.

 

[pokernod]

I called him and told him whats been said here, but he has none and it would be a while before he could get some sent to him (tinytown, usa).

Is there an alternative for a few days or a week until he can get some in there? Something that he would have around the house or something?

 

[Kharn]

Doubt it, he is best just not using it. He would better off not using it for a week an waiting for some thermal paste than waiting even longer for a new computer.

 

[Snake91839]

Turn it off.... it's gonna blow!

lol jk... but seriously... no thermal paste???

That's like walking out of your house without pants on

 

[Kharn]

Its worse than just forgetting your pants its more like painting your wang with blood an attaching a link of sausages to it an shouting dinner time fido.

 

[Poizen22]

im quoting you on that its ***** hilarious!