Turning CPU on w/out Heatsink?

[oldskool]

It's good that you are following the advice of thermal paste. You just saved yourself some unnecessary hassle and aggravation.

 

[PuRpLeSmUrF]

Yeh, I didn't have to wait for newegg either. A buddy of mine had some and brought it over for me

 

[oldskool]

Oh, well then that is great !

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Thermal paste only really does ONE thing, fill in the cracks on both surfaces to make them smooth, thus providing better heat transfer. I have ran a computer before, an older Sempron system with a 130nm CPU can't remember the exact spec anymore, with out thermal paste on a stock heatsink, got warm, but it never had issues. But you should invest in some sort of thermal paste.

 

[PuRpLeSmUrF]

So it is okay to do a test boot to windows with just the heatsink on, but no thermal paste?

 

[joshd]

Depends on the CPU I guess. I'd imagine it'd be fine for a little bit under low load situations, with cool-running CPUs. Just don't try it with no heatsink at all.

CPUs are alot more durable than you'd think.