Do I need to apply thermal paste?

[harveymilk]

Hey guys,

I recently put together my first build, but had to take out the motherboard so I could send it back (I bought the wrong one by mistake and didn't realize it until I had everything installed). I only had the computer running for about 10 seconds so I could see if I had a monitor signal. When my new motherboard arrives, do I need to reapply thermal paste to the cpu/heatsink? I just used a stock heatsink, so I didn't need to worry about applying thermal paste the first time around.

Here's a pic of what the cpu/heatsink look like right now: http://i67.tinypic.com/296oksg.jpg

 

[carnageX]

Yes.

Clean the old stuff off with at least 90% Isopropyl Alcohol, and a non-lint cloth (I suggest coffee filters, as they're fairly cheap and the least likely to leave behind any fuzz or anything). Then once both CPU and heatsink are clean, apply a new bit of thermal paste. Put it in the center of the CPU, about the size of a grain of rice or so.