Please help first time builder

[Sneblot]

Do I need to use thermal paste at stock settings for an intel quad core cpu?
If not, if I wanted to overclock the cpu and install an after market heat sync at a later date would I be able to add thermal paste then?

Thanks

 

[Whirlwind]

The stock heatsink and fan will be fine if you dont plan on overclocking.

The stock one should have a pad on it and that will be enough.

If you plan on overclocking later, then Yes, you can put thermal paste on with your new heatsink and fan.

 

[darksideleader]

used stock cooler and the thermal stuff that came on with the heat sink and fan. able to oc to 3.5ghz at load of 52 degress, 3 ghz 42 degress, no oc 32...

 

[Andyf]

Good effort mate, keeping it that cool at stock.

Sneblot, beware though, that it is unlikely that you will get those kinds of temps using a stock cooler- it would need great case cooling, and a G0 stepping quad core processor.

As a general rule, the stock cooler should be ok for modest overclocks (e.g. 2.8-3 Ghz for a Q6600), but the important thing is, no matter your setup, always keep an eye on the temps when overclocking!