Thermal paste type in Core i3 12100F

[Araut]

Hello there. About a year ago i got a i3 12100F, working like a charm, likely the best cost-benefit processor on the planet right now.

But i have another Desktop that i bought about 2.5/3 years ago that was having constant episodes of shutting down and not turning back for several minutes/hours. After some fast maintenance, come to my mind that it could be overheating by abssence of thermal paste in the processor-cooler contact, which i confirmed right after. No thermal paste there. Since this other computer is a more simple one, the thermal paste used in the assembly of its parts could be a "cheaper" one, which can wear out after 2 or 3 years - which seems to be my case. 

Thing is i found no information about which type of thermal paste came with my i3 12100F. Could be one with silver in composition, which generally have a more durable "life span", about 5-8 years, or it could be a more simple thermal paste, which could require my attention in the near future. Does any one knows what kind of thermal paste is used in stock i3 12100F processors? Do i need to be worried about that in relation to the  i3 12100F or Intel already had this covered and i can relax for the next 10 years about this subject? Thanks in advanced.

[Jocelyn_Intel]

Hello, @Araut  

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.  

I am sorry to hear what is happening with your processor, I will gladly assist you here. 

You have to choose the Thermal paste based on your processor base power. You can check here your processor specifications. Also, check the following article for additional guidance: 

How to Choose Thermal Solutions for Intel® Core™ Boxed Desktop Processor  

Best regards,  

Jocelyn M.   

Intel Customer Support Technician. 

[Araut]

Hello, Jocelyn. Thanks for your reply.  

No worries about my other processor. It is an old AMD FX family, still working ok after i reapplied the thermal paste on it.

Didn't know about the Thermal Solutions for Desktop Processors, cool info.

Regarding about the thermal paste on i3 12100F, even the processor specifications don't mention what kind of thermal paste is used in it.  I'll take it is a thermal paste of higher quality, then. Regardless of the thermal paste type, do you know if only in the event of replacing the processor do i need to reapply the thermal paste? Or after some years, even if i don't replace the processor, i did have to reapply the thermal paste? Thanks again.

[Jocelyn_Intel]

Hello, @Araut  

A good guideline is to replace the Thermal paste if you reinstall the processor or fan heatsink.  

Also, a recommended Thermal paste from us is the DOW Corning TC-1996 Thermal Grease Metal Oxide Compound 0.5G, part number: G15816-001 for the pillow pack.  

You can find this information and more details (how to apply it, how to remove it, where to purchase it, etc.) in this article: How to Apply or Remove Thermal Interface Material (TIM) 

Best regards,  

Jocelyn M.   

Intel Customer Support Technician. 

[Jocelyn_Intel]

Hello, @Araut  

We are checking this thread and we would like to know if you were able to review our previous post. If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us back. 

Best regards,  

Jocelyn M.   

Intel Customer Support Technician. 

[Araut]

Thanks for you reply, Jocelyn. Sorry for the late response. I'll keep in mind the name Dow Corning next time i'm out to buy a thermal paste for my processors. Might be sooner than later, since i got another old machine which probably will be upgrading its processor in the near future. Thanks again, keep it up!

[Jocelyn_Intel · Accepted solution]

Hello, @Araut  

Thank you for your reply. 

I understand, I hope this will be useful for you at some point. I will proceed to close this thread as you don't have any more inquiries.  

In any case, if you need any additional information or assistance, you can always reach us back and we will be glad to assist you. 

Best regards,  

Jocelyn M.   

Intel Customer Support Technician.