Thermal Paste vs Leaving It (2026)
Thermal paste dries out over years, and on hardware more than about five years old that shows up as higher temperatures, more fan noise and throttling under load. Repasting costs a few pounds and an hour. Do it on any older machine you are repurposing as a server; skip it on anything recent.
At a glance
| ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste | Raspberry Pi Case with Fan | |
|---|---|---|
| Helps old hardware | Considerably | Not applicable |
| Helps new hardware | Marginally | Not applicable |
| Cost | Very low | Very low |
| Time | An hour | Minutes |
| Risk | Low with care | None |
| Applies to | x86 machines | Raspberry Pi |
Choose the ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste if…
You are repurposing a desktop or laptop more than a few years old. Dried paste is one of the most common reasons an old machine runs hot and loud, and the fix is cheap enough that it is worth doing as a matter of course.
Check ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste on Amazon
Choose the Raspberry Pi Case with Fan if…
On a Pi there is no paste to replace in the usual sense, and a case with a fan and a heatsink is the equivalent intervention.
Check Raspberry Pi Case with Fan on Amazon
Related
Comparison based on published manufacturer specifications and the general consensus of owner reports. We have not tested these products side by side. Confirm current specifications and prices before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
How much paste should I use?
A small amount, commonly described as a pea or a grain of rice depending on the die size. Too much is messy and insulating rather than helpful.
Do I need to clean the old paste off?
Yes, thoroughly, with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth. Applying new paste over dried old paste achieves very little.
Is liquid metal worth it?
It performs better and is electrically conductive, which means a spill can destroy the board, and it is incompatible with aluminium coolers. For a home server the risk is not worth the few degrees.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, drive datasheets, published reliability statistics and verified owner reviews. We do not test hardware in person, and we are not tied to any NAS vendor. Capacity and power figures here are researched guidance, not a warranty. RAID protects against drive failure, not against deletion, ransomware, fire or theft, so keep verified backups regardless of what any calculator tells you.
Working out your own cost per usable terabyte? The Home Server Build Planner is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.