I could bake cookies inside my computer.

Was going to post in tech support but I'm sure they do not need something cluttering that section further.

I'm having some overheating issues with my computer, to the point of shutdowns (90> degrees if it goes full load); I think I've pin-pointed it down to thermal paste now being a charred smear and case coolers that do not even spin anymore.

I was wondering if someone who's tech savvy could give me some recomendations on what kind of replacements to buy, the case takes 3x 80mm fans and I have no idea which thermal paste/fans are decent; I kind of do not want to go to a hardware shop to have it repaired since they have this tendency to just bullshit you with things such as "ye mate 'cher puter's having the dillituim crystal matrix overloaded by 1.21 gigowatts temporal discharges, gon' cost you some big ol ' bucks"

Also if it can be budget stuff even better, I'm aware thermal paste is not something I should cheap out on, but I don't want tactical silent fans with laser shows; just want them to cool well.

As far as some 80mm case fans go, most will do just fine. Here are some rosewill 80mm's for $5 each. I have used care fans from rosewill of all sizes (up to 230mm) and have never had a problem with a single one.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200044

For thermal paste you might wanna be a bit more picky, and its really hard to go wrong with some arctic silver

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007

The thing with thermal paste is not putting on too much, but still getting enough to work properly.

Hey man, thanks, the arctic silver link even has a guide on how to apply it; and seems they're quite budget friendly, shoudn't spend over $30 now that I look at it.

Was looking at all other fans but seems they spin slower and merely look prettier, not sure if I'm right to assume higher rpm means better airflow but well.

No problem, happy to help. Case fans are pretty simple, and what you want to look at is the CFM which tells you how much air the fan is rated to move. Higher rpm generally means more noise and that's about it.

Arctic silver is good stuff, and as long as it is applied properly you can't beat it.

If you still have heat issues with the paste/fan.
And if your case can accommodate it:



That's a self contained liquid cooling unit, Corsair H80i. There are larger versions for greater cooling.

I had massive heat issues, I built my PC in a Silencio case, which is coated in foam for maximum noise reduction.

Since I have a AMD GFX card.. you could bake Cookies in the same room as the PC.
Cut a hole for an intake fan on the side panel next to GFX Card. Card cooled down, now the air in the PC was too hot and overheating the CPU.

Replaced CPU Fan with H100i. Never ever had an issue since then.
This was my first foray into "liquid cooling" and it wasn't as difficult as I Imagine.

Keep it in mind.

Hope its an easy fix for you.
Anyone who has ever built a PC knows the frustration of it not doing what you want.

Artic Silver is da bomb (I use it exclusively on all my builds) - but keep in mind a little dab will do ya ... alcohol to remove the old (if needed) & let dry; apply some of the magic fairy liquid/paste & put on a surgical glove & smear it around a bit, then use an (old) credit card to even it out. Q-tip the edges to remove excess. Apply CPU fan, ensuring it's base is clean also.

Patience pays off here ...

Most current pastes will do the job. The biggest problem is usually people putting too much of it. Thermal Paste is much worse at transfering heat, than the metals of heatspreader & cooler ... it is only meant to fill out microscopic gaps between the two metal surfaces, and not as some kind of thin layered glue. For people having trouble putting the right amount, it is recommended to just put a small drop the size of a pins head (smaller than a pea) onto the middle of the CPU heatspreader and then just mount the cooler, the CPU chip is only in the middle under the heatspreader anyway.

Also mount the cooler properly: Do not screw down one side hard, then the other ... work diagonally. Use a good cooler, there's a few relatively cheap models with excellent results. With the watercooled ones, be aware, that the voltage regulator chips around the CPU socket also require cooling and that's not present with just a watercooling head on the CPU.

Make sure you have a sensible design for airflow in your case: Do tie down cables, don't obstruct the airflow, take out harddisk cages you don't need if possible etc. Push in on the front, pull out on the back. Top fans are not required usually.

Also, clean dust! Obstructed heat spreaders, fan filters etc reduce cooling effect dramatically, keep your PC clean. Do not however enter the PC case with a vacuum cleaner. They palstic tips and the flowing air cause static electricity, that might destroy computer components. Use a can of pressured air etc to clean your fans and heatsink.