Apply a pea-sized dot of thermal paste to the center of the CPU, mount the cooler straight down, and tighten screws diagonally.
For the full breakdown, see our best CPU TIM guide.
The thermal paste mistake most people make is using way too much — a fat smear instead of a small dot — which hurts temperatures more than no paste at all. Once you settle how to apply CPU thermal paste the way Intel and Noctua document it, the whole job takes about five minutes: clean both surfaces, put one small drop dead-center on the CPU’s integrated heat spreader (IHS), lower the cooler straight down with even pressure, and snug the screws in a diagonal/X order.
The Thermal Paste Sequence: Clean, Dot, Drop, Tighten
Every desktop cooler install follows the same order. Intel’s official guidance covers the loop: start with clean parts, add a single small dot, seat the cooler without sliding it, then tighten evenly.
- Read the instructions that came with the cooler and the paste first. Some kits specify their own amount or pattern.
- Clean the CPU and the cooler base