I cleaned my pc the other day and....

[Deleted]

I'm no tech expert.

without knowing i removed my heatsink from my CPU, and i just plugged it back on. Now the temperatures are going high even when not playing.

I'll post my specs

I use a corsair H80 to cool my CPU.

This is while I'm not playing anything, it will range between 43-50 on average. http://i.imgur.com/BYFtzc1.jpg

And this is while a play BF4, this will range between 63-72 on average. http://i.imgur.com/HQqDOuo.jpg

Before i cleaned the temperatures where between 53-60 when playing.

What could cause this?

[avprox777]

Yeah, you messed up by taking the heatsink off. You need to buy new thermal paste and some rubbing alcohol to remove the old thermal paste.

[Jakexe]

First thought is thermal paste, you really should clean it and reapply paste before putting the heatsink back on.

[Deleted]

Any suggestions on what thermal paste to buy?

[Jakexe]

I'd recommend Noctua NT-H1 or Arctic Silver 5.

[Wolfie of Medivh]

Any suggestions on what thermal paste to buy?

Don't need to go too crazy. Arctic Silver 5 is available at any Radio Shack. That will be more than enough. Use a lint free cloth and rubbing alcohol to very throughly clean it off then let it dry completely (if you want to be paranoid, Radio Shack will also have thermal paste remover - I never felt the need to use it.)

Remember when using it you want a VERY VERY Tiny amount. Less than a pea-size spot right on the center of the chip. Put the heat sink on, then tighten it in diagonal corners as such:

1 4

3 2

Thermal paste just helps conduct heat. If there's too much it will actually act as an insulator, preventing that heat transfer rather than helping. If it's not even it will also hinder performance.

[kendro1200]

Any suggestions on what thermal paste to buy?

I like the Antec stuff.

Also very important stuff related to handling thermal paste. Be very careful with it. Do not get it anywhere but where it is supposed to go (in between the CPU and heatsink). What I normally do when applying new paste is put a small dab on the CPU and then spread it around carefully with a q-tip (making sure that no threads/hairs get left mixed in). You don't need a lot, just enough to create a thin and even film between the CPU and the heat sink. Just to illustrate why you want to have a nice thin and even coat: What most likely is going on with your PC right now is that there is probably one spot (or a couple of spots) not getting proper contact, and so it's just heating up and the rest of the cpu/paste/heat sink combo in proper contact have to try and pick up the slack.
The reason why you want a thin coat is just to minimize risk of oozing off on the sides and goop in the socket and ruining your CPU and mobo.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

The reason why you want a thin coat is just to minimize risk of oozing off on the sides and goop in the socket and ruining your CPU and mobo.

Well that, and the fact that it only needs to smooth out the surface. Even the highly-polished metal of a heatsink contact plate has ridges which prevent effective heat transfer. TIM fills in those gaps. If you have too much of it, the heat transfer can actually be hindered more than it is helped.

[glo]

What I normally do when applying new paste is put a small dab on the CPU and then spread it around carefully with a q-tip (making sure that no threads/hairs get left mixed in). You don't need a lot, just enough to create a thin and even film between the CPU and the heat sink. Just to illustrate why you want to have a nice thin and even coat: What most likely is going on with your PC right now is that there is probably one spot (or a couple of spots) not getting proper contact, and so it's just heating up and the rest of the cpu/paste/heat sink combo in proper contact have to try and pick up the slack.
The reason why you want a thin coat is just to minimize risk of oozing off on the sides and goop in the socket and ruining your CPU and mobo.

This is exactly what you shouldn't do. Spreading the paste around is counter productive, as it leaves next to no room for the paste to spread naturally and fill gaps. Instead, you're left with a ton of little air pockets and poor contact.

Put a small rice grain size blob in the middle and install your heatsink. That's all there is to it.

[Deleted]

Thanks for all the advice, I'll buy the arctic silver 5.

[stross01]

Thanks for all the advice, I'll buy the arctic silver 5.

Please look up a guide before you put it on. I suggest the pea-drop-in-the-center method vs the smear it around. Also, do not apply too much or it'll leak onto the motherboard and cause damage.

[Stormspark]

Don't need to go too crazy. Arctic Silver 5 is available at any Radio Shack. That will be more than enough. Use a lint free cloth and rubbing alcohol to very throughly clean it off then let it dry completely (if you want to be paranoid, Radio Shack will also have thermal paste remover - I never felt the need to use it.)

Remember when using it you want a VERY VERY Tiny amount. Less than a pea-size spot right on the center of the chip. Put the heat sink on, then tighten it in diagonal corners as such:

1 4

3 2

Thermal paste just helps conduct heat. If there's too much it will actually act as an insulator, preventing that heat transfer rather than helping. If it's not even it will also hinder performance.

Actually pea-sized is WAY too much. The recommendations I've heard all say a dab no larger than a grain of rice. That is more than enough, that stuff is designed to spread really thin. Too much is VERY BAD. If it goes over the edge of the CPU and flows into the pins, it will completely ruin both the CPU and motherboard.

[ComputerNerd]

The thermal paste is a poorer conductor than the metal surfaces themselves, but better than the air it is trying to displace.
So yes, use as little as is necessary to displace the air between the surfaces.
As the expression goes, "Less is More".