How to Change Xbox Thermal Paste

Thermal Paste is the silvery gray goop that you put on a processor before installing a CPU cooler. The paste allows the metal base plate of the heat sink and the integrated heat spreader on the CPU to make direct contact, which facilitates the transfer of heat from the CPU to the cooling system that dissipates it.

The simplest way to apply the paste is to put a pea-sized drop on the center of the IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader). Some people like to use an applicator to spread the paste out evenly before clamping down on the heat sink. Others talk about a line-based application that spans across the cores of the processor, but this can be very tricky to execute.

Many PC enthusiasts will replace the stock thermal paste on their motherboards with better compound that’s more effective at conducting heat. It’s also common for them to upgrade their CPU coolers, too, because the better paste usually yields a more efficient transfer of heat from the CPU to the cooler.

Overheating is a common problem with Xbox consoles that can be caused by dust accumulation, clogged air outlets, or worn out thermal paste. It’s important to clean the machine regularly to ensure that dust doesn’t build up, but sometimes even cleaning won’t fix overheating problems.

Fortunately, changing the thermal paste on an Xbox is relatively easy and inexpensive. The trick is to have the right tools, a good plan of action, and the proper supplies on hand. iFixit opened up the new Xbox Series X and found that it is well-designed for modularity, making the fan, power supply unit, and Wi-Fi board fairly easy to replace.Thermal Interface Material