I finally looked up what the thermal paste shelf life actually is

Cleaning out the shop drawer last week I saw my tube of Arctic MX-4 was dated 2019, so I looked it up and the maker says the shelf life is 8 years unopened. Any of you keep old paste around or do you toss it after a couple seasons?

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hill.hugo6d ago

Check the texture before you toss it. Squeeze a little out on a paper towel first, if it comes out smooth and spreads normal it is fine, if it is chunky or the oil separated out and it looks watery then it is done. That 8 year number is for unopened tubes kept at room temp anyway, once you crack the seal and it sits in a hot shop drawer the clock runs way faster. Keeping it capped tight and out of sunlight matters more than the date stamp. I have used 4 year old MX-4 on a budget build and the temps were fine, so a couple seasons is being way too careful in my book.

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