Question

Albert is assembling a new PC from parts. When asked if he needed thermal compound, he glanced at his parts and said, "No." Why would Albert say such a thing?

Answer 1

Albert might say such a thing because the CPU cooler he has chosen already has thermal compound applied or comes with a thermal pad, or the CPU cooler and CPU have integrated heat spreaders that eliminate the need for thermal compound.

Step-by-step explanation:

Albert is assembling a new PC from parts and when asked if he needed thermal compound, he said no. Albert might say such a thing because some CPU coolers come with thermal compound pre-applied to the heatsink or have thermal pads instead of thermal compound. He might have noticed that the CPU cooler he has chosen already has thermal compound applied or comes with a thermal pad, which means he doesn't need to purchase or apply thermal compound separately.

In some cases, the CPU cooler and CPU might have integrated heat spreaders that make direct contact, eliminating the need for thermal compound. This can be seen in certain high-end CPUs and coolers, where the heat is transferred directly between the CPU and the cooler without the need for an additional layer of thermal compound.