My tiny client came in today.I have not unboxed it yet.
question. Would you replace thermal past right away? i am torn on this. 1 it has never been powered on. 2 it is over 10 years old.
The big killer is usually heat, but age (drying out) will do it too. If you are concerned, pull the heatsink and take a look. If it's still gooey, just put back. Otherwise, clean well and replace.