Do Realtek dongles burn up?

FlightAware ADS-B Flight Tracking
21

Be aware that “thermal compound” is a heat insulator, but not as much as air.

Thermal compound should be applied as thinly as possible. Its purpose is to fill in any imperfections in the two surfaces, not to be a complete layer between the two surfaces.

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22

Tragic, but true (but then everything is).
The trade-off is that it’s (usually) better than not having it.

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23

Yes, having thermal compound is better than not having it.

But having a thick layer weakens the advantage and could be counterproductive.

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